Sleeping Beauty

We have arrived at Sleeping Beauty, one of Walt’s most artistic and romantic films.

 

 

The film premiered in 1959, nearly 10 years after production began in 1950!  The film was not a huge success at the box office, and I've yet to hear anyone describe it as their favorite... but the story remains timeless!  Sleeping Beauty's roots lie with the Brothers Grimm fairytale and Tchaikovsky's ballet. (So we've got a great story set to an amazing score!)

 

 

Sleeping Beauty aka Princess Aurora aka Briar Rose is the beloved daughter of King Stephen and his queen.  The king arranges a festival to celebrate her birth and the entire kingdom is invited including the Good Fairies- Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather.  Noticeably absent from the invite list is the "mistress of all evil," Maleficent.  She crashes the party anyway and curses the young princess with this dire prophecy: "The princess shall indeed grow in grace and beauty, beloved by all who know her. But... before the sun sets on her 16th birthday, she shall prick her finger, on the spindle of a spinning wheel - AND DIE!"  Thankfully Merryweather is able to use her gift to the princess to change the outcome of the curse from death to endless sleep (the sleep can be broken with true love's kiss! - it's the most powerful thing in the world! Enchanted reference!).

 

 

The fairies hatch an elaborate plan to hide the princess in safety.  Meanwhile King Stephen burns every spinning wheel in the land.  Alas, Maleficent's curse comes to fruition, but never fear!- Prince Phillip comes to the rescue (with a little help from Flora, Fauna and Merryweather).  The prince's epic battle against Maleficent remains the iconic fairytale showdown of good vs. evil and can be seen reenacted just about nightly in Disneyland's Fantasmic! (my FAVORITE!!!)

 

 

One of my favorite things about Sleeping Beauty has got to be the romantic plot twist.  Prince Phillip and Princess Aurora are betrothed pretty much from birth.  Alas, Maleficent's evil plans get in the way and they are torn apart for the next 16 years.  A happy coincidence reunites the pair in the woods (queue dancing and the "Once Upon a Dream" duet) and they fall in love.  BUT, neither one knows who the other is.  Princess Aurora is in hiding as the peasant Briar Rose, and Prince Phillip is playing the tall, dark, handsome stranger card.  I won't ruin their happy ending for you... but believe me, it's wonderful!

 

 

 

Prince Phillip is a valiant and worthy hero.  I love that he plays such an integral character in this story.  (Other Disney princes do not fare as well a la 1937 and 1950.)  He not only battles the villainous villain to save the fair maiden, he's also willing to fight for true love.  He absconds the idea of arranged marriages telling his father that he should get to choose to marry the girl he loves, "Now, father, you're living in the past. This is the 14th century!"  For the climactic battle, the good fairies arm Prince Phillip with the "Sword of Truth" and the "Shield of Honor."  If I ever have sons, I want them carrying around these kind of weapons!  Prince Phillip is definitely a hero worth looking up to!

 

 

Sleeping Beauty is a beautiful story.  While the style is more artistic (and somewhat less appealing for lots of folks), the story rings true.  Good is good, and bad is bad.  True love and honor triumph!  There's wonderful dancing and twirling!  It's definitely a lovely fairytale to get swept away in for an hour or so. 

 

 

 

With that, I will leave you with this wise insight from the Good Fairy, Fauna:

 

Maleficent doesn't know anything about love, or kindness, or the joy of helping others. You know, sometimes I don't think she's really very happy.

 

(Disney will explore Maleficent's story in the live-action film Maleficent this summer.)

 

Coming Up Next Week: 101 Dalmatians

Lady and the Tramp

Lady and the Tramp.  A dog's tale about life and love.

Lady and the Tramp premiered in 1955 (the same year that Disneyland opened!).  The film tells the story of Lady, a beautiful dog from a happy home with owners who love her and treat her well, and what happens when she meets Tramp, a dog from the wrong side of the tracks who enjoys his footloose and fancy-free life.  Notably, this film is home to the most famous (and romantic) spaghetti dinner in all of movie history.

