A Good Message: Beauty and the Beast

Full Movie Plot: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beauty_and_the_Beast_(1991_film)

Beauty and the Beast, released in 1991, is the story of Belle falling in love with a young prince who was previously transformed into a hideous beast. As a human, the prince was spoiled and bitter, so when he refused to help an elderly woman seeking shelter from a horrible storm, she turned him into a beast and all his servants into furniture and household items. She also gave him a rose which would bloom until his 21st birthday; he had to learn to love and be loved by his 21st birthday or he would remain an ugly beast forever.

The movie emphasizes that beauty stems from inside and that appearances are of peripheral importance. Gaston, the local hero, embodies the sinful qualities of lust and hubris and is justly punished. Midway through the movie, I noticed an instance of “dante-esque” retributive justice. After Gaston corners Belle in her home and expects her to marry him (because of his dastardly good looks), Belle unlocks the door he cornered her against and dumps him into the mud with the pigs. Gaston is put into the mud like a pig because of his egotism, greed, and lust for Belle – three unattractive and self-indulgent qualities.

Gaston is also finally punished for his hubris; upon hearing of Belle’s love for the Beast, he storms the castle and challenges the Beast alone. Despite having a small army on his side, Gaston arrogantly assumes he’s such a good hunter that he can kill the Beast by himself. After fighting with the Beast, and having his life spared by him, Gaston makes a final attempt to kill the Beast, but loses his balance and falls off the side of the castle to his death. Gaston’s unfortunate ending serves as a warning to kids against such hubris and arrogance; it is his own vanity and self-centeredness that ultimately leads to his downfall. In my opinion, Gaston is more like a typical Disney prince than the Beast; he expects to come in and win over the princess with his handsomeness and charm. So it’s not that this story is different because it lacks a typical Disney prince, rather it lacks a typical Disney princess. Belle rejects the archetypal Disney male in favor of a real, deep character.

 

In the same way that Gaston is a bad example, Belle sets a good example for young girls. Unlike most other Disney princesses – Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White – Belle didn’t fall in love with a charming, handsome prince. She was patient and caring enough to see through a less attractive exterior and get to know what turned out to be a kind and genuine person. Belle understood that beauty is only skin deep, and instead of marrying Gaston and being miserable she met her soul mate, who (bonus!) turned out to be a prince. Belle’s kindness and sincerity was rewarded in the end.

Overall, I really enjoyed the movie and thought it provided a simple but important message for kids and adults alike. Our modern society has shifted recently and become overly preoccupied with appearances. Truthfully, it wouldn’t hurt any of us to take a step back and realize there are more important things in life.

Like Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast has been remade recently. The new movie, Beastly, follows the story of a modern-day Belle falling in love with a “beastly”-looking boy.

The Sky Is Falling: Chicken Little

Full Movie Plot: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_Little_(2005_movie)

My next self-assigned movie to watch was Chicken Little, and I admit, I wasn’t particularly excited about it. I was pretty sure I knew the story. A chicken screams out that the sky is falling, but it’s not; the town panics and chaos ensues; the chicken is mocked; etcetera, etcetera.  As I predicted, I wasn’t much interested in or entertained by the plot or the actual character Chicken Little; however, throughout the movie there  were several bits of social commentary that I thought were pretty funny (although they were probably overlooked by most of the target audience).

What I noticed first was Chicken Little and his astonishingly stereotypically nerdy group of friends – in animal form, of course. Chicken Little was the tiny, nerdy kid; Abby Mallard (the ugly duckling) was the ugly girl with braces and a big heart; Fish was the headgear-wearing nerd who no one really understands; and Runt (the pig) was the overweight kid. The contrast between the cool and uncool kids is clearly displayed in gym class, where the coach eagerly declares that the dodge ball game will be “popular vs. unpopular”. Foxy Loxy and the rest of the cool kids then go on to pummel and humiliate the nerds to the entertainment of the malicious gym teacher. This may not be the most realistic example of school life, but it’s still pretty funny because as younger, less mature kids, there probably was a certain degree of animosity between popular and unpopular. 

The next statement about society that I probably wouldn’t have noticed as a kid was the ridiculousness of the media’s scope. After Chicken Little run the school bell in the tiny town of Oakey Oaks and mistakenly declared that the sky was falling, the media caught on to the story and ran with it. Less than 30 seconds after the incident, there were 10 reporters in his face demanding answers to their questions. There were then reports of the incident on the radio and in the newspapers, and to round it all off there was a comical self-referential “Chicken Little – The Movie” billboard. Poor Chicken Little is criticized from all sides by the all-consuming media.

