For all the shit that’s going on with Me Before You, and the assisted suicide and the general message that disabled people are happier killing themselves, Finding Dory had the exact opposite message.
Dory learns to grapple with her short term memory loss. She’s never cured of it, it never goes away, but she discovers “her own little way of remembering” in the words of her mom.
She realizes that she doesn’t have to remember exactly what happened, as long as she can walk herself through why she’s there. “What would Dory do” becomes her mantra and helps her navigate.
Again and again the film reiterates that Dory can’t do certain things alone, and that’s okay. She recognizes it, other characters don’t force her to do anything she isn’t comfortable with, and even say that in those exact words.
Even a near sighted whale shark and an echolocating beluga whale discover the unique ways they can help each other, without “fixing” destiny’s eye sight.
And at the end of the film, without spoiling the general plot, Marlin realizes that even with Dory’s disability, she’s able to do some things on her own. Maybe she can’t ever live on her own, and maybe she’ll always need someone around to help her, but it’s okay. She’s her own fish first.