Heartwarming / Sing

Moments pages are Spoilers Off. You Have Been Warned.

I'm so proud of you.

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• The film opens with an adorable scene of Buster as a child being exposed to the world of show business for the first time, during one of Nana Noodleman's performances. He's completely mesmerized by it all, and his watchful father gently encourages him to take it all in as he falls utterly in love with it.
• Despite being a fast-paced montage, even the audition scenes have their share of heartwarming moments.
  • Buster genuinely enjoys most of the performances he sees, and is implied to be watching every single act all the way through without interrupting. Even when Meena's stage fright gets the better of her, Buster remains perfectly calm and encouraging, even asking if she'd like to start over.
    • Buster's treatment of these auditions goes on to be Heartwarming in Hindsight when the second film introduces the cruel entertainment mogul Jimmy Crystal, who is much harsher with his performers and even has a buzzer to cut them off, not letting a single one - including Buster's troupe themselves - finish their act before he dismisses them. This stark contrast in their attitudes makes it clear from the start that Buster is Jimmy's Good Counterpart.
  • Buster has resounding praise for Johnny's audition while he scribbles down some notes, with a look of pure joy on Johnny's face to finally have someone recognize and appreciate his talent.
  • On his way offstage, Johnny quickly stops to sincerely wish Meena some good luck before she goes out for her own audition. While they're complete strangers at this point, this notably makes Johnny and Meena the first members of what will eventually become the Moon Troupe to actually meet, and they've gotten along great ever since.
  • In general, just about everyone who auditions gives it their all, even if they're not particularly good. While Buster ultimately chooses the main cast to perform, it's clear they're not the only ones in the city who have a passion for music and theatre.
• This is a more minor example, but Ms. Crawly's mistake with the "0" key caused some problems, yet when Ms. Crawly cries in remorse about it, Buster tells her in exasperation that for the last time, he is not going to fire her.
  • Also, Ms. Crawly's breakdown, while sad, does have a heartwarming side to it. The very thought of being fired by Buster was enough to send her into a fit of tears. If that's not a sign of True Companions, then nothing is.
  • Ms. Crawly's dedication to work for Buster from the very opening of the theater, despite knowing that his showbiz is a dud, and despite her being over ninety years old.
• While it also has the unfortunate side effect of putting a lot of pressure on Meena, it's shown that Meena's family is utterly devoted to Meena's happiness and success. Her grandpa keeps encouraging her to pursue a singing career since singing is what Meena loves (though again, this unfortunately ends up pressuring Meena), her mother gets the whole neighborhood to show up and cheer for Meena, and during the final "comeback performance", her grandpa is holding a sign declaring "Meena Rules!"
• Gunter and Rosita's friendship is really very sweet. Gunter encourages her with absolutely no romantic interest implied on his part whatsoever. He's just a really Nice Guy.
  • When one of Rosita's kids has a fever and she needs to take him to practice to keep an eye on things, the piglet of course begins to run wild. Gunter doesn't mind in the slightest and cheerfully interacts with the kid.
  • Gunter's sheer glee at seeing her return after she'd walked out. Coupled with him having obviously not told Buster that she'd quit. He was holding out hope for her return up to the last second.
  • Gunter's attitude in general is a particularly nice subversion of his character's archetype. Gunter is more than a bit of a diva, while Rosita is more shy and doubtful about her chances. Normally, you would expect a character like Gunter to be antagonistic, either unwillingly by being self-absorbed and innocently insensitive or deliberately trying to sabotage the new recruit before she can outshine him. Which makes it all the more heartwarming to see the movie make him her biggest supporter instead.
• While Buster is cleaning his office, he notices a picture that was taken during the grand opening of Moon Theater. In a flashback to that eventful day, Buster gratefully hugs his father who helped him make his dreams come true through thirty years of hard work, and his father doesn't waste any time returning the gesture. It's a tender, wistful moment, long since passed, that is filled with so much warmth and familial love.
• After Ash breaks down in sadness during her performance, Rosita immediately goes to ask her what is wrong and it cuts to Rosita comforting her and her and Gunter both saying that her ex wasn't a good person and that she is better off without him. Plus the fact that Ash is willing to tell them what is wrong and not just say "Mind your own business." And if that isn't enough, Rosita gives Ash her purse as she and Gunter go to take the stage and says she can help herself to the candy she keeps in it. Which she does. Ash in turn shows concern for Rosita who has lost her confidence in performing. Everyone does. The whole group (sans Mike) become a really tight knit troupe.