The funniest part of the movie in my opinion was Turkey Lurkey, the mayor, and his secret service agents, which appear to be the brains of the operation. In what I believe is a comical mockery of American politics, Turkey the Mayor is unable to make any decisions for himself – he instead blindly follows the cue cards that his staff hold up for him. While at the baseball game attempting to root for the Oakey Oaks team he clearly follows his directions to “follow the crowd”, “weep hopelessly” (when Chicken Little is called to bat with the game on the line), and “switch loyalty” (when Oakey Oaks pulls off the win). The inability for him, as a politician and leader, to make decisions regarding cheering for a simple baseball game, is what I found most comical.



Picture from this link



As a kid, I probably would have enjoyed the movie for its silliness and slapstick action sequences, but as a young adult I enjoyed it for a different reason. Overall, I wasn’t much interested in the character of Chicken Little or the actual plot of the movie; however, the comical stereotypes and amusing social commentary were enough to make the movie worth watching.

True or False: Pocahontas

Full Movie Plot: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pocahontas_%281995_film%29#Plot

The movie Pocahontas came out in June of 1995, when I was about one and a half. I am told by my parents that I first watched the movie when I was six. They told me that I wanted to watch it because my school was putting on a play about the Native Americans and first Thanksgiving. I was probably really excited to see a Disney movie about something that I was learning in school (now I know that the movie Pocahontas is actually about the settling of Jamestown, not the first Thanksgiving). The movie is, after all, loosely based on the story of the real life Pocahontas, the daughter of famous Native American chief Powhatan. Since I was young and impressionable when I first watched the movie I inevitably took every single detail in that movie as 100% verifiable fact. I mean, why would Disney lie to me? When I first found out that Disney’s version of Pocahontas wasn’t completely accurate, I think a little part of my childhood was shattered. Since then, I have never been able to see the movie the same way. This was still true when I watched the movie most recently. I really wanted to like it, but I just couldn’t see it the same way as I did when I was younger. All I could think about was how none of the events portrayed in the movie happened the way Disney said they did. In a quest to try and recapture some of my shattered childhood I set out to do a little research on how much of the movie was actually true. Though I did find out that many Native American groups all over the country criticized Disney for the historical inaccuracy of the movie, I also found out (thanks to this website) that there is actually a lot of verifiable truth to the movie. Of course the whole story was massively sugar coated and there were some parts that were flat out untrue (Pocahontas definitely didn’t learn how to speak English in 30 seconds and she probably didn’t have talking willow tree for a grandmother), but hey it’s a Disney movie.

All historical inaccuracies aside, I noticed that the movie does do a pretty good job at trying to teach kids tolerance. In true Disney fashion the movie mainly does this through song. The song “Colors of the Wind” shows that, just because someone looks, thinks, or acts differently than what you are accustomed to, it doesn’t mean that they are any lesser of a person than you are. The angry chanting song “Savages” attempts to show the error of the ways of both the European settlers and the Native Americans for assuming that everyone who is different from them is a “savage.” I admire the attempt in this song but I do think it evenly distributes the accusations of prejudice amongst both the Native Americans and the European settlers, when the lion’s share of those accusations should rest on the European settlers.

One other thing I noticed in this movie was that Capitan John Smith and Pocahontas do not actually ever end up together. They clearly fall in love, but are separated when John suffers a gunshot wound to the hip at the end of the movie and has to return to England. When I saw John Smith sail away on that boat and leave Pocahontas behind I nearly lost my mind. This was a clear switch from normal Disney protocol; in all the Disney movies I have seen so far the dashing young hero ALWAYS gets the girl. Disney probably broke this sacred tradition in the name of preserving some of the historical accuracy of the movie. In real life, though Pocahontas and John Smith do meet and become “friends,” Pocahontas actually marries another Englishman named John Rolfe.

Empire State of Mind: Oliver and Company

Full Movie Plot: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_and_Company

Oliver and Company, released in 1988, is the tale of an orphaned kitten in New York City who joins a gang of dogs in order to survive. I’d like to start off by expressing my shock and bewilderment at the storyline – a kitten joined a gang? That said, I actually found the movie charming, and quite enjoyed it.

Oliver and Company provides a valuable lesson for kids in loyalty and love. After being “initiated” into the gang, by helping to steal some hot dogs, Oliver becomes part of the family. Being previously orphaned, Oliver was thrilled to be a part of a family. But that family wasn’t perfect – Fagin, the human “owner” of the dogs, was in debt to a loan shark named Sykes and had no money to feed the animals or provide proper care for them. Nonetheless, Oliver and the dogs love him and remain by his side through his troubles.

Then, when Oliver is mistakenly trapped in a city limo, he is adopted by the limo driver and its occupant, Jenny. Jenny is able to provide Oliver with food, a house, and all the affection in the world. Oliver, not used to the special treatment, is enamored with Jenny but is soon “rescued” from Jenny by the dogs. When Oliver expresses how kind Jenny was and how he hadn’t wanted to leave, the dogs are initially angry and feel Oliver has been ungrateful. However, when Oliver and Jenny are captured by the evil Mr. Sykes, Fagin and the gang come to their rescue and reunite Jenny and Oliver for good.

