I know, I know, two posts in one day, what is he thinking? Well, being a better blogger was one of many resolutions for 2009 and I have a bit of free time on my hands today. Marissa, Dad, Delys, and I all watched The Little Mermaid together this evening. I had forgotten how much I loved that movie, particularly Sebastian's high pitched "Yes" and Ariel's "Part of Your World" ballad. It is truly a great movie and despite how awesome the Pixar movies are, and they are really good, I love revisiting the classics. But whenever I watch a Disney movie, particularly Beauty and the Beast or The Little Mermaid I feel the need to choose which one is the best. Since they are my two favorite Disney movies by far I feel like I need to put one of them ahead of the other. it becomes a real mind-tearing issue when I try it. The songs in Little Mermaid are consistently amazing but Beauty and the Beast has great music and the visuals are spectacular. Is Ariel more interesting than Belle or is that vice versa? The Little Mermaid was apparently my great favorite as a child so it already has a special place, but do I betray that by liking Beauty and the Beast more? I have no idea and I can't seem to come to a conclusion about what the greatest Disney movie is. I usually lean towards Beauty and the Beast in the category of all around best but that doesn't mean it sweeps subcategories. So I put it to you my blog readers; what is the greatest Disney movie? Is it Mermaid, Beauty, or is it Pinnochio or The Lion King? Choose wisely, you immediately feel guilty for not choosing one over the other.
13 comments:
Beauty and the Beast for the simple reason that in modern society "Prince Eric" would be serving 5-10 years for solicitation of a minor.
Dateline NBC ain't got nothing on mermaid pedophelia (sp?)
Little Mermaid...I still like it after you watched 1,235 times. And she's a redhead...who has too much clutter. Beauty and the Beast IS a great movie...I just have a personal fondness for Ariel and company.
Pinnochio?? Ha! That whole donkey land gives me the heebee geebies. And Lion King I have NEVER liked.
Oh, but I do appreciate Pinnochio for the fact that it allows Alex to say "I'm a real boy!" in a high voice on occasion.
Let me add that I too hate the donkey thing in Pinnochio, i just used it as an example, i don't actually like it. Dad brought it up because he thinks it is quintessentially Disney when jiminy cricket sings when you wish upon a star
I have a love/hate relationship with Mary Poppins. Kristin watched it EVERDAY when I was little, so I could quote it by heart. But, oh how fun it is to quote now, especially when I can start singing "feed the birds" in a creepy old woman voice to scare Travis. Plus, they are the only characters at Disneyland that I want to take a picture with.
Let me just say that that it is impossible for an English professor to go with Ariel over Belle--especially because, of all the Disney heroines, Belle is perhaps the only one who wouldn't get boring after a while. Who wouldn't be impressed with a woman who looks for a man with a great library?!
Plus the Beast (not the wimp he eventually turns into in the film's sort-of-happy ending) could kick Eric's minor-soliciting butt. Also the horse, Philippe, turns in a brilliant, understated performance that is often overlooked, not to mention the tour-de-force performance by the late Jerry "Law and Order" Orbach as Lumiere. No one charms feather dusters behind the curtains for a little pas de deux the way he does.
However, Ariel has her own teenage charms, the foremost of which is her capacity for intimate friendship with a wide variety of species--sea gulls, flounders, dogs, and so forth. She's certainly eco-friendly and understands the essential ecological connection between sea and land. Her hybridity is perfectly current today. And, like Kate, I have a deep affection for cute and cluttered-up red-heads. Plus, no Disney animated film--with the possible exception of Tarzan (I can't resist that Phil Collins beat!)--has music/lyrics as good as The Little Mermaid.
In addition, in our discussion we must not overlook the personal connections everyone has with Disney. The reason Peter Pan is both my favorite film and ride centers on my childhood experience--I've often said that if faith in something false could bring real results, I'd be in Neverland with Peter and the lost boys right now. When I was little I used to wait up for Peter to come for me, standing on the top bunk looking out the high window above the bed. (I would have told him that Tiger Lily was the girl for him, not Wendy or that little b, Tinker Bell.)
Kate doesn't like The Lion King because it's so phallocentric. The opening scene, displaying Simba's male genitalia as a sign of his worthiness to inherit the kingdom, just doesn't work for a feminist female first-born-- despite the film's interesting retelling of Shakespeare's Hamlet.
My favorite memory of Mary Poppins is when Lu Ann and I took Kate and Travis to see a special showing of it at Carolina in the student union. We were seated behind a row of obviously inebriated fratboys and were worried that they'd ruin the show for our innocent little children. On the contrary, these boys made the performance by singing along with every song and eventually getting the entire audience to join them. We all skipped out of the auditorium dancing together and singing "Let's Go Fly a Kite" much to the astonishment of those waiting in line for the next showing.
Finally, Jiminy Cricket singing "When You Wish Upon a Star" IS the quintessential Disney moment, despite its appearance in a pretty creepy movie (but not as creepy as Dumbo--Travis just hated the hallucination scene and used to dream about it whenever he had a fever, and I always hated the freaky clowns and the extreme disservice the film did to elephants everywhere).
It really depends on what you like more in a Disney Princess. Ariel is flighty, impulsive, immature, passionate, and unabashedly redheaded (I WAS her as a child, for Halloween and every day in general) whereas Belle is more resourceful, intelligent, mature, attractive to similarly intelligent males because, as Phillip said, she wouldn't get boring. I think Ariel's wide-eyed wonder would get old after awhile.
But it's impossible for me to say which I like better. I adored both in their day, but I would have to rewatch them to make a real judgment.
OFFICIAL BLOGGER ANNOUNCEMENT:
The comment from "phillip" on this post is currently the new blog record holder for comment length, quality, and irrelevant subject matter.
Congratulations on this fine accomplishment.
Thank you so much for this unexpected award. I had no idea I had been nominated, so I'm especially humbled.
Jackson, you must know how hard this is for me to choose. If I weren't constricted to just Disney productions, of course my choice would be Anastasia. My mom never let me watch Little Mermaid because she said Ariel was dressed immodestly. So I guess on the grounds of sheer exposure, I am choosing Beauty.
Postscript: I agree with Treidi. Phillip, that comment was extensive.
I have just one comment for joannachristine: that film should have be titled Anesthesia.
Belle all the way. Ariel is just a rebellious teen who dyes her hair red, wears skanky attire, and stalks older men. she would be considered a total nightmare today.
Jack!! I gave in and put your name as Jack instead of Jackson on my blog...but you'll always be jackson to me just like I'll always be Mary-Kate to you!! haha I love the disney post and I'm going to say go with Belle I like her cause she's the only princess with brown hair and we both know that all hotties have brown hair
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