Monday, March 15, 2010

Disney Magic

Hmm, I'm feeling awfully nostalgic today. Shall we set sail for the most magical place on Earth via my favorite Disney films? Of course!



Have faith in your dreams, and someday
Your rainbow will come smiling through.

-Cinderella

My favorite movie to watch on VHS as a kid. When I am asked what Disney princess I could be if I choose (not the princess I most act like, mind you), it is always Cinderella. I came away from this movie believing that if you work hard and are a kind human being, good things will inevitably happen for you. With this logic in mind, I believe that anyone, no matter how old or young, can have a real-life Cinderella story.



And from this slumber you shall wake, when true love's kiss the spell shall break.
-Sleeping Beauty

Another blond princess I enjoyed as a little girl. When I was 18, one day I was having a miserable day, but trying to turn it around with a some lunch from Panera Bread. Usually when I eat, I like to watch movies or TV, so I went into my room and found an old copy of Sleeping Beauty. The perfect companion! Sure, she's not the most engaging of princesses, but the fairies are amusing in their war to make her dress blue. Or is it pink?



I don't see how a world that makes such wonderful things, could be bad.
-The Little Mermaid

This entire dinner scene cracks me up. It took me many years to like this movie though, mostly because I could not get over that she gave up her beautiful voice for a guy she never had a conversation with. All of the musical numbers and Sebastian and even Ariel wound up winning me over in due time. Sometimes I need to really employ a suspension of disbelief with Disney. Plus, dingelhoppers!



And for once it might be grand, to have someone understand. I want so much more than they've got planned.
-Beauty and the Beast

A classic and the very first movie I saw in theaters at the age of 4. I still weep during it. There's not much I can say to describe the film except that it is about learning to be around those who are different from you and embracing that difference rather than running from it because it is unlike you. For years, my Dad would clip out newspaper articles about this movie for me to read. It was also the first Disney film to be nominated for an Oscar in Best Picture (though not the last...)



He's got the outfit, he's got the elephant, but we're not through yet! Hang on to your turban kid, we're gonna make you a star!
-Aladdin

Like any good kid growing up in the '90s, Robin Williams made me laugh, laugh, laugh. Mrs. Doubtfire, Ferngully, and The Birdcage were among my favorites of his. Therefore, simply by the presence of the Genie alone, this movie is on my list.



Uh, I mean, uh, sorry you had to see that, but you know how it is, when you get those manly urges! And you just gotta kill something! Hm... Fix things, cook outdoors--
-Mulan

Girl power! I could cut my hair and pose as a boy in the army to fight on behalf of my father. Well, not really. You see, I have three brothers who would most likely take that position for me and some defined womanly curves that really would prevent me from ever being mistaken as a boy.
This soundtrack, by the way, was pretty much the classroom favorite in 5th grade. My teachers played music while we worked on homework or class assignments and Mulan was the soundtrack of choice, with all of the original songs, the Christina Aguilera one, and the Stevie Wonder song about being true to your heart. Good times!



You've been a very kind friend to me when I had none, and I would never want to make you unhappy or cause you any trouble, so... I'll go. I wish you every happiness.

-Enchanted

This was the last movie I saw in my childhood theater before it closed up for good. Enchanted I deeply enjoyed, with the live action interspersing well with the animation. Amy Adams is cute as can be and the perfect princess though I'm fairly certain that when you first arrive to New York, it is a lot meaner, dirtier, and Patrick Dempsey doesn't rescue you from a billboard. Again, suspension of disbelief, suspension of disbelief. Cute musical numbers, sweep me away!



Define dancing.

-WALL-E

Oh, Pixar. You and the geniuses there can take me away to new worlds and old ones better than anybody else. In this case, you took me to a future where Earth is a big landfill where a plucky robot named WALL-E is still cleaning, unaware of the fact that he is the last robot around doing so. He meets Eve, another robot sent to find signs of life there, and falls in love. Cannot blame the guy, Eve is adorable, like a little hovering ghost. WALL-E made me teary-eyed, appreciative of nature, definitely against sitting in a chair for too long lest I never get out, and brought in some more of that wonderful Thomas Newman score that I love so much.