Picture from this website

Fagin also provides an example of good character for children, and is a great illustration of the saying, “don’t judge a book by its cover”. When the dogs rescued Oliver back from Jenny, Fagin discovers that Oliver had a wealthy owner. Desperate for money, he initially decides to hold Oliver ransom in order to pay back Sykes. But upon meeting Jenny, and seeing her despair over losing Oliver, Fagin gives him back for free. Despite his what I would call “sketchy” appearance and history of petty theft, he was essentially a good and caring person.

Although the ending was admittedly sappy, I really adored the movie. Perhaps my history of working at the SPCA has made me develop a soft spot for homeless animals finding homes, but I think anyone would find the ending touching. After being rescued from Sykes, Jenny and Oliver are reunited to live happily ever after. But Oliver, having learned a lesson in loyalty himself, vows not to abandon the gang. As Oliver leaves with Jenny, he and the gang promise to keep in touch.

Every 90s Kid is Simba: The Lion King

Full Movie Plot: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lion_King#Plot

                The Lion King is just one of those Disney movies you HAVE to watch when you’re growing up; it’s almost a cultural obligation. This movie came out in June of 1994 and the first time I remember watching it was when I was about 7, but my parents told me I first watched it when I was about 4. I remember liking the movie a lot when I was a kid and I am told that my brother and I watched it so many times that we actually wore out the VHS tape. After watching it again I am pleased to report that I still love the movie.

                This time around I really noticed how much of a true coming of age tale Lion King is and how it shows how all of us grow up and change over the years. For the first third of the movie Simba is young and carefree, like an elementary school kid. From the song “I Just can’t Wait to be King” it is evident that the only reason he is excited about his eventual role as king of the Pride Lands is because he thinks that when he is king he will be able to do whatever he wants. That song pretty much describes how all young kids feel about adulthood. They can’t wait to grow up because then they will be able to do whatever they want. They envision adulthood as this great stage of this life when you can eat ice cream for dinner, write on the walls, and stay up really really really late, because no one tells a grown up what to do. Little do they know that adulthood comes with these nasty little things called responsibilities.  After that, Simba becomes a teenager, and suddenly the only motto he lives by is “Hakuna Matata” (no worries). During this stage of his life all he does is hang out in his own little oasis of delusion with Timon and Pumba (he literally lives in an oasis in the middle of the desert). In the back of his mind he has a vague idea of the responsibilities that come with growing up but he is afraid to face them, so he just ignores them instead. At the end of the movie Simba finally mans up, confronts his past, accepts his responsibilities, and becomes an adult. He even settles down and has a kid of his own.

                One thing I also noticed about the movie is that Simba’s selfish uncle Scar, who ends up murdering Simba’s father so that he can be king, has the same philosophy that Simba had as a kid. At one point Scar actually says the words “I am a king, I can do whatever I want,” in exactly the same way that Simba said them in the beginning of the movie. In this way it seems that Scar represents the consequences of never truly growing up and realizing that you have responsibilities to yourself and those around you. This contrasts with the attitude of the older Simba, who eventually realizes that he has a responsibility to the rest of the lions to step up and rule his kingdom.

                The last new thing that I noticed about The Lion King is that there are a lot of scenes without dialogue. My favorite of these scenes is the iconic opening of the movie. Everyone who has seen the movie can instantly recognize that opening scene with the sun rising behind the silhouette of an African banyan tree, just in time for “The Circle of Life” to play in the background. This scene goes on for almost five minutes without any words. I know that five minutes may not seem like a long time, but for a movie that is marketed to the only age group with the collective attention span of a small rodent, it can seem like an eternity. I really like these scenes, and I think the fact that I liked them even as a little kid is a testament to the fact that sometimes saying nothing at all says everything.

The opening and ending scenes of the movie: notice how (1) they have no dialogue, and (2) the opening part with Mufasa and the ending with Simba look almost exactly the same, which I guess goes with the whole “Circle of Life” theme

The Series: Toy Story and Toy Story 3

Toy Story Full Movie Plot: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ToyStory

Toy Story 3 Full Movie Plot: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toy_Story_3

In my next movies, Toy Story and Toy Story 3, Disney/Pixar created an underground civilization of toys that only pretend to be lifeless when there are humans around. In “reality”, each toy has its own personality and role in the society. For instance, Sarge leads his army men on recon missions downstairs and reports back to Andy’s room via walkie talkie, RC (the remote control car) provides transportation for the other toys, and Mike (the Playskool microphone) provides the sound system for the “town meetings”. But these movies weren’t just about the inner workings of a secret society, hidden amongst the multitude of plastic toys are stories we can all learn from – at any age.

