So I must admit
it has been a while since I have seen a Disney movie. Animated movies are not
typically my first cinema selection (its rare that I even go to the movies with
ticket prices as high as they are these todays) but during the Holidays we
always go see a movie as a family and yesterday the best option seemed to be
Frozen (we saw the Hunger Games on Tuesday and I could write a whole other post
about why everyone should go see the 2nd movie, get over the
brutality of the games themselves and see them for what they are- a rich
insight into themes of oppression, liberation, redemption and hope… but that’s
for another day.)
So we go to the
theater and I am already on the defense with my typical cynicism about the way
women are portrayed in fairy tales (to their defense, like I said, I haven’t
seen a Disney movie in a while and I hear they are working on some of their
newer films to debunk these stereotypes- I need to see Brave). So I was already
on the lookout from the start for a reason to critique the way they depict
women, and they almost caught me when Anna, the main character falls in love
with her “Prince Charming” and decides to get married after knowing him only a
few short hours (and all within the first 15 minutes of the movie). I actually
turned to my mother and said snarkily, “well so much for debunking the fairy
tale myths of love at first sight.” But after finishing the movie I must admit
I stand completely corrected and here is why:
1. Without
giving too much of the plot away, the movie depicts the tale of two sisters, Anna
and Elsa. Elsa has a rare power in her ability to turn everything she wishes
into ice. Scared of her own inner power and inability to control it, (her
parents tell her to fear it all costs and keep it covered up) Elsa literally
locks herself in her room and shuts out all forms of love because she believes
she only is capable of causing harm to people. She doesn’t want anyone to find
out about her dark secret, and it ends up isolating her from all those who love
her, especially her sister. How many times are women told to fear their inner
power? To hide that which makes them strong and beautiful? How many women who
are different are told to seek to be normal (whatever that even means)? And how
many of us literally lock ourselves away in castles of ice constructed around
our own hearts out of a fear of hurting others or being hurt? Believing that we
are better off alone because at least then we don’t have to risk being seen for
who we really are. It is easier to believe the lies that we have been told about
ourselves our whole lives than to find freedom in being who we were truly
created to be, with all our powers and faults and failures and strengths. It is
easier to live the life that everyone else wants us to live because it is safer
and easily fits other people’s ideas of what it means to be normal (and heaven
forbid we question society’s definition of normal). Obviously the whole movie
is about what happens when someone is brave enough to see through those castles
of ice and risk loving someone enough to go after her and love her back to
life.
2. So
of course, who would this person be to risk loving the ice queen and “save” her
from herself? What will be the happy ending for this young woman? Well, a
prince of course! WRONG. It is her sister! It isn’t a man that goes running
after her. It is her sister. And she is brave and strong and stops at nothing
to bring her sister back to life and reach into the depth of the lies that Elsa
has been told all her life about the coldness of her heart and her need to isolate
herself and live in fear because of her inner powers. It is the love of a
sister and not a man that saves the ice queen.
3. Of
course, it wouldn’t be a Disney movie without a little romance and it is
definitely there between Anna and Kristoff, her partner who agrees to accompany
her up the mountain in search of her sister. But the romance is never the
central theme of the movie and for as many times as Kristoff helps Ana, Ana also
saves him throughout their daring adventure. They are partners. And (spoiler
alert!) it is not Kristoff’s kiss that saves the day in the end and makes Anna
live happily ever after. I won’t go into details, but for once I was thrilled
to see that a happy ending was much broader than just boy and girl finally get
together. That being said, I was appreciative that they didn’t throw the baby
out with the bathwater and that there was a little romance in there as well.
They debunked the misled critiques of feminism that state that in order to be a
feminist you must hate men or be single, that it is impossible to be a feminist
and partnered with a man at the same time. It is possible to be a strong
independent woman who has everything she already needs inside of herself and
still find love. And it is possible (and probable) that this love is not the
only thing paramount in a woman’s life, although it is important.
4. All
right, this one has nothing to do with strong women or important issues
surrounding vulnerability but seriously Olaf, the little snowman, stole the
whole show and had me laughing hysterically the whole time. He really does make the movie. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yJrytUyagY
5. And
finally- the soundtrack is amazing, particularly the song “Let it Go” performed
for the soundtrack by Demi Lovato. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6T5_Hw9fIIs
Don't let them in,
don't let them see
Be the good girl you always have to be
Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know
Well now they know
Let it go, let it go
Can't hold it back anymore
Let it go, let it go
Turn my back and slam the door
And here I stand
And here I'll stay
Let it go, let it go
The cold never bothered me anyway
So thank you
Disney. We still have a long way to go, but I appreciate you taking a step and
giving me a movie that I will one day proudly show my daughter if I ever have
one.
