Group 2: The Classic Disney Narrative

CSCL 3115 Blog Entry:  The Classic Disney Narrative

Rachael Falade, Kirsten McIntyre, Lisa Hostetler

In class this semester we discussed some elements that comprised a traditional Hollywood narrative when making movies.  Our group wanted to see if the Disney Corporation had similar elements in their projects so that we could come up with a ‘Classic Disney Narrative.’  Our group tossed out themes that we thought were prevalent in many disney films and then researched films to see which themes we identified, if any, were present in films.  Because Disney’s catalogue of films is so extensive, we decided to narrow our research to animated films that had a theatrical release.  A total of 98 films were reviewed.  Most were full animation features but several combined both live action and animation.

The themes that we looked for in trying to come up with a classic narrative included:

• isolation/separation
• magic
• underdog
• love
• realization
• happily ever after

During the movie, characters are somehow separated from their loved ones, or are isolated from society.  The Beast only lives in his castle; Ariel leaves her home in the sea, Nemo has been separated from his father.  This theme could coincide with the classic Hollywood narrative of psychological causality; it helps suture in the audience (generally children) and keeps their interest in the movie as a major focus of the feature is to help the characters reunite.

Disney movies are well known for elements of magic, whether it is a magical creature, such as the sprites in Brave, or someone who wields magic such as Mickey in “Sorcerer’s Apprentice” in Fantasia or the witch in Beauty and the Beast.   This works toward the classic Hollywood narrative as it helps to add to the plot; good and/or bad magic helps to move the plot forward in time and keeps the storyline interesting.

There is typically a character that is somehow disadvantaged compared to others in that particular society.  For example, Aladdin is a “street rat” until he finds the Genie; Belle is seen as the weird bookworm; Elsa runs away after she freezes Arendelle.

Love can be found in some sort of form in Disney movies, however it is usually familial or romantic love.  For example, Nemo and his father love one another in Finding Nemo; the kitchen appliances have an attachment to their human owners in The Brave Little Toaster.

Most stories have a moment of realization or “epiphany,” and Disney movies are no different.  Sometimes the bad guys are revealed, someone is in danger (prince realizes he has to save the princess) or characters realize that they belong together (Pocahontas and John Smith falling in love). This coincides with the traditional Hollywood narrative as part of closure.

All most all of the Disney movies have a happily ever after ending.  The prince saves the princess and they go off into the sunset, the guy gets the girl, etc.   This also works with the classic Hollywood narrative as part of the closure portion of the narrative to help resolve all of the elements that had gone wrong in the plot.

Similar to Hollywood narrative that we discussed in class, Disney movies tend to move in a forward chronological order.  There are times when there is a memory that moves us back into the past for a brief time, but overall stories tend to start at one point in time and move forward to resolution.

So, a classic Disney narrative has the following elements, just as a classic Hollywood narrative:

• Psychological causality: typically in the form of isolation/separation
• Goal oriented plot: the story often involves form of magic or a disadvantaged character or a love theme to help move the story along
• Moves forward in time: Most Disney movies move forward in time, likely for ease of the audience (young children)
• Closure: typically a moment of realization, or a happily ever after ending