Tag Archive for: disney movies

Who’s the Baddest of Them All?

Cruella

I’m not sure anymore…Cruella, antiheroes, and the gospel

In light of the gospel, what do we do with the antihero trend in Hollywood? As the lines of good versus evil get muddied, should we be appalled, confused, or cheer them on?

 

The other day, I got roped into being a fill-in character during my youngest daughter’s pretend play session with the neighbor girl. Since the two 6-year-olds both decided to be mermaids and I was the only other living and breathing thing within earshot, I was cast as both the mermaid-killer and the mermaid-healer. I was both the bad guy and the good guy all in one.

 

First of all, can I just stop and ask the fellow parents out there, Why the inverse relationship between age and ability to engage in imaginative play? I wish I weren’t the norm here, but man is it hard! That aside, I was a mixture of confused and amused in managing these stark contrasts: just as quickly as I was able to muster up some intensely malicious motives for the bad guy, my six-year-old boss ladies had me switching hats to bring on the gentleness and goodness required of me for the rescue. Read more

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Raya and the Last Dragon Reminds Me of What I long For

Raya and the Last Dragon title

“How did this world get so broken?”

 

“It was paradise, but then…”

 

“We all became enemies.”

 

This is how the story begins. The narrator sets the scene. It sounds severely and sorely familiar.

 

I’m queued in. I know this story. The one where the people live harmoniously with their God, and the people live in peace with each other.

 

But it doesn’t last. There’s a disruption. There’s a force that is opposite—that is not. It is the antithesis to all of this peace and harmony, and this force, whatever it is, is set on destruction. The force, in this case called Read more

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What Disney’s Soul Taught Me About Satisfaction

Planning to finally sit down with your family and watch Disney’s Soul over Spring Break? It’s an intriguing new movie from Pixar Studios where end-of-life and after-life themes get wrapped up in a psychedelic-techno dream-like animated package suitable for a child. At least it’s supposed to be since it’s animated and it comes from Disney. But it doesn’t take long to realize there’s going to be some heavy stuff in this movie, interplaying with (as Disney so genius-ly does) a silly mix of antics from our main character, Joe Gardner, whose psyche and circumstance are so relatable to just about any adult-trying-to-adult and any child who loves talking cats. Yes…umm, you’ll just have to watch.

 

But even though there are forthright references to end-of-life scenarios that some kids might not be ready for and spiritual undertones from an amalgamation of world religions and belief systems, I still found a way to see the truth of my Christian faith alive and well in the heart of the message that Joe’s life and journey convey. And as usual, it came up in conversation with my kiddos. (Psst! Read more

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We Are Never Too Far

Nemo in a coral reef

Jesus Goes to Great Lengths to Find Us

 

“How deep the Father’s love for us,

How vast beyond all measure,

That he should give His only Son,

To make a wretch His treasure.”

-“How Deep the Father’s Love For Us” lyrics, Stuart Townend

 

Finding Nemo is one of my personal favs in the world of Disney. Not only is it a menagerie of God’s creation of aquatic life set off the coast of Oceana and a beautifully animated tale about a school of fish riding a magic school bus (insert an enthusiastic stingray in place of the red-headed, eccentrically dressed nut), but it’s a larger-than-life adventure of a clownfish in search of his lost son. Beneath the cuteness of the story is Read more

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In Times of Change

Leaves falling

“I’m Holding on Tight to You”

 

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

-Hebrews 13:8

 

Do you have a bear or stuffie that you sleep with every night? Chances are, that stuffie brings you a lot of comfort, doesn’t he? No matter what is going on in life, or whatever fear you may have, you know that your beloved stuffed turtle or unicorn or favorite fuzzy blanket is right there with you through all the hard things.

 

For my son, that special lovey is a little white, beanbag-stuffed bear. He used to be more fluffy, but Mr. Bear has been well-loved. Older than he once was, there’s a kind of cuteness in the way he slumps over, and we have to be Read more

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The World is Rooting for Queen Elsa

Why? Because she’s just like you and me

 

Ok, so my anger doesn’t literally crystallize into an icy blast, and I can’t turn a fjord into a giant ice skating rink with the force of my finger, but this I know is true:

 

“For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.” –Romans 7:19 NIV

 

In Disney’s 2013 record-breaking release of Frozen, we find a unique main character in Queen Elsa. Despite the fact that she could arguably be considered either the protagonist or the antagonist, it didn’t take long for Queen Elsa to join the esteemed canon of Disney princesses, an elite category of characters whose popularity transcends the era in which they were created. Elsa brings pain and suffering to many of the characters in the movie. Yet, we find ourselves liking her and wanting things to work out for her. Perhaps we know her story all too well: the trying to be good.

 

In her rebel anthem “Let It Go,” Elsa bellows out the “storm” that rages on inside her. It’s a storm that reminds me of the good and evil at war in us, the unanimated version of humanity. Oh, how I want Keep Reading

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Love Changes Everything

A FROZEN DEVOTIONAL FOR ADULT DISNEY LOVERS

 

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear.” -1 John 4:18

 

On this earth, there is no perfect love. No matter how great our earthly relationships, whether family or friends that God has placed in our lives, we have not experienced a love that is without its insecurities. Life is uncertain. Some know this reality all too well. Death, divorce, abuse, personal struggles with insecurity, and other hardships can make relationships seem all too, well…broken. Frozen’s Elsa is one who knows this truth well. In her musical duet with Anna, “For the First Time in Forever (Reprise),” where the sisters duo back and forth with increasing intensity, Elsa finally cries out, “There’s so much fear!”

 

Because of her childhood memory of accidentally hurting her sister with her icy powers, and her parents’ subsequent plan to keep her hidden away in her bedroom, Elsa has little faith or trust in love or relationships. She feels that she alone is responsible for keeping her personal world safe, and that she will do—by remaining in isolation from all people.

 

The movie depicts Elsa’s condition as having a “frozen heart.” She has learned through her circumstances to bury her feelings and remain coldhearted to the people all around her. She won’t let anyone in. It’s a depressing situation for Elsa and those closest to her.

 

All of this, Elsa admits, is motivated by Keep Reading

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Why Buzz and Woody’s Story is Our Story

 

On the first day of school this year, my son came home saying a boy on the bus told him there were two things he needed to do to be cool: 1) own a pair of Vans (a brand of shoes that were, mind you, brag-worthy in my day and have made a recent comeback) and 2) play a certain well-known video game. That’s it. That was this kid’s recipe for cool. Only problem was, Keep Reading

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21 Gospel Parallels from Disney’s The Lion King (2019)

I’m not sure how to say this out loud, but the original The Lion King was never one of my favorites growing up. Too sad. In fact, it was the first movie in which I cried while watching. So, whenever I look back on the movie, it’s the Read more

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