For most of us born during the peak of Disney’s most famous animated releases, the thought of these classic movies brings back nothing but good childhood memories. It is no surprise then that we make such a big deal about the new live-action Disney dramas. But is there a deeper reason why today we, as adults, are still drawn to these movies? Did we just want something bigger and better, as found in the new computer-generated films? Or is it simply the stories, themselves, that transcend age-barriers and relate to every period of our lives?
I think we, as millennials, love these movies because our imaginations come to life while touching us on a different level. We all knew the stories and loved them, but now they have come to life. We see and feel the emotions differently than we did before because the characters are more relatable.
As a little girl, I especially loved the animated classics “Cinderella” and “Beauty and the Beast.” But there was something exciting about the new, live action versions of these films. As a child I remember imagining what it would be like to be in those stories with real people, and how the story could come to life. watching I found that my childhood right before my eyes.
When you think about these Disney movies, we all get excited. So much so, that Disney as decided to recreate roughly 20 of its animated films in upcoming years. I think a big part of this excitement comes from advancing technologies and what we (and younger generations) have become used to. How many of us choose animated movies over live-action these days? Not many. With new technological development within the film industry, Disney is able to capture the attention of more than one age division.
But, even with advancing technologies, Disney’s animated films will always have a special place in our hearts. These movies, animated or live-action, will forever continue to reach people of all ages. I think a big part of this would be that Disney movies are so relatable.
Disney has a way of wrapping fairy tales and magic around real life, character issues that each of us deal with at one point or another. “I think the themes of Disney films speak to the human experience,” sophomore, psychology major, Sarah Ashley Bryant said. “Disney films portray what it’s like to be stuck in the past (Meet the Robinson’s), what feelings of shame and guilt can do to an individual (The Lion King), and what true love really is (Frozen), just to name a few. These are all ideas that reflect life in its entirety, rather than simply childhood. Everyone no matter their homeland, social status, or age can relate to these themes that Disney presents in its movies, it’s impossible to truly ‘outgrow’ them.”
Along with their relatability, I think another key factor is the memories they draw out. For most people, myself included, we see these movies as a flashback to our childhood.
“These movies are a blast from the past and bring us back to our childhood,” said McKenna Stephans, sophomore mass communications major. “They get us to think about our days as a child and what our favorite movies were.”
For those of us in college, as we worry about our future and being adults, these movies remind us of simpler times. They help us both escape the real world and yet still see the beauty in it, as well. In the end, they keep us in touch with our old dreams of that happily ever after and help us find joy and magic in the mundaneness of our every day lives.
By: Tiffany Lee, Staff writer