My name is Dug, I have just met you and I love you!
-Up

You will cry during this movie. Many times over, but mostly in the short 4 minute "Married Life" scene. I did. I still do. And that evoking of emotion alone was enough to make it one of my favorite Disney/Pixar films ever.

What are your favorites?

Love to you all,
Heather

20 comments:

Hope Chella said...

Amazing post!!!! I love Disney :) xoxo

Have a great week,
http://hopechella.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

aaww . . . The Little Mermaid was the very first movie I ever saw in a cinema !

The only Disney movie I could never get to grips with (and still can't) is The Jungle Book !

. . . and yes the Up movie with the marraige scene made me cry too !

little luxury list said...

Great list of movies. Sigh, I was totally bawling during up also because my husband may share a similar name to teh main character. It was a beautiful scene. I love how all the Pixar movies had these deeper life meanings.

Natalie said...

Oh my gosh, the nostalgia! Hahaha :) I always tried to watch and see at the end of Sleeping Beauty to find out if her dress ended up being blue or pink at the very end... I loved The Little Mermaid, even though Ariel was kind of stupid. Aladdin and Mulan have to be my favorite Disney classics though :D

7 said...

I havn't seen these movies in ssooooo long oh wow! I use to love the little mermaid. That was my favorite
-Alexandria

www.eyeswdeopen.blogspot.com
check me out;)

Krissy (Shimmer Like Gold) said...

Aww, this post makes me so happy. :) I miss old school Disney movies. Funnily enough, I'm currently watching Robin Hood while I work out. haha. My favourites growing up were Bambi, 101 Dalmatians and Winnie the Pooh. :) Aladdin and The Lion King are also very high on my list too. Really, I love almost all of them.

And Up... oh my gosh, LOVED that movie. I also bawled my eyes out during the 'married life' sequence.

Bijou's Style said...

great post! brought me back to my childhood! love all of them but have to say I love cinderella and little mermaid the most!!

xx

Sage Ravenwood said...

That was a wonderful jaunt down memory lane.

I think I related most to 'Beauty and the Beast'. The beast being me (not really just in a metaphorical sense). I found growing up with a hearing disability and now as a deaf adults, so many could take the lessons in this movie to heart.

Sadly I haven't seen 'Mulan' or 'Up' yet. After reading this I wanting to. (Hugs)Indigo

Unknown said...

Disney is always great inspiration!

Dionne said...

Yay! Sleeping Beauty was my favorite disney movie growing up. I LOVED it!

Now along with SB, I would have to say that Up and Toy Story join the ranks, and of course Beauty and the Beast.

Anonymous said...

Love beauty and the beast,love Aerial singer part of your world and once upon a dream from Cinders

Anonymous said...

This just made my day, I've been thinking a lot about the classic disney cartoons lately. I'm really loving your blog!

Did you make it out to SF yet? I picked up and moved here a year ago and it's been amazing!

the girl in grey said...

So cute.
The Little Mermaid is my favorite. :)
XO THE GIRL IN GREY

Anonymous said...

My favorite was "The Sword in the Stone." I watched that over and over again when I was a kid.

Belle Armed said...

My fav has always been The Little Mermaid, such a wonderful story. As a child, I used to dream about diving deep into the ocean and neer return to land, making friends with Ariel and swim around in freedom.

Serg Riva said...

cinderalla dress = fav

drollgirl said...

i loved wall-e! and up was so good too. and all those pixar movies make me so happy, even if/when they aren't all that romantic. :)

Phoenix said...

I sobbed like a little girl in Up. It was such a beautiful love story to start the movie off with.

Enchanted rocks. Finally, some people could make gentle fun of Disney stereotypes while totally breaking them and empowering women.

Sorry to say, Ariel has always been my favorite. She didn't talk, but she had a spaz factor of about 12 - just like me!

Sadako said...

Great post. I liked a lot of these movies growing up but I found it hard to like Little Mermaid the movie after reading the original short story. LOVE that one.

Amber said...

Loved this post.

I refuse to watch "Up" or really any pixar movie because I know they're going to make me cry. I know they're all awesome but I cry enough in my everyday life, I don't need to do it while watching a cartoon.

Like you, I loved Robin Williams when I was a kid. I'm curious, though--do you still think he's funny? I'm sort of on the fence.