History Heartwarming / FindingDory

** It becomes a meta moment when you realize that Stan's wife is voiced by Creator/KateMcKinnon, who has regularly cited Ellen [=DeGeneres=] as one of her idols and role models since her childhood. Here, Kate gets to play a fish who immediately tries to help Ellen's character in her childhood, coming full circle.
** Stan and his wife are the first in a succession of fish that Dory encounters growing up. These complete strangers only ever wish her well in her search, even when Dory herself can't remember who she's searching for.

--> '''Dory:''' "Nemo is the sweetest thing. He never gives up on me no matter what."

--> '''Fish:''' Well, I hope you find whatever it is you're looking for.
--> '''Dory:''' You and me both.

* One of the truck drivers is voiced by Alexander Gould, Nemo's original actor. He'd aged out of the role thanks to the 13-year time gap, but they still found a place for him in the film.

** Just as heartwarming as their dedication to their daughter, is their dedication to each other. Even in the face of Dory's challenging disability, they are always united in thought and action, tirelessly supporting not just their daughter, but each other. Even as their worry over Dory starts to take a toll on them, it doesn't affect how they treat their daughter � but it's more telling that it doesn't affect how they treat each other, either: When Jenny breaks down, Charlie tenderly reassures her, rather than being rendered emotionally unavailable by his own stress. And for the years that Dory was missing, their grief and pain could have driven them apart; but their bond is so strong that it hasn't weakened in the slightest. They didn't just spend years laying out shells every day for their daughter; they spent years laying out shells ''together''.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/parents.jpg]]

* Dory's parents are never anything but caring and supportive of their daughter, and when she got lost, [[spoiler: they escaped the aquarium to find her, and once outside, they gathered shells every day to make a path back so that she'd find her way home.]]
** The moment you realize there's [[spoiler:a trail of seashells]], and figure out what's happening is a wonderful feeling.
** The slow pan-out to [[spoiler: all of the trails of seashells leading out from the pipe]] is one of the most touching moments in the movie. Dory's parents dedicated their whole time to it.

** Dory's parents haven't seen her since she was a fry, [[spoiler:but when one day they come home from collecting shells and see another adult blue tang at their cave, it only takes a moment to recognize their daughter]].
** [[spoiler:Dory's parents are saddened at first to think that Dory was alone the whole time since she was lost, but that triggers Dory's memories of Marlin and Nemo, setting off the events of the climax as Dory moves to rescue them. When Jenny and Charlie meet Marlin and Nemo, they immediately start hugging them and thanking them for being there for Dory.]]
** [[spoiler:While they are on their way to rescue Marlin and Nemo, Dory tells her parents all about them. How despite everything, she believes that Marlin trusts her and how Nemo never gives up on her. It's so sweet the way she talks about them and their adventure to find Nemo.]]

* [[spoiler:The moment where a young Dory was trying to get a purple seashell for her mother. To recap, she woke up to the sound of her mother crying over her memory loss and future. Dory, a young child who didn't understand what was going on, wanted to comfort her mother by giving her something that she liked. As sad as that scene is, it's also touching how much Dory cared about her parents.]] Capped by the incredibly determined and serious tone Baby Dory has when she says [[spoiler:"Mommy loves purple shells."]].

* The ending. [[spoiler: Marlin and Dory sitting together at the Drop-off, simply enjoying the view, which Dory poignantly describes as "unforgettable".]]

** Something particularly heartwarming about the ending is the [[spoiler: Marlin says that the Drop-off "really is quite a view". This is both a CallBack to the original scene where he comments on the view for a first time, and just before he, Dory and Nemo set off for California. It shows how far he's come and perfectly closes the story for both him and Dory.]]

** In the later parts of the movie Nemo expresses a concern that he and Marlin will have to say good-bye to Dory when she finds her parents. [[spoiler: They don't. Dory recognizes Nemo and Marlin as family too, and the ending shows the three, Dory's parents, Hank, Destiny and Bailey together back home at the reef.]]

* When Dory meets the other blue tangs, they could have gone the AllOfTheOtherReindeer route and bully Dory for her memory loss. But nope! The other tangs aren't antagonistic towards her at all and are actually willing to help her out. They were just cautious at first because they hadn't seen her since she was a fry and it took some time for them to recognize her. They're even truly heartbroken when they have to tell her [[spoiler: about her (presumed to be) dead parents.]] Not just them, ''nobody'' does this to Dory. They do sometimes get fed up with her and her constantly forgetting things, but no one bullied her about it. Just about everyone was willing to help her.

* [[spoiler: Dory goes into a near-catatonic state when she hears that her parents are most likely dead and she starts muttering that she's all alone and doesn't have a family. Despite the background audio being muted, you can still hear Nemo telling her that that isn't true - clearly intending to tell her that he and Marlin are her family. Even after she finds her parents, she still calls them her family.]]
* The events of the touch pool trigger Dory's memory of where her "Just Keep Swimming" mantra came from. [[spoiler:Her mother invented the song so Dory would have something to hang on to if she was ever separated from them.]]

** Just as heartwarming as their dedication to their daughter, is their dedication to each other. Even in the face of Dory's challenging disability, they are always united in thought and action, tirelessly supporting not just their daughter, but each other. Even as their worry over Dory starts to take a toll on them, it doesn't affect how they treat their daughter — but it's more telling that it doesn't affect how they treat each other, either: When Jenny breaks down, Charlie tenderly reassures her, rather than being rendered emotionally unavailable by his own stress. And for the years that Dory was missing, their grief and pain could have driven them apart; but their bond is so strong that it hasn't weakened in the slightest. They didn't just spend years laying out shells every day for their daughter; they spent years laying out shells ''together''.

* Despite bickering LikeAnOldMarriedCouple, Bailey promises to Destiny that when they're out in the ocean, he'll be her eyesight since she can't see very well.

* Despite bickering like an old married couple, Bailey promises to Destiny that when they're out in the ocean, he'll be her eyesight since she can't see very well.