• When Johnny desperately tries to steal the prize money to bail his father out of jail, he stops himself when he finds Buster's notes and sees what he wrote about him: the koala labeled him a natural-born singer. He's given a reminder that Buster and Miss Crawly have always treated him kindly, and were the first people to really believe in his true potential, so he decides that he can't betray them. Instead, he decides to have a little faith in himself and continues his piano lessons with Miss Crawly, so he can hopefully win the prize money and help his father that way.
  • Also, the fact that Ms. Crawly agreed to give him piano lessons so late was very kind of her.
  • Related to this, the look of pride on her face backstage, after he has finished his awesome performance of "I'm Still Standing."
• After Rosita breaks into impromptu song and dance while shopping at the grocery store, a staff member comes onto the intercom, and says, entirely genuinely, "The lady in aisle six... that was awesome."
  • The staff member's encouragement was likely what gave her the final push to be able to perform. Look at her face right when he says "The lady in aisle six". She's clearly unsure but smiles when he reassures her.
  • Even before that, when she first starts subconsciously dancing. Rather than just ignoring her or laughing at her like a bored security guard might do, he turns the music up.
• Throughout the movie, Buster is willing to do almost anything to keep his theater running, including theft of property and utilities, dodging the bank, and not telling the performers that the prize money is a typo. But he doesn't belittle any of the applicants during the audition, uses his eye for talent to build up each performer, and is wholeheartedly supportive of each. Exactly what a good manager is supposed to be. He even is willing to let Meena reaudition and gives her life coaching just because of her work ethic as a stage technician. Without ever hearing her, he never once tells her she can't follow her dreams.
  "Don't let fear stop you from doing the thing you love."
• Once Ash rebounds from her breakup, she and Buster start getting along much better.
  • When Buster hears Ash repeating "Set it All Free", that she just wrote...
    Buster: You wrote that?
    Ash: Er... Yeah... You like it?
    Buster: Are you kidding?! It's fantastic!! You've got to sing that today!
    Ash has a pretty happy smile
  • Remember that Lance kept putting her down. It's probably the first compliment on her songs she heard in a long time.
• After everyone gets flooded out of the Moon Theatre, Johnny goes and helps up Ash who was partially buried under some debris. When the Theatre finally crumbles, Ash can be seen hugging Johnny's arm instinctively.
• Also despite being devastated by his whole display going up in smoke and his cover blown in front of Nana, Buster still instinctively finds Ms. Crawly's glass eye and politely offers it to her.
• All of the contestants take it better than one might anticipate when the Moon Theater is destroyed by flooding, as they still show up at Eddie's pool house to check on Buster's well-being despite Buster having lied to them about the prize money, and they try to encourage Buster to put on a show somewhere else. Meena even shows up having baked Buster a cake, and when Buster takes out his frustrations on her by accusing her of being as big a fool as he is, Meena still gives him the cake, even as she runs off in sadness. It's entirely possible Ms. Crawly told them about her typo off-screen (since she is with them), but it's equally likely they were either reacting to Buster's sobbing breakdown in the ruins or how much he had believed in and encouraged them.
• Buster is in the lowest of his Heroic BSoD, in absolute rock bottom...
  Eddie: You know what's great about hitting rock bottom? There's only one way left to go, and that's up! You wash, I dry!
  • Buster, for the first time since the disaster, smiles.
  • Buster's friendship with Eddie in general. Eddie's family, as it turns out, owns Old Money, considering how he could afford several houses to live in, while his grandmother is a Living Legend. Yet he doesn't shy away making acquaintances with Buster, whose father used to wash cars for a living. He's there when the Moon Theater had its grand opening, he supports Buster's failing show however hopeless it may be, he allows him shelter after the theater is destroyed, and, the last but not least, he helps him get his spirit back. A Spoiled Sweet and A Friend in Need, indeed.
• Buster is in his Darkest Hour, given up on theater life entirely, and working at his dad's car wash. Then he hears a beautiful voice singing and is drawn to it. He finds Meena singing Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah". in the ruins of his theater. That song and her voice save him.
• When Buster hears Meena singing from the ruins of the Moon Theater:
  Buster: You think you can sing like that? In front of an audience?
  Meena: I don't know. But I'd like to try.
  Buster: Good. Because I want to see it.
  • We then cut to a montage of the others being contacted about it and clearly overjoyed, and building together an improvised scene for the show.
• Everyone's final performances, all their hard work coming to fruition.