 

I realize that I'm going to be in the minority here, but Lady and the Tramp did not rock my socks- in other words, it wasn't my cup of tea.  (Did someone mention tea?)  For whatever reasons I did not find the film engaging.  Sure it was a cute story and the Bella Notte (spaghetti dinner) scene was adorable, but it's Disney magic did not sweep me away.  I think, the real problem is that I'm not much of an animal/pet person.  I've never had a pet (outside of a fish in the fourth grade), and so the storyline failed to tug at any real life heartstrings for me. 

My favorite scene from the film is actually when Peg sings "He's a Tramp" in the dog pound.  Probably because I like that song so much.  Also I thought the beaver scene when Tramp and Lady sell the beaver Lady's muzzle as a log puller was very funny.

I'm sorry that I don't have a lot of interesting things to say about Lady and the Tramp.  I still very much think that it deserves its place as a classic, iconic Disney film.  And I can completely see why people love the film.  For me, the magic just wasn't there with this film.  I still definitely recommend checking it out.  The film still has significant artistic merit.  As a matter of personal taste, it just wasn't my favorite.

Thanks for continuing on this film journey with me!  I hope everyone has a great week!

This week I'll leave you with the romantic lyrics of "Bella Notte:"

Oh this is the night, it's a beautiful night
And we call it bella notte
Look at the skies, they have stars in their eyes
On this lovely bella notte.
Side by side with your loved one,
You'll find enchantment here.
The night will weave its magic spell,
When the one you love is near!
Oh this is the night, and the heavens are right!
On this lovely bella notte!
 

Coming Up Next: Sleeping Beauty

Peter Pan

Sorry for the late posting on this one!  Life (and Disneyland) happened.  But I’m back and ready to take you on a trip to Never Land! 

 

 

All you will need for the journey is:

• Faith
• Trust
• A little bit of pixie dust
• And the directions (Second Star to the Right and Straight on til Morning)

Ok.  Everybody ready?  Here we go!  Off to Never Land!!!

 

 

This week’s film is the iconic tale of Peter Pan – the boy who doesn’t want to grow up.  The boy who fearlessly leads the troop of Lost Boys.  The boy who battles  wits and steel against the nefarious Captain Hook.  The boy who takes the Darling children of London on a wonderful adventure to Never Land.  The boy who's best friend is Tinker Bell.  There is so much Disney culture and history in this film!  It premiered in 1953 and remains one of Walt's most well-known and beloved masterpieces.

 

 

Peter Pan is a wonderful film with a wonderful story.  Best of all it has heart.  :)  There is adventure, daring rescues, a wicked villain, a fun and funny cast of supporting characters, imagination, Disney magic.  It's the complete Disney package!

 

 

 

 

 

The story opens in the nursery of the Darling home where we meet Wendy, John, and Michael (the Darling children).  They soon meet Peter Pan who takes them on a whimsical adventure to Never Land with the begrudging assistance of Tinker Bell.  In Never Land, the children meet mermaids, Indians, and pirates.  Oh.  And they get there by flying!  Peter Pan proves to be a brave and cunning hero who always swoops in to save the day. 

 

 

 

The two characters who I fell the most in love with were actually the Darling boys: John and Michael.  They are so true to their characters and they're adorable!  John is a serious thinker who takes responsibility with a gravitas that defies his age.  And Michael is an adorable child who still faithfully carries around his teddy bear, but he doesn't let his size or youth prevent him from going on adventures and doing his part.  They added a lovely dash of humor and warm-heartedness to the film.

 

I think one of the other things that makes this film such a success is its villain.  Captain Hook is, at the same time, evil and comical.  He is clearly a bad character who does bad things, and as such it is easy for the audience to want to see him fail.  This creates a great contrast to highlight Peter Pan's heroism.  We love watching Peter win!  What also sets Captain Hook apart is that his character serves not only as the villain but also as comic relief in the film.  His interactions with his bumbling first mate, Mr. Smee, always bring a laugh.  Add the tick-tocking crocodile's endless chase of the Captain, and you'll be laughing indeed. 

