The self-awareness of this speech always blows me away. Neil is essentially saying, “Yes, I’m a good person. But I might not be if circumstances had been different.”
Neil is one of my favorite characters; period. In a film, in a kids film, in an animation. Because he’s self aware in a way children in media aren’t allowed to be, but in a way that you are as a child. He’s not confused about why he’s bullied, and left alone. He knows. He knows so well he can recite it in a little list- but not angrily, or even resentfully. He’s a little cheerful about it. This is me, he says, and the way he says it communicates that he likes who he is.
And in the best way of film-making, the saddest part about Neil isnt anything he says, because I doubt he dwells on it. It’s a blink and you’ll miss it thing. During the performance at the school, everyones parents are there, camera in hand. But not Neils. Neil’s brother is there, camera in hand.
We never see Neils parents. But if he can be this self assured, he’s being raised pretty well, one way or another.