The intimate relationship between human beings and animals occurs naturally and has been on-going for a long time. It is common in our modern individualized society that people keep animals in their homes, as they consider them just like friends or family.

More people have become pre-occupied by these relationships than before and consequently the friendship between animals and humans and this new meaning of family-hood are portrayed through TV, movies and other media.

Movies especially have dealt with this subject since the 1960’s. Chonnam Tribune is going to focus on the meaning of family-hood and friendship between humans and animals by examining two movies, Free Willy (1993) and Dreamer (2005). 

One day, he is chased by police and hides himself in an aquarium. While scribbling on its walls, he runs into Willy, a grampus inside the aquarium. This is the first encounter between Jessie and Willy. Thereafter, Jessie goes to the aquarium and meets Willy almost everyday.

The two characters rapidly become intimate friends and resemble each other in terms of character in that they do not get along with their own world. A very warm friendship springs between them. A once rude and rebellious boy now feels he can trust and love a friend, Willy, albeit an animal.

However, not all people think that humans can become familiar or even friendly with animals. Some people such as the director of the aquarium in Free Willy use animals for commercial purposes. He even plots to kill Willy in order to receive a large insurance sum. Fortunately, Jessie pre-empts this plot in advance, so he extricates Willy from this danger and sends him to sea with the help of his neighborhood.

At the end of the movie, Jessie says to Willy, "I love you. I trust you. You'll be free. I'll miss you. Don't forget me. I don't forget you, too." Eventually, Willy gains freedom. Maybe this “good-bye scene” is the one which best expresses their unique friendship.

 Jessie and Willy are unable to communicate with each other by language, but they somehow can express their feelings and thoughts. This scene represents the meaning of friendship between humans and animals which the movie intends to portray to viewers.

It is possible that they can be reconciled with themselves through the medium of animals. We can discover a case similar to this in another movie, Dreamer. Let’s look into how a horse becomes familiar with a family and a family member. What is the meaning of family in Dreamer?

Dreamer is a story about a family who makes an effort to realize their dream. This movie develops the plot while emphasizing the story of challenge and success of Keil (Dakota Fanning), a heroine in this movie, and Sonardor, a horse wounded in a race.

  It has five characters: Keil (Dakota Fanning), an eleven-year old girl, Sonardor, Keil’s father (Kurt Russell) who makes an effort to realize his daughter’s dream, Keil’s mother (Elisabeth Shue) who is a firm supporter of her daughter, and Keil’s grandfather (Kris Kristofferson) who helps his family in silence.

However, the principal characters in this family story are Keil and Sonardor. The horse wounded in a race receives recovery treatment at Crane Ranch which is managed by Keil’s father. After a complete recovery, she can race again and wins the ‘Breeder's Cup’. Keil who helps in the recovery with an innocent mind and constant belief thinks the horse is her friend as well as one of the family.

One day, Keil’s father says to her in an angry tone, "All racehorses are just animals for commercial purposes." She cries, "Sonardor is not just an animal but my family member." Keil considers Sonardor as her friend and a family member, but her father only as a means for his business. A continuing conflict arises between Keil and her father until he eventually realizes that he has been wrong.

Seeing the intimate relationship between his daughter and the horse, he adopts the horse as one of his family members. The animal strengthens the bonds of affection within the family. Even if they can't communicate each other through language, they can be friends and also family based on trust, love and needing each other.

What do you think the common messages of both movies are? These movies deliver important messages to us about family-hood and friendship, between humans and animals. It is said that animals are just pets, so people and animals cannot be friends. We can have an animal as a friend and also as a family member. It's necessary that we and animals trust and love each other to be friends and also family.