 

 

In the end, I really think that what make Peter Pan stand out is its relatability.  (That's not actually a word... but go with me.)  No matter who watches the film, there is some character to relate to.  Whether it's a young boy dreaming of adventures and fighting pirates like Peter Pan.  Or it's a father who is so caught up in the real world that he's forgotten the wonderful world of play and imagination like Mr. Darling.  Or maybe it's a young woman on the brink of growing up but not quite ready to leave childhood behind like Wendy.  Or maybe you just appreciate Tinker bell's sass (and sacrifice).  My point is that Peter Pan reminds all of us that bravery is to be pursued.  Growing up doesn't require you to stop dreaming and imagining.  It's never too late to change the way your story ends.  And childhood wonderment has no expiration date. 

 

 

With that, I'll leave you with words of wisdom from Walt Disney:

 

Laughter is timeless,

Imagination has no age,

and Dreams are forever.

 

 

Coming Up Next: Lady and the Tramp

 

Alice in Wonderland

This week we travel to a strange land in Alice in Wonderland.

 

 

Alice in Wonderland premiered in 1951 and runs the typical Disney-length of about 75 minutes.  Alice in Wonderland is not a movie that I grew up with.  I’m not sure entirely sure why.  I’m thinking that it might have fallen in my mom’s classification of “weird movies.”  And I have to say, I definitely see how it would fall there.  The film tells the story of a presumably British young girl who would rather daydream than focus on her history lesson.  She is soon distracted from her daydream by a White Rabbit dressed in a waistcoat and running along with his very large pocket watch exclaiming that he is late!  What is Alice to do but follow him?  She soon finds herself in Wonderland where she learns that living in a world of nonsense may not be as fun as dreaming about a world of nonsense…

 

Alice in Wonderland is definitely rather thin on plot.  The plotline is essentially Alice’s pursuit of the White Rabbit and then her desire to make her way home.  I did not find myself terribly drawn into this film as it did not have an overly-likable cast of characters and there was no story or outcome that I found myself rooting for.  It was essentially a rather strange trip and I just felt like I hopped in for the ride.  (Though the Disneyland Alice in Wonderland ride itself is pretty fun. J)

 

 

 

The film hosts a very colorful cast of characters who if not precisely fun to meet are certainly interesting.  From the Cheshire Cat to the Walrus and the Carpenter, from the March Hare to Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, from the Queen of Hearts to the Mad Hatter, Alice certainly meets many an interesting character on her journey through Wonderland.  The Cheshire Cat perhaps put it best with "We're all mad here."  My favorite interesting fact that I learned in my research of the film is that the Mad Hatter is voiced by actor Ed Wynn aka Uncle Albert from Mary Poppins!  (Tea party on the ceiling anyone?  That scene suddenly makes a lot more sense...)

 

 

 

While most of the characters are a bit mad, they still say some clever (and silly) things.  Here are a few of my favorites:

• Alice: "Well, after this I should think nothing of falling down the stairs."
• March Hare: "Ah, that's just it.  If you don't think, then you shouldn't talk."
• White Rabbit: "I'm late! I'm late! For a very important date!"
• Queen of Hearts: "Off with their heads!"
• Dodo: "Ahoy, and other nautical expressions!" 
• Mad Hatter: "A very merry unbirthday to you!"

 

 

The best part of Alice in Wonderland for me is the way it impacts my life today.  You see, one of my favorite Disney pastimes is spending time with the Mad T Party Band at Disney's California Adventure.  It's a cover band with the Mad Hatter on lead vocals along with Alice, Dormouse on the electric guitar, the March Hare on base, Caterpillar on the keyboard, and the Cheshire Cat on drums.  In a word: FUN!!!  It rocks!  I highly recommend checking it out if given the opportunity.  (The typical Sunday night cast is my favorite!)

 

 

So while the movie is nonsensical, it is still funny, and it teaches two valuable life lessons.  First, the gift of imagination opens one to worlds (and lands!) of possibilities.  Dare to dream!  Secondly, it also teaches that the real world is to be appreciated.  And well lands of imagination can be great, sometimes the best place to come home to is reality.  With that I will leave you with words from the man with the gift of making imagination a reality, Walter Elias Disney:

 

We keep moving forward, opening new doors and doing new things, because we’re curious, and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.

 

 

Coming Up Next: Peter Pan

Cinderella

Yay Cinderella!!!  So much happiness!  It is beyond wonderful to get back to the Disney full-length feature films as opposed to the package films we've been going through the past month and a half.

 

Cinderella premiered in 1950 and tells the story of a young girl who through a series of unfortunate circumstances ends up becoming a servant in her own house- forced to wait on her evil stepmother and nasty stepsisters.  Through it all, Cinderella never loses hope and with the help of her friends and her resourceful fairy godmother, she is able to fulfill her dream of going to the grand ball; and as happenstance (and Disney) would have it, she meets the prince and finds true love.  Now if only they can make it to that happily ever after part...

There were soooo many things that I enjoyed about Cinderella that it's hard to know where to begin.  Well, first of all this movie has a plot!  It was lovely to experience a story and not just be entertained with snippets.  The music of the film was also a return to the classic Disney magic.  From the opening "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" to the iconic "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo," Disney musical mastery was once again on the scene (or should that be scenes?).

 

What also makes Cinderella so great is the supporting cast of characters.  Cinderella's stepmother is wickedly cruel and thus easy to hate.  She is clearly a "bad" character (as in not nice)- there is no "gray area" of well maybe she had a bad childhood and her motives might be more understandable if you think about them while standing on your head nonsense.  Cinderella's fairy godmother is a real scene-stealer in "Bibidi Bobbidi Boo."  You just have to love her.  :)  The stuffy Grand Duke paired with the boisterous king makes for some very comedic scenes and interactions.  And last, but not least, are the mice.  Jaq and Gus.  Oh my goodness!  They are so cute!  And heroic!  And funny!  Love them!

I think my favorite part of the whole movie though is the actual character of Cinderella.  She is truly beautiful inside and out.  She remains gentle and kind in the face of blatant disparity and hardship.  She continues to hope even when the situation seems bleak.  She has gratitude for the gifts she is given (Thanks fairy godmother!).  She is real with her emotions.  She doesn't stuff her feelings.  She is not a gold digger.  She sings first thing in the morning.  She rocks the classic "black flat" as a shoe decades before the advent of fashion blogs. I like her.  I think we'd be good friends.  Now if only I could find directions to the castle...

It was such fun to revisit this classic!  I'm really looking forward to the upcoming films on this journey!

And with that I'll leave you with an opening quote from Cinderella:

And yet, through it all, Cinderella remained ever gentle and kind, for with each dawn she found new hope that someday her dreams of happiness would come true.

Coming Up Next Week: Alice in Wonderland

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad

Alas, we have come to our final package film.  Yippee!  The last compilation film on this historic Disney movie journey is The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad.  The film premiered in 1949 and runs just over an hour and is broken into two stories (much like Fun and Fancy Free).

 

 

 

First up it’s “Mr. Toad.” (Because the second half of the title should definitely be the first part of the movie…)  Mr. Toad is based on the famed The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame and tells the tale of a wealthy toad with steadfast friends and a penchant for overspending on his "manias."  The segment opens by showcasing Toad's current mania of racing a yellow gypsy cart about the town (causing all sorts of damage) with his trusty stead, Cyril Proudbottom.  This mania is soon replaced by the MOTORCAR.  Toad must have one.  Of course as he is all but bankrupt with no sense of responsibility whatsoever, it is up to his friends to lock him in his room in the hopes that this mania will soon pass.  Alas, it does not.  Cue a bedroom escape, a nasty deal made with weasels, a stolen motorcar, a guilty verdict from the judge, a jail sentence, a jail escape, and a desperate attempt to prove Toad's innocence and save Toad Hall.

  

I was rather looking forward to The Wind in the Willows portion of the film as "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride" at Disneyland is based on the story; however I didn't end up enjoying it much at all.   I thought the story would have a familiarity to it seeing as I've ridden Mr. Toad's Wild Ride several times, but the ride greatly differs from the movie.  In fact, you see very little of Toad in an actual motorcar throughout the entire film segment...  And the ride and movie end very differently; neither one very well might I add.  I think the disappointing part for me about The Wind in the Willows is that Toad doesn't show any real growth in the film.  He learns nothing from his mistakes, and despite the love and support of good friends, he continues his maniac ways even at others' expense.

