Disney's Frog Prince

[spookyhandle]

So... Many years ago I scoffed at Disney's versions of fairy tales, and how they've ruined them by sanitizing them. Just a couple of years back when I really started making a study of fairy tales, however, I came to appreciate Disney's versions as legitimate permutations of the tales. I still think it's a complete travesty that most people grow

Comments

[elmo_iscariot]

My mom used to read me the Hans Christian Anderson version when I was little, and even though I haven't thought about it in a decade, and couldn't have told you the story...

...the king actually makes her sit the frog on the table next to her plate and share her meal with the frog. When daddy-dearest makes her take the frog to her room that night she puts the frog in a corner, unwilling to put the slimy thing in her nice clean sheets. The frog insists and the princess gets so angry that she picks him up and hurls him against the wall.Not only did this bring the plot rushing back to my forebrain, it brought back exactly the same gut-sickey feelings that the story caused in baby-Michael, which had obviously latched onto some disused part of my hindbrain, waiting for a chance to come out. Campbell was right on the money, he was

[spookyhandle]

My mom used to read me the Hans Christian Anderson version when I was little

I'm actually surprised to hear that there is a HCA version. One of my major issues with HCA is that, unlike the Brothers Grimm (which is where I got my version of The Frog Prince) and many other fairy tale folks, HCA didn't collect stories and write them down with, perhaps, a few changes. He made stories up. And while I'm not the sort of person who believes you can never have new fairy tales, HCA's stories generally had such a strong Christian morality built in that I personally find them sort of angering to read. Not to mention that they also (again, IMO) tend to go on for about twice as long as they ought to.

I sincerely doubt the Disney version will have the same primal depth or emotional resonanceI'm actually 100% with you here. When I say that I've grown to accept them as legitimate variations, I meant that I try now to look at them from the same perspective that I look at, for instance, Angela Carter's works. I don't love all of Carter's

[dolly_shot]

Ohhhh--Thanks for all the research guys. ;)

[spookyhandle]

I can rant to you about a few other fairy tales, if you'd like. It's sort of my specialty. ;)

[originalsnarf]

Is Disney even capable of "hip & edgy"? Really? They dumb down fairy tales, they alter historical facts for the sake of a story line, and they defend it all in the name of "entertainment" and making things "kid-friendly."

Interestingly enough, as much as I despise what Disney has done to classical literature, I've taken the bait and fallen into the trap. I have two volumes of Hans Christian Andersen and the Brothers Grimm with the original fairy tales here in the house... yet the only versions my daughters could recite to you are the dumbed-down Disney versions. Upon realizing this, I thought about reading the originals to them... only to find myself debating whether or not Naomi could handle the original tales. I think Riah would like the less-than-happy endings and enjoy the tales for themselves, but I'm honestly not sure Naomi would take it well at all.

Hmmm. I think this requires more thought.

[spookyhandle]

Is Disney even capable of "hip & edgy"? Really?
Probably not, but that doesn't mean they won't try. ;)

I think Riah would like the less-than-happy endings and enjoy the tales for themselves, but I'm honestly not sure Naomi would take it well at all.It's worth noting that for the most part these stories were originally concocted and told in a time when there really wasn't such a thing as "childhood." Once you were old enough to work, that's what you did. Popular theory says that most of these stories were told to pass the time while people were weaving or engaged in some other sort of work that did not preclude conversation

[originalsnarf]

...in a time when there really wasn't such a thing as "childhood."

Interesting thought spinoff. Maybe this is why I feel that Riah would cope with the tales better. Her "childhood" realistically ended at the age of 6, and her reality is dramatically altered and by necessity a bit more focused on mortality.

I completely understand and respect your choices for editing with an audience of children. You never really know what lifestyles and level of adult content (for lack of a better term) their parents have already exposed them to, or are comfortable with. Not getting paid because they found the presentation too adult would seriously suck.

[spookyhandle]

Maybe this is why I feel that Riah would cope with the tales better. Her "childhood" realistically ended at the age of 6

It hadn't occurred to me, but it makes a lot of sense that she'd be better equipped than most children to deal with adult themes and ideas--particularly those dealing with mortality.

Not getting paid because they found the presentation too adult would seriously suck.

Exactly. For my own sanity I try to choose stories that don't require too much "cleaning up," but there's only so many of those out there.

[invisible_ink_]

I have a lot more faith in this film than I did in Disney's last few "big" hand-drawn films, mostly because this is the first big hand-drawn project since John Lasseter became Chief Creative Officer at Disney. After what him and his colleagues have done at Pixar over the last 15 years, I have a feeling he will do many wonderful things for Disney.

[spookyhandle]

I didn't realize that. It makes sense, though. Previous hand-drawn Disney films would simply have rewritten the fairy tale, but left the basic structure in place. This is a departure from that, in that they're starting at the end of the story we "know" and talking about what happens afterward. It's the sort of twist I'd expect from Pixar, but not necessarily from the more classic Disney stuff. My fingers are crossed.

[shakti_lemaris]

"An idea which they may very well have stolen from Terry Pratchett's Witches Abroad."

Pratchett's ideas have been stolen before. Tim Burton's, "Igors," is what I'm thinking of.

[spookyhandle]

I don't think I've seen Burton's Igors. And the thing is, sometimes people have the same ideas individually. It's just not especially original when you're guy # 2 to put it out there for the world to see.