by Meg
Xie
In an
age where we are surrounded by storytelling, some of us enjoy the pleasure of
fascinating audiences, while some of us indulge in the great depths of
imagination. And who better to tell a magical, epic story, than Disney? Behold,
this great and powerful studio has charmed its audiences for decades—sweeping
us off to whimsical lands, meeting the acquaintance of quirky characters and
behind all of the animated fun, teaching us deep life lessons that we can only
grasp through animated Disney films.
If you have been up to date on this past year, you very
well may have adjusted to the Frozen
phenomenon. The newest addition to the animated Disney film has appealed to a youthful
audience as well as to grown adults. It is hard to imagine a day without encountering
a reference to the film, whether a specific line from a musical number or a
line from the script. But why the hype? It’s just another animated film from
Disney they say… just another title to be added to Disney’s long list of films!
Let’s take a closer peak…
Frozen is very
loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen's "The Ice Queen" and features
two leading characters, Elsa and Anna (voiced by Idina Menzel and Kristen
Bell), who are the two princesses in the kingdom of Arendelle. Elsa has the
power to turn everything into ice and create fearsome snow storms. She keeps
her power secret from Anna, but when it is revealed, she flees, leaving the
kingdom of Arendelle frozen and in grave danger. Anna then goes on a mission to
find Elsa in order to bring back warmth and a sense of normality to Arendelle.
Beyond the
plot itself, the film has resonated with so many of its fans. In Frozen, girls
who are raised to be perfect sisters—but are far from— and who struggle in
their relationships will resonate with those who have been deceived by people
they trust, those who have secrets or those who are misunderstood or rejected
for all the wrong reasons. Furthermore, Frozen
is the one of the few Disney animated films that explores the relationship
between two sisters, so of course anyone who is a sister or has a sibling is
going to see themselves in it. Finally, Disney shows girls with insecurities.
Because women are rarely represented in movies, audiences
were quickly intrigued by the idea. And it has benefited us all greatly. Frozen allowed sisters around the world
to have a conversation that they were unable to have before, because of a lack
of any context to it. Frozen has
helped siblings decode each other’s true feelings.
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| Kristen Bell, the voice of Anna in Disney's Frozen. photo courtesy of Magicland9/CC |
The song “Let It Go” is also a great representation of
insecurities and relationship struggles. It speaks of the common themes of
social rejection, chosen isolation, the damage caused by suppressed feelings, finding
self-acceptance, and of having uncontrollable emotions or an inner power which
is misunderstood. Ultimately the film was a great source of empowerment for
teens all over the world who feel the same way.
Elsa is born with her power, and she is taught to suppress
it. She learns from her parents that she is dangerous and likely to hurt
others, especially her sister Anna, who she loves. She has to hide away in her
locked room, stuff her feelings inside, and resist using her powers because of
these inaccurate beliefs about herself.
Her powers are a double-edged sword. They start as a force
for good, which she uses to make her sister happy and strengthen their sisterly
bond. But after one mistake, her talent turns into a dark thing, not because of
Elsa herself, but because of how the people around her view it. Ironically, it isn’t
her magic that hurst Anna. It is Elsa's self-imposed isolation that causes her
to believe she is dangerous. All Anna wants is the same love they once shared.
The door that separates them wounds them more sharply than the ice which is
easily healed. This pivotal conflict within the film speaks to the large
population of people who are living with anxiety, depression or any form of
mental illness. In fact, the film sheds a vulnerable light on Elsa, which gives
a holistic view to what those suffering with illnesses are genuinely dealing
with on a day to day basis.
So while Frozen
is a work of imagination from the Disney studio, it has also served as a form
of healing for many strained sibling relationships, illnesses and the ever so
infectious “growing pains” that teens find themselves wrapped up in.
As the commonly stated quote says, “dare to be different.”
Well, the creators of Frozen have
answered. Anna is clumsy and awkward, prince charming turns out to be Mr.
Not-so-charming, we learn to accept ourselves by letting it go, and nobody ends
up in a horse drawn carriage riding off into the sunset. So cheers to Frozen, for a change, and hopefully more
changes to come in the future.
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