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Sleeping Beauty: A Strange Fairy Tale

Charles Perrault’s “La Belle au bois dormant” (literal translation “the Beauty sleeping in the wood”) is a bizarre little tale. Some people might find Walt Disney’s adaptation of the story as soporific as the curse upon Aurora, but at least it has narrative consistency. So many of the things that happen in Perrault’s story leave (modern) readers scratching their heads, and that’s on top of the hefty dose of terrible messages for women, something that didn’t come as a surprise after I read the 17th century Frenchman’s take on Cinderella. Up until the point of the teenage princess’ pricking of … Continue reading →

Sleeping Beauty (1959)

One of my favorite Disney classics of all time, “Sleeping Beauty” tells us the story of Aurora, the beautiful princess born to a king and queen who had thought themselves unable to have children. Coming as a miracle, she was adored and doted on, and a grand celebration was held to commemorate her birth. All the good fairies in the land were invited to come, and each bestowed upon her a gift. Beauty, kindness, and a lovely singing voice were amongst the gifts, and the king and queen couldn’t be happier. But then the evil fairy Maleficent arrives, furious that … Continue reading →

Honoring Alice Davis: Legendary Disney Costume Designer

Costumes designed by Alice Davis This year I missed out on my annual tradition of profiling important women in Disney history for Women’s History Month. My March was very busy this year so I just didn’t have time to do the necessary research. Luckily, the perfect profile has fallen into my lap. This month costume designer Alice Davis was honored on Disneyland’s Main Street, USA, as a new window in her honor was unveiled. Alice Davis isn’t a name you’ll hear much when talking about the movies; she only had involvement in a couple, including, “Sleeping Beauty.” Her stamp is … Continue reading →

Angelina Jolie Argues Cultural Rights vs Disney Princesses

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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?

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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 →

Fantasia (1940)

One of the very first films ever produced by Walt Disney, “Fantasia” explores the idea of making classical music more entertaining. To this end, the animators listened to several pieces of music and drew what they saw in their minds as they listened. Some of the segments were a little dull. The conductor of the orchestra speaks between each piece, explaining what we’re about to see, and that did drag on a bit. Some of the musical numbers also failed to entertain. But we also saw some very clever interpretations. I’m sure you’ve seen “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” with Mickey enchanting … Continue reading →

The Frog Princess–Disney’s First Black Princess

Some say it’s been long overdue and others say that Disney can’t pull it off. Disney who has long been criticized for their void of darker skinned heroines and heroes will release The Frog Princess (due in 2009) and in so doing unveil Maddy, their first ever African American princess. Disney, who has said publicly that they wanted to pay tribute to New Orleans who still is not rebuilt after Katrina, describes The Frog Princess as ‘an American fairy tale’. There have been no details regarding the plot, but rumor has it that it takes place in the 1920’s during … Continue reading →

Weekend Wanderings – Disney Princess Wishes

Do you like ice shows? We do. I’m tickled that my daughter loves them and recently the Dallas area welcomed the Disney on Ice Presents shows to the American Airlines Center near downtown Dallas and we headed out to enjoy the show. The great thing about an ice show is the magic they can create and when ice shows travel they go from city to city for five to six days at a shot. Preparing for an Ice Show Despite the warmth of the local area, we took our jackets regardless. An ice show is always going to be cold … Continue reading →

Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken (1991)

“Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken” is the movie I watch when I just want to sit, sigh, and let my heart get melted into a big squishy puddle. Sonora Webster (Gabrielle Anwar) is an orphan girl who lives with her sister in her aunt’s house. It’s the Great Depression, and there’s hardly enough food to go around. Sonora’s aunt makes her feel unwelcome, and Sonora has a dream: she’s going to run away and become a diving girl in a sideshow in Atlantic City. Diving girls leap onto the backs of moving horses and hang on tight while the horse … Continue reading →