“Lady and the Tramp” Released from the Vault

If you like to play the Disney Vault game then I have some important news for you: one of Disney’s most famous love stories, “Lady and the Tramp,” was freed from its locked depths this month. I’m not sure how long it will be available, probably for a number of months, but if you’ve been waiting to purchase this film now’s the time to do it. Of course Disney does a bit more than just let movies out of the Vault; the company always dresses up the discs in fancy editions with special content; whether or not the content is … Continue reading

The Fox and the Hound (1981)

Another installment in the Disney Masterpiece Collection, “The Fox and the Hound” is the story of Tod, a little orphaned fox kit who is discovered by Big Mama (voiced by Pearl Bailey), an oversized maternal owl. She helps Tod attract the attention of Widow Tweed,a kindly woman who takes an immediate shine to him and bottle feeds him to full health. Once he’s back on his feet, he begins to explore, to stumble upon Copper, the new hound dog pup brought home by Amos Slade, the grumpy and trigger-happy hunter next door. Tod and Copper form a fast friendship and … Continue reading

Lady and the Tramp (1955)

Lady is a beautiful little cocker spaniel, the pride and joy of Jim Dear and Darling. She was Jim Dear’s Christmas gift to Darling, and from the very start, she has been pampered and adored. Her good friends are the dogs in the neighborhood, Trusty and Jock, and they teach her a little bit about the world and how things are between humans and animals. One day Lady notices that Darling is acting strangely, and Jock tells her that Darling is going to have a baby. Lady has never seen a baby before, and Jock tells her how cute and … Continue reading

Most Controversial Disney Films Pt. 1

As an adult I’ve gone back and re-watched many of my favorite Disney films. They’re as wonderful as ever, but in some cases I am disturbed by the content I find in them. I realize that many of these movies were made in a different era, but part of me wants to believe that Disney was always squeaky-clean and welcoming to people of all backgrounds. In this two-part article I’d like to address how we might approach the controversial material in Disney films, both as adults and as parents. Here’s a rundown of some of the more controversial Disney films: … Continue reading

Angelina Jolie Argues Cultural Rights vs Disney Princesses

I love Angelina Jolie, I really do. She’s socially minded, she’s active in refugee and orphans’ rights and she’s not remotely hesitant to speak her mind. But in a recent article in OK! Magazine, she’s described as feeling let down by the lack of different cultures featured in children’s films. “There still isn’t a Disney princess that’s African and it’s very difficult because our daughters’ getting into princesses right now and it upsets me.” Jolie is quoted. I get what Jolie is saying, she wants cultural diversity to be in the mainstream attractions so that her kids (culturally diverse as … Continue reading

How Old Are Your Favorite Disney Films?

I have a special little cupboard where I keep all of our Walt Disney children’s classics. OK, it is a pretty big cupboard and it is loaded with both DVDs and VHS tapes. Truth be told, I started collecting Disney movies long before I ever had children. Heck, I was collecting them long before I ever met my husband! I love the Disney classics and even some of the more recent children’s movies made by Disney/Pixar and I love that my kids are enjoying them too. The funny thing about Disney movies is that I could probably tell you where … Continue reading

Bambi II (2006)

“Bambi II” was released by the Disney corporation sixty-four years after the original, and fills in the gap of time between his mother’s death and his return as an adult. Taken by his father (voiced by Patrick Stewart) to be raised as a prince, Bambi is given no time to mourn his mother’s passing, and his attempts to talk to his father about her are squelched by the maxim, “A prince looks to the future, not the past.” As the Great Prince tries to carry out his business as usual, he finds that taking care of a young fawn cramps … Continue reading

Disney Animated Movies – Lightening the Anxiety Load

I’m a huge advocate for Disney animated movies. Apart from the fact that I still love to watch them myself, I’ve allowed my boys to watch them from being babies. In fact for the first year, the only other screen “entertainment” they watched were the Baby Einstein videos (now also part of the Disney stable). It wasn’t until very recently however that I realized how much I could bless Disney for the thought that goes into these movies for little people. I’ve long seen either a Disney story of a historical/mythical theme unfold on the screen. I’ve also – in … Continue reading

Mulan (1998)

This thrilling Disney masterpiece is based on a legendary figure, Hua Mulan, whose escapades are depicted in a famous Chinese poem called “The Ballad of Mulan.” It’s unknown whether this ballad was a historical record or an allegorical piece of fiction, but either way, it makes one whale of a Disney film. Mulan is the only child of her parents, and her only hope to redeem the fact that she is a girl is to marry well. We begin the film with her preparations to meet with the matchmaker, a woman who holds a position of much importance in the … Continue reading