They Can’t Take Away Her Dreaming: Why Cinderella is Now One of My Favorite Disney Films on Rewatch

Posted in Disney, Movies by Tracy Gnadinger

Author’s note: Over the pandemic, I watched 59 theatrical animated films created by Walt Disney Animation Studios in order of release. If you haven’t already, I highly encourage you to read the first post in the series, Snow White to Strange World: Re-visiting Disney One Animated Film at a Time.

“I may be live bait down there, but I’m with you.” I certainly wish I had Jiminy Cricket with me during the darkest Disney trauma of the 1940s.

But before we get to Pinocchio, we must not gloss over the blatant racism of the resource-limited 1940s and the one deleted scene from the still renown Fantasia.

(Disclaimer: while I tried to educate myself throughout this process, researching and referencing external sources, my viewpoint is still limited, and I apologize in advance for anything I may have overlooked.)

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29Sep2023

Snow White to Strange World: Re-Visiting Disney One Animated Film at a Time

Posted in Disney, Movies by Tracy Gnadinger

Two years ago, I decided I would watch all the theatrical animated films created by Walt Disney Animation Studios in order of release.

Why? Because it was the start of Omicron, and I knew I was in for another long winter in isolation. And also, maybe I was bored?

But during the pandemic, I got the idea from my brother to rewatch series of films in a particular order. Because, as we all know, having a routine with a goal in sight keeps the mind sane.

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2Apr2017

The Little Mermaid is My Favorite Disney Movie, and I Finally Figured Out Why

Posted in Body Image, Disney, Movies, Personal, Travel by Tracy Gnadinger

Ever since I saw The Little Mermaid as a young girl (it came out when I was two), I was immediately entranced. I dressed as a mermaid that Halloween and belted out “Part of Your World” on the daily.

But as I grew up and became more aware of feminism ideology, I started to feel shame for the love of a movie that seemed to completely go against that ideology. Here is a young princess with the underworld at her fin, and she decides to give up all of that, including her most prized possession—her voice—for a man she barely knows.

Yeah… it’s hard to reconcile that as an adult. But here’s the thing—that’s not what drew me to this film. I didn’t run around the house with an Eric doll pining for the day I could find my own Eric and be led into another world. No, I idealized Ariel for having the guts to leave everything behind to explore something new and find her sense of belonging.

Let me break it down. Here are the real reasons I love Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Continue reading →