Nostalgic Fairy-Tale with a New Orleans Twist
The Princess and The Frog stepped over many boundaries for Disney. Not only does it actually have a diverse cast, it also features many names female and male characters. Centered on a female protagonist, the movie follows Tiana, an ambitious African American woman, trying to work her way to owning her own restaurant. She talks to several other female, named cast members, such as her mother and Mama Odie about her dreams and how to get there. Though some critics say that Tiana's whole dream of opening up her restaurant is to fulfill her father's dreams, I think it still stands as a legitimate goal of Tiana's. In a way, I see her ambitions in life kind of like when you have to decide your own code of morals and decide to be religiously affiliated at a young age. Tiana chose to follow her father's steps. She loves the restaurant scene, as we see in the beginning of the film. Tiana collects all her money in hopes that one day, she will have her own place in New Orleans. Oddly enough, everything in Tiana's life takes a detour when she runs into Prince Naveen, a frog-turned prince who messed with the Shadow Man. After Naveen was cut off from his wealthy parents, his next step was to marry rich. Doing so, he tries to marry into the La Bouff family, who Tiana's mother has worked for since the beginning on the story. When Naveen runs into Tiana, he as her to kiss him, breaking the spell of him being a frog. With regret, Tiana pities him and decides to kiss him. It only then backfires, making her into a frog as well. Escaping the party, they both wind up in a bayou, where they meet a jazz trumpet-playing alligator named Louis and a friends firefly, Ray. Together, they all look for Mama Odie to break this spell. Mama odie tells them that only a kiss from a true princess and lift the curse. During this journey, the two begin to develop feelings for each other, and by the end, Naveen says to Ray that he would be willing to give up everything for her. Ray encourages Naveen to go admit this to Tiana, but then Tiana is captured by the Shadow Man. Tempted by the Shadow Man that all her dreams could come true if she would just trust in the dark side, Tiana does not fall for it and breaks the talesman. All that aside, the two frogs accept their fate and plan to live out their lives together as frogs. When Tiana and Naveen kiss, this time out of love for each other, the spell is lifted, and Tiana can now follow her dreams and get the guy.
This movie does pass the Bechdel Test, and there are plenty of curious and close listening critics who have commented about this very topic which can be seen here. AS far as everything else goes, this movie plays into the ideal 1920s New Orleans, with great jazz, rich white people, and a great economy. It is a great American take on the classic Grimm fairy tale. Like stated before, it does have a diverse cast. African American voice actors voice the African American characters. Of the top ten billed actresses and actors, four of them are women and six of them are men. This is pretty even for Disney, but there are still more males than females in this tale.
The Ideology of this film, from my perspective, show both aspects of right and left sides. It does however lean more to the right. This movie focuses on a female African American business woman from the 20s, and that alone, for it's time period, shows progression. On the other hand, this movie has classic nostalgia, enforcing of the American Dream, and a common love story between a hard working woman and frisky man, which was often seen as okay in past American society. Three points in the movie where these ideals are in action so-to-speak begin with the representation of life in the twenties for the working woman, especially being African American. In a lovely rap verse by singer Maimouna Youssef, she states that "being a woman is like being black twice." In this lovely G-rated film, it does not accurately represent a people group that not only just now got the right to vote, but were also widely discriminated against, and still are. This lack of difference in culture is seen right through the opening of the film where Tiana's customers and everyone around her says, yeah it'll be hard work, but you're almost there. Secondly, it enforces an age old idea of the American Dream becoming true. Tiana is always trying her hardest, working and saving everything she can. By doing so, she has her restaurant by the end of the film and it is big, extravagant and everything she had ever dreamed. Plain and simple, this movie points out that with hard work, you can do anything in America, well until the economy crashes in the 30s. Where's the part II of this movie? Anyway, the last point in this movie that re-enforces right leaning ideas is the love story between Naveen and Tiana. Though she dislikes him at first, being that he is a disgusting player, only in it for the money, Naveen is changed by Tiana's ambition for herself and getting things done. Eventually through Tiana, Naveen realizes life isn't about wealth, but about love. Seeing this change, Tiana falls for him as well. I really don't see this kind of relationship forming to the modern independent woman now, but this happens in the film, showing women as a moral center and living your best life.
Though this film leans right, it does a great job of empowering young girls, showing Disney's first African American princess (about time, since it's release in 2009), and giving girls a place to go where the man actually only caused trouble (other than love) and she could save herself. All that being said, it is a spectacular show that includes traditional animation, diverse casting, and fun plot for the whole family. Seriously check out Maimouna Youssef's work if you haven't and think about these kinds of ideals hidden within the movies you watch -- you may be surprised! Also, enjoy this great song from The Princess and The Frog: Click here for the main theme of The Princess and The Frog
This movie does pass the Bechdel Test, and there are plenty of curious and close listening critics who have commented about this very topic which can be seen here. AS far as everything else goes, this movie plays into the ideal 1920s New Orleans, with great jazz, rich white people, and a great economy. It is a great American take on the classic Grimm fairy tale. Like stated before, it does have a diverse cast. African American voice actors voice the African American characters. Of the top ten billed actresses and actors, four of them are women and six of them are men. This is pretty even for Disney, but there are still more males than females in this tale.
The Ideology of this film, from my perspective, show both aspects of right and left sides. It does however lean more to the right. This movie focuses on a female African American business woman from the 20s, and that alone, for it's time period, shows progression. On the other hand, this movie has classic nostalgia, enforcing of the American Dream, and a common love story between a hard working woman and frisky man, which was often seen as okay in past American society. Three points in the movie where these ideals are in action so-to-speak begin with the representation of life in the twenties for the working woman, especially being African American. In a lovely rap verse by singer Maimouna Youssef, she states that "being a woman is like being black twice." In this lovely G-rated film, it does not accurately represent a people group that not only just now got the right to vote, but were also widely discriminated against, and still are. This lack of difference in culture is seen right through the opening of the film where Tiana's customers and everyone around her says, yeah it'll be hard work, but you're almost there. Secondly, it enforces an age old idea of the American Dream becoming true. Tiana is always trying her hardest, working and saving everything she can. By doing so, she has her restaurant by the end of the film and it is big, extravagant and everything she had ever dreamed. Plain and simple, this movie points out that with hard work, you can do anything in America, well until the economy crashes in the 30s. Where's the part II of this movie? Anyway, the last point in this movie that re-enforces right leaning ideas is the love story between Naveen and Tiana. Though she dislikes him at first, being that he is a disgusting player, only in it for the money, Naveen is changed by Tiana's ambition for herself and getting things done. Eventually through Tiana, Naveen realizes life isn't about wealth, but about love. Seeing this change, Tiana falls for him as well. I really don't see this kind of relationship forming to the modern independent woman now, but this happens in the film, showing women as a moral center and living your best life.
Though this film leans right, it does a great job of empowering young girls, showing Disney's first African American princess (about time, since it's release in 2009), and giving girls a place to go where the man actually only caused trouble (other than love) and she could save herself. All that being said, it is a spectacular show that includes traditional animation, diverse casting, and fun plot for the whole family. Seriously check out Maimouna Youssef's work if you haven't and think about these kinds of ideals hidden within the movies you watch -- you may be surprised! Also, enjoy this great song from The Princess and The Frog: Click here for the main theme of The Princess and The Frog
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