• As they're getting ready to fire up their show, Buster and Rosita glance out at the small audience they have waiting for them on the other side of the curtain. Norman is fussing with the piglets, trying to get all twenty-five of them to behave (and not having much luck with that). It's a silly little moment that's played for laughs, but Rosita's heart still melts at the sight of her husband and her kids in the crowd.
• Before the show begins, Buster gives his cast a rousing and heartfelt pep talk that really shows the bond they've formed with each other, as they've pushed through their respective hardships to bring their ambitions to life - even if it's only for one night.
  Buster: Okay guys, listen up! Look, I gotta tell you, there's not much of an audience out there. But you know what? It doesn’t matter. It really doesn’t. Cause tonight is our night, and whatever happens, I just want you all to know how proud I am to be a part of this with you.
• Rosita receiving a Big Damn Kiss from Norman. Indeed, Rosita and Norman's marriage is heartwarming if you read between the lines; Sure, Norman is exhausted and oblivious more than half of the time, but everything he says to Rosita is either endearment or praise, and Rosita is patient with her husband and makes an effort to know how his day goes.
• Rosita is run off her feet looking after her twenty five kids, but they seem fundamentally good at heart (if high strung). During the sequence where Rosita is trying to get a babysitter and send the kids to bed at the same time, one girl comes back down just to say 'Good night, Mommy.' And when Rosita is trying to get Norman to tell the kids she's a good singer and he brushes her off, the piglet she's holding looks sad for a moment too. Then after her and Gunter's performance, all of her kids rush onto stage and mob her in a Group Hug.
• Johnny's performance of "I'm Still Standing" is both heartwarming and rather inspiring, since not only is it a reflection of his character growth into a more emotionally independent young man (who will now be taking his life and his future into his own hands, regardless of what anyone else might think of his choices), but it's also a testament to just how much emotional strength he possesses in the face of his hardships.
• At the final show, Ash wears the pop princess dress Buster tried to make her wear. Heavily modified to her tastes, of course, but still.
  • And after the number, Buster yells enthusiastically "We just witnessed the birth of a genuine rock star!!"
  • Ash's friends got a firsthand look at how heartbroken she was when Lance cheated on her, and they all did their best to comfort her about it. During the big show, Ash officially bounces back from her grief with the song she wrote, "Set It All Free". She officially reclaims her sense of self-worth and gets to finally express herself through her music, now that she's no longer living in Lance's shadow. The whole time she's performing onstage, singing her heart out, all of her friends are grinning and dancing to the side, and they all look so proud of her.
  • Ash's performance shines enough that it even makes Lance probably regret cheating on her. Becky dismisses it as mediocre, but once she leaves, Lance immediately turns the TV back on. Keep in mind that she's singing a song he previously regarded as junk beforehand.
• A prison wall? A multistory fall? A rooftop chase with two police helicopters? Marcus just keeps going. Nothing will prevent him from reaching his son and making amends with him.
  • The very first thing he says when he manages to reach him?
    Marcus: I'm so proud of you.
    He promptly throws his arms around Johnny to give him another Bear Hug.
  • Johnny's reaction really sells it. When his dad first arrives and stands there with his arms open, Johnny runs to him with no hesitation. All of their previous tensions and the massive falling out they had earlier are completely forgotten. He looks completely surprised by his father's words, then when he realizes they could not be more genuine, he squeezes his eyes shut in relief and returns the hug, showing that he forgives his father.
  • And their last exchange. When Marcus asks the first line, he's visibly worried that Johnny's gonna refuse as reprisal for previously shunning him. However, Johnny's answer clearly shows that he holds no grudge.
    Marcus: You'll visit me though, yeah?
    Johnny: Yeah, of course I will!
    Marcus: (smiles softly) See ya, son.
  • A minor one, but Marcus' two fellow gang members, Stan and Barry, get one as well. Even though Johnny was indirectly responsible for their imprisonment, they seem to hold no ill will towards him. This is seen when they look visibly pleased while watching his performance on TV, and cheer Marcus on when he breaks out of his cell to make amends with Johnny.
  • Earlier, when Johnny thought he'd accidentally run over Marcus while preparing for a heist, Johnny is horrified. It's another testament to how much Johnny loves his dad, regardless of their frequent frustrations with each other.
  • Every Rewatch Bonus to be found that compares the ways the two interact with each other in their first major scene and their last one makes it even more heartwarming. In their first scene, the lighting in the garage is harsh and casts stark shadows, Marcus pulls Johnny into a one-armed hold, speaks loudly, and is always looming over his son. When Marcus smiles he shows his teeth and looks rather vicious, he assumes that Johnny will be excited for the job, and basically pressures him into agreeing to be the getaway driver for the heist. Whereas in their final scene, the lighting backstage is very soft and warm, and when Marcus gets Johnny's attention by throwing a pebble at his head, he opens his arms invitingly and waits for his son to embrace him first. When Marcus proclaims how proud he is of him, he lowers himself to Johnny's eye level, speaking in an almost reverent whisper while he heartwarmingly holds Johnny by his shoulder and head. Then, when they say goodbye, Marcus gently cups the side of Johnny's face and his close-mouthed smile makes him look like he's overwhelmed with love and pride that Johnny was able to forgive him, even after everything that happened.
  • In the special features, Taron Egerton has actually admitted that his favorite part in the movie is when Johnny and Marcus make up, and even admitted that he gets choked up whenever he sees that scene.
• Before Meena's performance, she initially freezes up and hides in the dressing room. Buster patiently allows her to hold his hand while they walk to the stage together. And her final push to overcome her Stage Fright is looking back at the others silently encouraging her.
• When Meena bucks up enough courage to sing "Don't You Worry About A Thing" beautifully, Ash smiles at her with more brightness and warmth than what we've seen from the porcupine rocker for most of the movie. Ash feels so proud of her new friend for finally overcoming her biggest hurdle and getting a chance to live out her dreams, like the rest of the group.
• Mike spends the movie being a Jerkass towards everyone and especially Meena, belittling her singing abilities at each turn. But when she finally finds the courage to face the audience and sing, all he can do is stare in amazement and respectfully remove his hat.
• That lady mouse Mike was wooing? Nancy? She sees his performance at the show on TV and is nearly brought to tears. When she sees that the bear mob is coming for him, she gets Mike's car and saves his life. Coupled with the fact that Nancy really does love Mike, and isn't just with him because he had money.
• After Meena's performance, Johnny puts a hand on her shoulder in congratulations before everyone joins hands to bow together.
• The fact that even though everyone thought they were competing for $100,000, not one of them attempted to sabotage their competition. Though in Mike's case this was less about being nice and more about his ego being so huge and being certain he was going to win.
  • None of the finalists (again, except for Mike) were really in it for the money, or trying to win it for themselves. They all just wanted to sing because that's what they love to do.
• At the end of the movie, Nana Noodleman buys the Moon Theater property, and reluctantly lets Buster and Eddie embrace her. She adamantly refused to do either earlier in the movie, so this is a testament to how impressed she was with the comeback performance.
  • Miss Crawly, watching this, can't help but clasp her hands to her chest while smiling fondly. She's also seen dabbing with a tissue at her one good eye at the theater's grand reopening; she's clearly so very proud of Buster.
• During the scene where the brand new theater opens for the first time, the previously injured Pete is right there with all the other performers. He really is another one of them, even if his participation in the contest was cut short. Also in that scene, Nana reaches out and pulls Eddie into a hug, a far cry from her more aloof introduction.
  • Along with Pete, despite being irrelevant to the plot and not participating in the concert, the frog band were also allowed to be in the photo.
• A prop used by the Moon Theater (or what theater it used to be, anyway) back in its heyday is a full moon, befitting both the name it would gain as well as a pun on Buster's name. However, by the time Buster had purchased the theater, it was changed into a crescent moon, which gets pitifully kicked, misused, and finally destroyed when the theater is flooded. While Buster manages to repair it back, it gives way during Meena's performance (thanks to her bouncing around)... replaced by a real full moon overlooking the stage. Meena's performance is what ultimately saves the theater from being sold out. It's as if nature itself has given assent for the theater to flourish back! Or even, considering the origin of the theater's name, the spirit of Buster's dad. Maybe he did get to see his son's success after all.

Short films

• Gunter Babysits: Gunter is a good friend of Rosita and Norman as they call on him to babysit. Norman tells him "Thanks buddy" before heading out, and Gunter refers to himself as "Uncle Gunter" in front of the piglets.
• Love at First Sight:
  • We see that Miss Crawley was young and in love once.
  • When she laments to Johnny, he suggests online dating and helps her set up her profile.
  • While Miss Crawley is wandering the streets dejected (none of her dates having worked out), though the couples she passes highlight her aloneness, some of them are just adorable, like the elderly turtle couple who rub snouts.
  • She ends up bumping into a lizard named Herman who returns her lost eye and turns out to share her love of moonbathing. They sit peacefully in the moon together.
• Eddie's Life Coach: Eddie actually does manage to be productive while following the life training.

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