7 Moments That Made 'Frozen' the Most Progressive Disney Movie Ever

[Shlup]

I really like this article: 7 Moments That Made 'Frozen' the Most Progressive Disney Movie Ever - PolicyMic (http://www.policymic.com/articles/79455/7-moments-that-made-frozen-the-most-progressive-disney-movie-ever)

Now you want to read it with the pretty pictures, but here's a summary for people can't do that right now:

1. Portrays parental abuse in a way that's relatable to children.

2. Elsa's self-empowerment.

3. Anna's entire personality.

4. Kristoff isn't intimidated by or bumbling in comparison to the strong female leads.

5. Oaken the shopkeep has kids... and a husband.

6. Rather than being a princess who marry's a prince, Elsa is a princess who becomes queen... and her people love her.

7. "You can't marry someone you just met."

They're all super great... If I had to pick a favorite (and I don't, but I will) I think it would be number four. There's been a trend in empowering women by degrading men, but all three leading roles manage to be strong characters without tearing anyone down, and I found it really refreshing.

[Shauna]

I... did not notice #5 at all. xD I am impressed.

[Jinx]

I'm in this weird place between really wanting to go see Frozen, and wishing everyone would just shut up about Frozen already.

[Shlup]

It's definitely frustrating when things get so hyped up. I mean, it's a really good movie, and I'd go as far as to call it genre-changing in several ways in regards to its progressiveness, but it's not life changing for goodness sake.

But, seriously, go see it before I cut you.

[Jessweeee♪]

Last time I had my hair done the stylist on the next chair over was bitching the whole time about how Frozen isn't that great. It was so not great, that she was able to talk about it my whole appointment. And I had highlights done, so it was a long one!

[Crop]

While I'm usually hyped for any Disney Princess movie, I really wasn't feeling this one at first.
I've gone from totally not being interested to see this movie, to REALLY wanting to see it.

That list you have provided has made me want to see it even more. I'm so so happy to read #4. It's seriously a pet peeve of mine - Why either strong male or female lead roles in these kind of films? Why not both? Sounds so refreshing. I think I'll have to wait for DVD release though.

[Shlup]

I'm so so happy to read #4. It's seriously a pet peeve of mine

Me too! I mean, all the things on the list are super awesome things, but so often male characters are torn down under the guise of being progressive towards women, and it irks the shit outta me.

I still think I like Tangled better, overall, but that's because I'm all about the love story.

[Miriel]

I watched this over the weekend and I loved it!

It made me super happy.

The only thing is that #1 did bug me when I was watching it. Especially in conjunction with the trolls. Hey Mr. Elderly Troll man, how about not frightening a little girl with creepy pronouncements about fear and power?

I loved that in the end, the true love was about sisterly love. Awwwww. :love:

[Shiny]

That is a very bold statement, Shlup. I'm going to have to see it. This seems to be winning all the accolades for the animation category this year.

[Shlup]

It is a bold statement! Since the 80s, the princess movies have had an element or two that you could consider progressive, but since John Lasseter has taken over things have progressed by leaps and bounds.

Princess and the Frog
Tiana is the only princess to promote the idea of working instead of wishing. Her prince is an oaf though. Also, being honest, I feel uncomfortable in homogeneous groups, so, while I feel like I'm being an insipid Social Justice Warrior or maybe some weird kind of over-PC racist for saying so, I'm just really glad she's black... I can't believe it took until 2009.

Tangled
Rapunzel is the first not-so-graceful princess, and the first to have a male lead on equal footing with her. I would argue that Tangled meets 6 of Frozen's 7 progressive points on at least some level.

Brave
Pixar makes a princess movie, and it's the first one that doesn't revolve around romantic love being the end-all-be-all for a girl.

Frozen
Possibly empowered by the success of each of the previous moves, Lasseter produces a "princess" movie with two strong female leads, that has romantic love as just a side plot, and tosses in a two-father family for good measure. I hope to see this as the new standard of movies marketed to girls.

