Yesterday I got thinking about Disney life lessons. Disney movies tend to be cheerful, easy to watch and entertaining- nothing big to think about here. Or is there? My little sister impressed me yesterday by telling me the lessons behind some of her favourite characters and stories. So here goes, Disney life lessons 101…
Have you seen Tangled? Released in 2010, this animated fantasy was a remake of the classic Rapunzel storyline, featuring a princess with beautiful long hair who dreams of leaving the tower that she is trapped in. Yep, you know the rest of the story. So what does the film tell us? Face your fears. You’ll never know if you can succeed unless you try. And if you fail? Change your dream, confident that you gave this one your best shot. You’ll have no regrets that way, and you can’t go far wrong. This is probably one of the Disney life lessons that I need to remember more!
This is another life lesson that everybody will recognize, but that it’s easy to forget during everyday life. Snow White is one of the original Disney films, a classic that everyone has seen, so it’s only fitting that it has a classic message too. The film found a great way to show that being the prettiest in the land means nothing if you have a mean heart and an ugly spirit, and that being kind is much better than being pretty. It can be easy to get hung up on what you look like, but if your heart is pure, you’ll be radiating beauty. Definitely something I’d like my kid sister to take on board.
I don’t know about you, but Up had me in tears the first time I watched it. Poor old Carl looks so lost after losing Ellie, and spends the rest of his life pursuing the adventure that they never got to have, along with a hilarious cast of characters. Through the film, Carl slowly realizes that his relationship with Ellie was the real adventure. It’s all too easy to focus on the destination, but the journey is important too. Try to enjoy every moment of it.
I have a lot more in common with Toy Story’s Woody than I’d like to admit. He’s a chronic worrier too, and spends most of the film worrying about the future or thinking about the past. It takes some shock twists for him to realize that things are always changing, and it’s better to enjoy the present than to worry about what’s coming next. Since when did worrying help, anyway?!
At the moment, my little sister can’t yet imagine a time when she’ll feel too old to have the time of her life at the park, so you can probably guess that she’s not a teenager yet! As you get older, it’s easy to lose that sense of fun and adventure in all the stress that maturity brings. That’s why we should all take a cue from Peter Pan, and keep hold of a little of our childhood selves. Enjoy your youth, whatever age you are. Run around the park, jump in puddles, play laser tag. Anything that makes you smile!
I LOVE Boo. The little cutie made Monsters Inc. a must-see film, and it wasn’t just a cute film about scary monsters. It carried the important message that you should never judge a book by its cover, and always give everyone a chance. Judging on appearances will forever let you down, because it’s whats inside that truly matters. Sulley and Mike may have been a pretty scary pair (and I definitely wouldn’t want to find them in my bedroom at night!) but the three made a really cute family for a while.
Another one of my absolute favorite films – and one of the best Disney life lessons, too. Belle could have settled with the handsome Gaston, whom everyone thought she should marry, and perhaps she would have had a perfectly acceptable life. If she had, though, she’d have missed out on her true love. It’s all too easy to start seeing couples everywhere, thinking about kids, or putting pressure on yourself to find a partner. Don’t rush, and absolutely do not settle. The person of your dreams is out there, but you have to wait for them. You can’t force it with somebody else, and you can’t rush it. Just like Phil Collins said, “You can’t hurry love, no you’ll just have to wait.”
It’s strangely uplifting working out the Disney life lessons in all those amazing films – and it’s a brilliant excuse to dig them out for another watch! Have you spotted a great life lesson in a film? I’d love to hear about it!