In the first Toy Story, the toys strive to establish their individuality and identity, as well as struggling to learn how to reconcile their differences. The movie begins with Andy’s birthday party, and there is constant fear among the toys of being replaced or outshined by a new toy. Woody’s worst fears are realized when Buzz Lightyear arrives and takes his place as Andy’s favorite toy. Initially there’s a great deal of conflict between Buzz and Woody, but they’re eventually able to resolve their differences for Andy’s sake. Most of the toys are able to gradually define themselves as they go along on the adventure, but Buzz has a sort of mid-life crisis when he realizes that he’s just a toy and that there are millions like him. By the end of the movie he is able to determine his individuality be realizing that he’s one-of-a-kind to Andy. Heartwarming, but not exactly original.

Toy Story 3, the second sequel to Toy Story, follows Andy as he prepares for college and plans to leave his toys behind. It's a classic coming of age tale for Andy as he moves on to another stage of his life – as our graduating class is about to do. I guess this should have provided me with a personal connection to the storyline, but I still quite disliked the movie. Despite it being a feel-good story of good triumphing over evil (Woody and the gang finally overthrow Lotso, the tyrannical purple teddy bear) along with an uplifting message of female empowerment (Barbie transforms from, well, Barbie, to a clever and strong female character), I found the movie boring and predictable. I understand it’s a children’s movie and that the storyline can’t be overwhelmingly complicated, but that’s not an excuse for the unbearable dullness of this feature.

Upon telling people that I didn’t like the Toy Story movies, I’ve received various reactions from rage – “blasphemous!” screamed one classmate – to puzzlement and confusion. The trilogy is obviously perfectly timed for our generation as we grow from kids to young adults, and from the feedback I’ve gotten about the movies I appear to be the only member of said generation that didn’t like them.

   

First picture from this website; second picture from this website

A Pleasant Blast from the Past: Cinderella

Full Movie Plot (1950): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinderella_%281950_film%29#Plot

I was worried when I started watching Cinderella. I really wanted to like the movie. I distinctly remember loving it when I first saw it at 7 years old and I really didn’t want to shatter my childhood memory of the film by hating it now.  I was a little scared when the movie started because I couldn’t help but notice the similarities it shared with Snow White, a movie which I hated after watching the second time. Both movies more or less start with a storybook opening to a young, beautiful, women cleaning an extremely large castle while dressed in rags. Just as I was beginning to lose hope, Cinderella surprised me.

The first thing that I liked about the movie was that, unlike Snow White, Cinderella did not appear to enjoy being forced to cook and clean for others 24/7. From the way Cinderella sings of her hopes and dreams it is apparent that she knows that she deserves more than to be confined to a stove and broom for the rest of her life, which I think is an OK message to send out to the millions of girls who will continue to watch this movie for generations to come (it isn’t ideal but it is definitely better than Snow White). Cinderella also remains hopeful of somehow being able to better situation, despite the cruelty that is inflicted upon her by her evil stepmother and evil step sisters. I think her attitude is summed up by when she utters the sentence “well there’s one thing, they can’t order me to stop dreaming.” I was a little disappointed that Cinderella doesn’t try to lift herself out of her predicament, but I was comforted by the fact that she does approach each day with a positive attitude and tries to take advantage of whatever little victories life gives her, like the opportunity to attend the royal ball.

I also like that even though Cinderella does end up marrying into royalty, it is not something that she always dreamed of doing. When thinking about her predicament her first thought is “I will not spend the rest of my life cooking and cleaning for others” not “one day I am going to marry a rich prince so I won’t have to cook and clean for others.” Though the movie is centered on Cinderella’s trip to the royal ball where she first meets her handsome prince, marrying the prince seems like an unexpected bonus, not Cinderella’s sole goal in life.

One thing that I definitely did not notice when I watched the movie as a little kid was that the story is actually pretty relatable, especially to teenagers. I know what you’re thinking right now, how is a story with a prince, a fairy godmother, and an evil step-mother even remotely relatable? Hey, I didn’t say it was realistic, I said it was relatable. We’re teenagers and though we may not have an evil step mother, we do have schoolwork, chores, and sometimes even jobs. When all of these obligations start to pile up it can leave us feeling a little like Cinderella: overworked. All Cinderella wants to do is party and blow off a little steam. She just wants one carefree night of fun, and if she happens to meet prince charming there, well who’s to say she shouldn’t enjoy it.

Maybe this trailer for the popular movie A Cinderella Story will help you see what I mean about Cinderella being relatable. It has the plot of Disney’s Cinderella, but is set in a modern day high school.