[Del Murder]

I saw Frozen last week and I agree that it was very progressive for Disney. It was a great movie and something I hope my daughter one day loves because it has a lot of great values for a young girl. :ariel:

[maybee]

1. Portrays parental abuse in a way that's relatable to children.

The parents weren't abusive, they just did the wrong advice, a simple human thing. They loved their daughters, they weren't like Frollo or Mother Gothel at all.

[Shlup]

Their behavior was abusive, despite their good intentions. A lot of parental abuse is like that, hence this being relatable for children. Abusive parents aren't blatant villains very often.

[maybee]

From Tumblr * onemistakeatatime *

Her parents were just trying to keep both her and Anna safe. From how the people in the town reacted to Elsa’s powers, it makes sense as to why her parents shut the gates. They didn’t want their child to grow up surrounded by people who thought she was a monster. Not to mention they also died when Anna and Elsa became teenagers. I just think that if given the chance, they probably would’ve found a way to help Elsa


What was abuse from family was Hans and his older brother's, whom ignored him and treated like trout for two years straight, so he grew up to become a terrible person due to the sibling abuse.

[Shlup]

"Given the chance"? Teenager is pretty old. I'm sure they would've been happy to find a better solution, but keeping the girls isolated and teaching Elsa to hide and fear her powers is abusive. Are they bad parents? No. But the road to hell is paved with good intentions, as they say.

[Miriel]

You know, the whole time I was watching Frozen, I kept feeling like it was very Wicked-esque. I kept thinking, "This sounds so much like Wicked! Is this Idina Menzel? It sounds like Idina Menzel..." And it turns out it was Idina Menzel! And Elsa's Let it Go is basically Elphaba's Defying Gravity. Plus all the female duets going on in both. No wonder I loved Frozen cause I loved Wicked too. :)

[Vasher]

I... did not notice #5 at all. xD I am impressed.

Eh, #5 is bogus. In the sauna there is a young man (Oaken's brother or son, I believe it's his son because he's perceivably younger, but w/ a different nose, yet same colored hair), a young women (on his left) w/ brown hair and a towel up over her breasts, and three children (2 boys, one girl) that all have the same color hair as the young woman (who is obviously their mother).

I hadn't heard anything about this when my wife and I took our son and his lady friend to see it (when it first came out). When I saw that scene I had presumed that Oaken's wife had passed.

I don't see Disney putting something like that out there just yet.



On a side note; I didn't know anything about this movie before watching it. I had no idea what to expect. All I knew of it was the short preview with the snow man and the reindeer fighting over the carrot (nose). I haven't had a "surprise" like that since I watched "From Dusk Till Dawn" many years ago (I had no clue what that was about before seeing it, the vampire thing really caught me by surprise).

[Ayen]

Number 6 and 7 make me happy.

[Shlup]

Eh, #5 is bogus. In the sauna there is a young man (Oaken's brother or son, I believe it's his son because he's perceivably younger, but w/ a different nose, yet same colored hair), a young women (on his left) w/ brown hair and a towel up over her breasts, and three children (2 boys, one girl) that all have the same color hair as the young woman (who is obviously their mother).

http://s3.amazonaws.com/inarticles/b9e9acf4d35b3193fdc7af9e4d40fe20.gif

It looks like the two in front are young girls, there's a young boy in the back... Then there's a woman on the right of indeterminable age, and then... a random man, who's made the focal point in the arrangement. Obviously they weren't explicit, and I am really not the type of person who likes to make leaps to create the headcanon I like, but I think Oaken being gay is a really reasonable interpretation.

[Jinx]

I think if the older girl was supposed to be his wife, she'd be in the middle (like Shlup pointed out) and if the blonde man was his son, they'd have more than just one blonde child...

[Del Murder]

It could be anything. At the very least it's ambiguous. :sophia: