why why WHY!! Disney cannot have a set of parents in any MOVIE!!!

[landshark]

While Disney himself didn't create all of the movies he made, he did interpret them differently than the originals and they continue to do so today. What I'm getting at is that just because movies were made from existing stories didn't mean someone couldn't have fiddled with the parental dynamics in some way. I don't notice it in all Disney movies as much as in the princess movies--for some reason the whole issue stands out more as only two of them (Aurora & Mulan) have both parents while one (Tiana) had both at one time.

I think a missing parent is necessary in stories like Cinderella, The Princess & The Frog, Bambi, Lion King, Lilo & Stitch, etc... because it drives the plot, but when it doesn't, where's the harm in letting a character have both parents more often than not? Aurora's parents didn't really play any role--she didn't even know who they were until the end. For Mulan, her father had to be alive otherwise she never would have taken his place as a soldier, but this makes her mother pointless to the plot--she was still there, though. Tiana's father had a dream she vowed to fulfill and who seemed to have made a bigger impact on Tiana's attitude toward life. Again, her mother was mostly pointless but still there. These parents don't seem to hurt anything by simply being there so I don't see how they would have really altered any plots unless they were written to do so.

Would Ariel's mother being around really have stopped her daughter's teenage angst and desire to explore and see what was above the surface? Would Jasmine's mother have made her less curious, head-strong and independent? Would Belle's mother have stopped her from rescuing her father?

 

[KellyNY]

What I think is, a missing loving parent is basically a key to some stories. Think about it, Cinderella has an evil stepmom, who makes her life miserable and a key to her escape to the ball. Otherwise if she had a mother, she would attend ball openly and there would be no need for glass slipper. Beauty and the Beast has missing mom as well, because if there was one, mom would take dad place and the whole romance with the Beast would be freaky and wrong. So some stories just must have this kind of kick.

 

[KellyNY]

Would Ariel's mother being around really have stopped her daughter's teenage angst and desire to explore and see what was above the surface? Would Jasmine's mother have made her less curious, head-strong and independent? Would Belle's mother have stopped her from rescuing her father?

Ariel's mother did not exist in original story as well, probably because Neptune never had a wife but many "intersts".
Jasmine's mother never mentioned in original story, because the original story spins around males of the story, Jasmine in original story does not have any personality.

 

[TDC Nala]

It is the theme of Superman and Spiderman.

And Batman...remember what happened to Bruce Wayne's parents?

 

[Robo]

...passing away when Tiana is an adult.

Please be careful about revealing details in films for those of us who have not yet seen them.

 

[lunapnp]

I really haven't paid much attention to the one parent thing until it was brought up. But I really don't think much about it other than it's a FAIRY TALE story. Nothing more...nothing less. My parents divorced when I was 5 boo hoo. I turned out just fine. My husband (first marriage!) and I have been married for 15 years and have two beautiful DDs. My DDs know all about divorce, death, cheating, homelessness, etc., etc. Why???? Not because of a Disney movie...but because it is a FACT of life. As a parent of a child with special needs...I could say WHY, WHY, WHY doesn't Disney portray a child with a disability?? Or at least an animal with a limp!

 

[ShannonMB]

Please be careful about revealing details in films for those of us who have not yet seen them.

What are you waiting for, my friend? JK, I'm sure the pp is sorry.

I have thought about this for years. I'm sure it's all about creating the conflict, etc, as others have said, plus the heartstrings thing. I don't consider it a great Disney movie unless I shed at least a handful of tears and wonder at least once, "Is this part too scary for DD?"

 

[TLinden16]

Since this isn't really a theme parks discussion, this thread would be a better fit on the theme parks community board, so I'm going to move it over there now.

 

[ThinkTink09]

This thread made me chuckle. Its actually a family joke of ours with Disney movies...If there isn't some sort of family death or tragedy alluded to at the beginning of a movie..you almost have to start preping yourself for one of the characters to get knocked off during. We love them anyway. It all turns out right in the end

 

[snookiedoodles]

bump

 

[freepixie]

As a parent of a child with special needs...I could say WHY, WHY, WHY doesn't Disney portray a child with a disability?? Or at least an animal with a limp!

I agree I really wish they would show differing abilities in the movies!

 

[mthompson22]

As for the book The Mouse that Roared, it's an interesting premise but it should be noted that the only way to make money in academia is to write a controvertial book. Making Disney out to be the cause of all society's ills is ridiculous.

Exactly. What are you doing for the next 9 months? Want to help me finish my dissertation

 

[hearts8701]

how else would they come up with Happily Ever After?

 

[MusicMouse]

Actually, Walt Disney and his writers took a lot of the more awful details out of some of these fairy tales when they adapted them for the silver screen. Have you read some of the original fairy tales by the brother Grimm? Yikes!!

 

[snoopy two]

Don't forget Nemo...he had a "lucky", small fin.

 

[KellyNY]

Actually, Walt Disney and his writers took a lot of the more awful details out of some of these fairy tales when they adapted them for the silver screen. Have you read some of the original fairy tales by the brother Grimm? Yikes!!

I did when I was a kid, do not really remember what was wrong
However, brothers Grimm were sort of Disney brothers of their time, their stories are not original. Those stories exist in any nation, slightly different but same idea. Take a Cinderella story. It originated in Egypt. I think it was told first by Ezop(sp).

 

[lunapnp]

Don't forget Nemo...he had a "lucky", small fin.

Yes...you are correct. How could I forget Nemo??? That's one of my faves. I guess Dory could have a mental disability too with her short term memory problems.

 

[knewton64]

The Parent Trap has both parents....although it took them 10 years to reconcile.

..I FINALLY saw that movie for the very 1st time last week.

I literally did a double take (while watching it) just knowing that Annette lent a hand to the songs in that movie.

 

[coltink]

I know what you mean! I will be watching a movie with my husband and then realize that there's gonn be some tragedy about to happen and I'll say this must be a Disney movie! There is almost always some sort of tragedy in Disney movies. I guess they feel we need a good cry when we watch a movie .

??? Doesn't every movie ever made have some sort of 'tragedy' in it? Not specific to Disney. Otherwise it wouldn't be a movie or interesting for that matter. You can't have a plot without a conflict/tragedy. Am I right?

Movies with Parents-
Alice in Wonderland-although not seen in the movie
American Tale
Lady and the Tramp
Mary Poppins
Oliver-the little girl had parents, although absent
Parent Trap
Sleeping Beauty
One hundred and one dalmations
Mulan
Hercules
Incredibles
Emporers New groove
Honey I shrunk the kids
Mickey's Christmas Carol
Freak Friday
Ugly Daschund
Swiss Family Robinson
Newsies
Hocus Pocus
Old Yeller-although dad is away on a cattle drive
Shaggy Dog
Flight of the Navigator
Santa Claus-although divorced (I think)

Sequels:
Lady and the tramp 2
Lion King 2
101 Dalmations 2
Honey i blew up the kids