Pixar’s “Brave,” now in theaters, follows Merida, a fire-haired Scottish princess unlike any heroine Pixar has presented before. Merida is supposed to be prim and proper, but she prefers horseback riding and archery. Keeping with tradition and to ensure the peace of the kingdom, a tournament will be held, and the victor will receive Merida’s hand in marriage. When Merida rebels to change her fate, things turn upside down.

Fed up with her queen mother’s inability to see her side on marriage, Merida takes off into the woods. There, she stumbles across an old witch, who comically doesn’t want anyone knowing she’s a witch. The old crone gives Merida a spell in the form of an enchanted cake and promises it will change her mother. What Merida doesn’t anticipate is the cake changes her mother into a bear. And Merida’s father, King Fergus, is known for his bear-hunting prowess.

When Merida struggles to help her mother, I saw parallels between the struggles children face as their parents age and caretaking roles reverse. For that reason, I found “Brave” to be very emotional.

“Brave” is visually stunning, comical and touching. I’m a fan!

McBrayer’s column appears weekly in the Courier. Watch reviews at www.coastalcourier.com.