 

This would normally be the time when I point out what I liked about the film... unfortunately Ichabod's story was not very likable either.  The Ichabod segment tells the story of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washinton Irving.  The best part of this segment was Bing Crosby's narration and character voices.  Sleepy Hollow tells the tale of Ichabod Crane, a tall, bookish, gluttonous, greedy school teacher and his unfortunate encounter with the "Headless Horseman."  This segment didn't go well as I found I don't like Ichabod.  I don't like Kat (the woman he falls in love with... sort of).  And I don't like Brom (the villain). 

  

Ichabod flirts his way into the hearts of the women of Sleepy Hollow who then show their affection by feeding him (and believe me, he loves to eat!).  When the lovely daughter of the wealthiest man in town crosses Ichabod's path, he is smitten.  With her money!  He has a daydream about her and it's all about how her father's money will make his life happy and allow him to gorge himself on the fat of the land.  On top of all this, he is superstitious and a scaredy cat.  Kat, the daughter of the wealthiest man in town, loves attention and enjoys having the men in town follow her around mooning after her and catering to her every whim.  She ends up leading Ichabod on just to make Brom jealous.  Brom is the stereotypical town bully/hero.  He thinks he's all that and a bag of chips and likes to pick on the little people.  He's not overtly cruel; he's simply egotistical and shallow.

 

Clearly, I enjoyed this film a lot...  Or not.  It was missing the heart.  There were no heroes.  No great triumphs.  No love won.  No lessons learned.  It was missing the Disney magic.

 

Next week we head to (arguably) Disney's most iconic film: Cinderella (and this film bursts with Disney magic).  Thank goodness!

 

This week I'll leave you with a quote in anticipation of Cinderella next week:

 

A dream is a wish your heart makes

when you're fast asleep.

In dreams you will lose your heartache,

whatever you wish for you keep.

 

 

Coming Up Next Week: Cinderella

Melody Time

Sigh.  Another compilation film.  Can I just say that I am super looking forward to the feature length Disney animated films?  Two weeks until Cinderella!  :)

Melody Time is Walt Disney’s 10^th Animated Classic.  It premiered in 1948 and once again clocks in at just over an hour.  As with the other compilation/package films, I found that I enjoyed some of the segments while others I could very much live without.  On a whole, I found the film rather forgettable…  None of the segments particularly warmed my heart or tickled my funny bone. (Well, except maybe one... but we'll get to that later.)  Nevertheless, it's part of this journey so we will soldier through!

 

 

 

Melody Time is comprised of seven segments/shorts.  The artistic segments include: “Bumble Boogie” (involves a bumble bee, trumpeting flowers, and villainous piano keys, “Trees” (<cricket, cricket>  I got nothing... but there was a tree in it…), and “Blame it on the Samba” (once again features Donald Duck and Jose Carioca, but I feel like we’ve very much been there, done that between Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros).

 

 

 

 

Three of the segments told a story, and those I found much more watchable.  First up, we have "Johnny Appleseed"- the beloved tale of an apple farmer who heads west, planting apple trees as he goes and befriending the woodland creatures.  The second story segment was "Little Toot"- the story of a little tugboat who dreams of growing up and working hard like his dad but ends up in all sorts of trouble instead.  The Andrews Sisters once again provided the vocals; however the story is not as lovely as "Johnny Fedora and Alice Bluebonnet."  The film ends with a cowboy story about "Pecos Bill."  As with most cowboy stories, it is not a happily-ever-after sort of tale.  I found this story engaging, but I did not like the ending.

 

 

My favorite segment from Melody Time is "Once Upon a Wintertime."  This is the only segment that I have seen previously as it was part of a Disney Christmas videocassette compilation movie that I had growing up.  This short is cute, funny, and heart-warming.  It follows a young couple's wintry ice-skating excursion that doesn't turn out quite as expected... but all's well in the end.  (Good endings and great stories go rather hand-in-hand for me.)

 

 

 

This week I find it fitting to leave you with the words of Johnny Appleseed's song.  (Growing up, this is one of the prayers I would sing before mealtimes with my family.):

 

Oh, the Lord is good to me,

And so I thank the Lord

For giving me the things I need

The sun and the rain and the apple seed.

The Lord is good to me!

 

 

 

 

Thanks for sticking with me through this journey!

 

Coming Up Next Week: The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad