To Not Be Afraid: Sing

    Singing. Sometimes to sing is to bring ourselves joy as we use it express ourselves. Voices come from all walks of life, and in the 2016 movie Sing, voices come from all kinds of species. Sing may not be as popular as Disney's Zootopia, but it still has a message that is just as good.

      Once upon a time, a Koala named Buster Moon fell in love with the theater when he was a child. With the help of his father, Moon opened the Moon Theater years later. 
       Mr. Moon has put on many shows in the Moon Theater, but none of them have been successful. Now in an effort to save the theater from being foreclosed on by the bank, Moon decides to hold a singing contest with a grand prize of 1,000 dollars. But a mistake occurs, and the flyers Moon sends out advertise a prize of 100,000 dollars!
        Now the auditions are over, and Mr. Moon has selected the performers: A teenage Gorilla named Johnny, a young porcupine called Ash, housewife sow Rosita, a dancing pig named Gunter, and a narcissistic mouse known as Mike. But there is also another. A very young elephant named Meena wants to be in the show, but she is prone to severe stage fright. Moon has given her a job backstage, but there still may be a second chance for Meena to be in the show. Will Moon be able to save his theater, and will all our characters get their time to sing? (Spoilers Ahead..)

      Why Sing is different from Zootopia: The society depicted in Sing more resembles that of human society. The inhabitants of Zootopia are more separated. Zootopia has specific living spaces for specific animals, such as Tundra Town, Sahara Square, and the Rain forest District. Although citizens are not required to take residence in these places, there is still the social clash between prey and predator, similar to the racial conflict in our world today. Considering these kind of details, it might seem that Sing is flawed because it doesn't address these issues, and makes us wonder about things in Sing that are shown in Zootopia, such as how their food chain works. But Zootopia is a film about social unfairness, and Sing is not. (Not to mention that Sing includes sea animals while Zootopia doesn't.)

      Each of the performers in Sing has something that prevents them from singing to the world. Some are underestimated, some are blocked by the expectations of others, and some are simply afraid.  When Meena's turn comes to sing, Moon reassures her that she won't feel afraid once she starts singing. This is one of the best parts of the movie. At the microphone, Meena looks back nervously at Mr. Moon. He says only one word to her: Sing. There is no simpler way to encourage someone who loves to sing; no matter what it is that wants to stop them. Just as the use of speech is important, so is the use of song and performing when it comes to showing the world who you are, how you feel, and what you love. If everyone could have the courage of Meena and encouragement from those like Buster Moon, it would change the world.

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I Hears Your Lonely Heart: The BFG

    From the guy that brought you the Trunchbull and a chocolate factory: Roald Dahl's The BFG, or, The Big Friendly Giant. Not as popular or well known as James and the Giant Peach or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but still a classic in its own way. Published in the early 1980's, (around the same time frame as Matilda and The Witches), The BFG was quick to be brought to the screen with an animated version in 1989, less than a decade after publication. However, Roald Dahl's other works were adapted into live action films. This didn't happen to The BFG until the summer of 2016, under the direction of Steven Spielberg. (Possible Spoilers Ahead!)

     Once upon a time, in a London orphanage, a little girl named Sophie wandered the halls

late at night. She is often the only one left awake. When the sun goes down, Sophie and the other girls expect the so-called "Witching Hour," to arrive. This is said to be the time when "the boogey man comes out," and people disappear. They all have different opinions about when the Witching Hour arrives, but one thing is certain: Never get out of bed. Never go to the window. Never look behind the curtain.
     One night, Sophie hears a noise from outside. Knowingly, Sophie gets out of bed, goes to the window and looks behind the curtain. At first she sees nothing but a fallen trash can and a couple of stray cats. But then she see a giant hand reach out to pick up the trash can. Along with the hand comes a giant figure. Sophie is shocked, and the figure sees her. Sophie tries to hide back in bed, but the figure reaches in through the window and takes her. 

     Before she knows it, Sophie has traveled with the giant stranger to Giant Country and is now in the home of said giant. This particular giant is much shorter than the other giants who bully him, and does not eat humans like they do. Rather, he collects dreams and then brings them to the human world. He being a "big friendly giant," Sophie makes friends with him and nicknames him, BFG. With the help of dreams and each other, will Sophie and the BFG find a way to get rid of the other giants, or is Sophie going to be someone's next meal?

       Modern film audiences want quality. Perfect color,  perfect sound, no static, and now perfect CGI. And they expect nothing less from most film makers. The BFG is not a film to be criticized due to quality. Visually and auditorily, The BFG does not lack. Our friend the BFG and Fleshlumpeater and his gang look entertainingly real, and the film makers combine our CGI characters with the real world perfectly. The sights and sounds of the film are colorful and enchanting, making the perfect family film.

    When watching the film, you notice that The BFG puts emphasis on the whole concept of loneliness. Before they met, loneliness had a strong presence in both the lives of BFG and Sophie. The BFG is absolutely nothing like the giants that surround him, not to mention that they treat him terribly. Sophie is her own person and probably doesn't fit in with the other girls at the orphanage. We know that almost no child is going to be happy in an orphanage, especially one where, (as Sophie tells the BFG), they lock you in a cellar full of rats as punishment. But that shouldn't dismiss other possible reasons as to why Sophie herself is lonely. We need to focus on Sophie specifically and her relationship with the BFG. 
       Apart from being non-cannibalistic and a dream catcher, the BFG also possesses a very special sense of hearing. Never mind where this ability came from, but the BFG tells us that he can hear "spiders spin and ants speak." He hears far off music and the meaning behind each dream that he finds. But most importantly, BFG was able to hear Sophie's "lonely heart, in all the secret whisperings of the world." The BFG lives a lonely life, and Sophie was a much needed friend after the fact that a little boy who once lived with the BFG was taken and eaten by the other giants. BFG doesn't want to lose another friend. Sophie is the one that motivates the BFG to stand up to the other giants. In return, Sophie's loneliness is also eased. She knows that she can talk to the BFG wherever she is and that he will hear her, because the BFG hears all the secret whisperings of the world.

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From the Guy that Brought You Totoro and Yubaba: Howl's Moving Castle

     In 2004, another creation of Hayao Mayazaki was released to the public: Howl's Moving Castle, based on the book by Diana Wynne Jones, which was published in 1986.

     Once upon a time, a young woman named Sophie was working diligently in her late father's hat shop. Sophie is very reserved, but she is dedicated, zealous, and caring. She lives a quiet and unexciting life. But now that she's met a young wizard named Howl, her life will change forever. Jealous of Sophie's interaction with Howl, the Witch of the Waste visits the hat shop and places a curse on her, instantly turning Sophie into an old woman. She can't hide what's happened for long, so Sophie leaves her home and stumbles upon Howl's magic castle. It's a walking house with legs, and she enters, becoming Howl's "cleaning lady," while calling herself Grandma Sophie. With a war going on in Sophie's country, Howl and his many aliases have been ordered to the palace to give aid in the war. With the help of the burning fire called Calcifer, Howl's apprentice named Markl, and the scarecrow nicknamed "Turnip Head," will Sophie be able to break the curse she's under as well as help Howl find his heart, or are they both headed for an unhappy fate?

     The thing about anime films is that they sometimes come across as art more than other forms of animation. After all, anime is an art form from Japan, even before film was invented. 
     In Howl's Moving Castle, Hayao Miyazaki demonstrates a creative use of color. Most of our settings in the film are very colorful: The Royal city, Sophie's hometown, the meadow that Howl gives to Sophie. The one thing that is not colorful is Howl's castle. Inside and out, the castle tends to look dark and gray, except for Howl's bedroom. Even Markl contrasts the look of the castle. As for Howl's bedroom, it looks a little bit like a gypsy's office. The rest of the castle doesn't look like that, thus making Howl all the more mysterious. A nearly colorless castle doesn't add to Howl's true self, it hides it. Those who have watched the film know that is takes a while for Sophie to make sense of why Howl is the way he is, and the difference between the general surroundings of Howl's castle and his personal quarters, (and even his hair color), makes the audience want to know more about Howl himself. 

     Howl's Moving Castle is a love story as well as a story about overcoming fear and insecurities. Sophie tends to believe that she isn't beautiful: "...even though I'm not pretty and all I'm good at is cleaning," she says to Howl at one point. Throughout the film, Sophie says other things like this to reflect her lack of physical self-worth 
    Howl also struggles with self-worth. At one moment of the film when Howl was in despair he said that, "I see no point in living if I can't be beautiful." Not only that, but Howl does not want to face things. "I'm such a big coward, all I do is hide. All of this magic is to keep everybody away. I can't stand how scared I am," he confides in Sophie. 
    But Howl and Sophie manage to help change each other. Sophie's own bravery and determination teaches Howl how to be brave, and her love for Howl also motivates him to be selfless. As his love for Sophie grows, Howl chooses to face danger rather than run from it in order to protect her. In turn, Howl's love, as well as all the things that she has to go through for Howl, helps Sophie to see her own beauty and grow her confidence. In the end, Howl and Sophie have brought each other to a better happiness.

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Miyazaki's Masterpeice: Spirited Away

    I was looking into anime films by Hayao Miyazaki, and the most popular one by far seemed to be Spirited Away.  This 2001 film by Studio Ghibli and Disney won academy awards and has been called "Miyazaki's masterpiece," for its beautiful art and meaning. But what is the meaning that Miyazaki has to offer in this film?

     Once upon a time, a ten year old girl by the name of Chihiro was moving to a new home with her parents. On the way they stumble onto an abandoned village, which they think to be an empty amusement park. When they find a table with delicious food, Chihiro's parents decide to dig in, but Chihiro refuses. While exploring the park, Chihiro runs into a bath house and a young boy who tells her that she needs to leave immediately. Chihiro tries to escape from the park, only to find that she is now trapped in a world of spirits and her parents turned into pigs. Now her only option is to stay there until she finds a way to help them. With the help of the young boy named Haku, Kamaji the boiler man, and a young woman named Lin, Chihiro manages to get a job in the bathhouse, owned by the witch Yubaba. Now under a contract with Yubaba, Chihiro's name has been taken and she is now to called Sen. Will Chihiro be able find her way in a world of spirits and remember her true name as well as help Haku remember his? Or is she going to spend eternity as a worker in the bathhouse?

     One of the many good things I've heard about Spirited Away is that "the storyline is intriguing and abstract." After seeing the film and receiving input, I have found this to be indeed true. That being said, there were still things that I didn't understand. Why did No Face go crazy in the bathhouse? Why do some the spirits like Haku look human? One thing that I heard is that it helps if you understand the Japanese culture. I would love FRIENDLY opinions and input about this film so be sure to leave them in the comments!

     

Before a Bath

After a Bath

     Spirited Away is mostly about Chihiro, but there is more to the story than meets the eye. It's true to life because it shows how some relationships are between the employee and the employer, and it also tells us to be kind to nature. It made wonderful sense when it was pointed out to me that the river spirit covered in mud represents this. When the spirit comes to take a bath, it's up to Sen and the rest of the workers to pull tons of junk out of the spirit, restoring his true and more powerful self.
   While Chihiro is at the bathhouse she has to call herself Sen while remembering that her name is Chihiro at the same time. She needs to remember other things about herself too, such as her normal clothes, and the goodbye card that was given to her by her best friend. Spirited Away teaches us about the value of identity. You never know when you're going to be in a time or place when the fact of who you is going to be challenged.
    Memory is also a big part of it. Besides herself, Chihiro has to remember which of all the pigs in the pig pen are her parents. All pigs look alike don't they? But Chihiro has been told to remember things about her parents and Haku to help recognize them. The witch Zeniba tells Chihiro that, "Once you've met someone you never really forget them. It just takes a while for your memories to return." 

   John Lasseter tells us that Chihiro "grows tremendously," as a person throughout the film, and she most definitely does. When we first meet Chihiro, she's a little bit whiny and grumpy. We can't blame her of course, because it's hard moving to a new place. But she does tend to have an impatient, and apathetic attitude. But at the end of the movie she is more pleasant.
     Once the film starts, it's not long before we come to the point of Chihiro working in the bathhouse. As far as film time goes, she is thrown into her situation rather quickly, and she was not all prepared to face a witch and a bathhouse full of spirits. At this time we could choose to either criticize the pacing of the film or look at it some other way. When you think about it, bravery was something that Chihiro needed to have from the very beginning. So where did she get the courage she needed if there was little to no preparation prior to her journey? She already had it. Chihiro had to summon up all the courage that was already inside of her. The journey Chihiro goes on in Spirited Away was an opportunity for her to use the abilities and potential she didn't know she had. By the time her adventure is over, Chihiro knows that if she can take on the many dangers of being a human in the spirit world, she can certainly be able to manage a new home and a new school.

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Where One Does Not Want To Go: In the Heart of the Sea

    Before the light bulb and kerosene, our cities relied on oil. All types of oil, including that of whales. The whaling business was huge. Each ship was expected to bring back many barrels of oil. The job was long and risky. Kill sperm whales, take them apart, and extract their oil and other useful parts. And be prepared if the whales retaliate. Based on the true story of the American whaling ship called the Essex, In the Heart of the Sea was released in 2015 and was directed by Ron Howard. What many don't know is that the story of the Essex is what inspired Herman Melville to write that classic novel, Moby Dick. 

Left to Right: Owen Chase, Captain George Pollard

     Once upon a time, in 1819, the Essex set sail from Nantucket, Massachusetts. The ship is captained by George Pollard, along with his first mate Owen Chase. Together they have a decent crew, including cabin boy Tom Nickerson. At first George and Chase don't get along, but soon bigger problems arise. One day, the Essex is attacked. The attacker is the biggest sperm whale the crew has ever seen. The whale succeeds in its aggression, and the Essex is destroyed. Forced to abandon ship, Captain Pollard, Owen Chase, and the rest of the crew are stranded in the ocean with a few small boats and little means of living. Is there any hope of rescue? Will Owen return home to his wife and child with the rest of the crew, or has Moby Dick gotten the better of man?

    The tragedy of the Essex is the story of men. And a Demon." Is it? Or is it really a story about what happens when you oppress someone for too long? In the 19th century, the whaling industry was dangerous and bloody. This goes for both the humans and the whales! In order to kill the whale, the harpoon was usually aimed at the whale's heart or lungs. Once it was struck, the whale would endure pain and struggle to breath as it drowned in its own blood. The whalers would witness this as well as the whale spouting blood through its blowhole with each breath! Regardless of whether or not the whales were intelligent enough to be angry about this, one thing can be said: The whale that brought down the Essex was probably
fighting back.
  
     The story of the Essex is about Courage. Courage to do what is necessary to survive, courage to do what is necessary for a clear conscience, and the "courage to go where one does not want to go." Throughout In the Heart of the Sea, bravery is extremely vital to our main characters. Though they each have to summon up their courage in their own way, the crew of the Essex had a common goal: To survive.
   In the film Herman Melville asks: "How does a man come to know the unknowable?" As the film shows us, some men come to know the unknowable the way the crew of the Essex did through their ordeal. Melville tells us that the demand for whale oil "has pushed man to venture further and further into the deep blue unknown." To venture out where one has not gone before, in and of itself, takes courage, no matter how much reluctance one may have.

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Someone Worth Saving: Moana

    Go back some years, and you find your ancestors. Your heritage. A  piece of what makes you you. In Disney's Moana, our heroes did just that. Moana is a wonderful film, rich in Polynesian and Hawaiian culture. If you look at the film from different angles such as the mentioned value of ancestry, you'll get more out of Moana than just a story about a particular group of people who love their island as well as the sea.

     Once upon a time, the young and beautiful daughter of Chief Tui, named Moana, is growing up and preparing to lead her people who all live on the beautiful island which they call Motunui. Although she loves her home and her people, Moana has been attracted to the ocean since she was little. Her father does not approve of this purely out of concern for her safety and because of his past experiences with the ocean. But something dark has arrived at Motunui. Coconut trees are ill, fish are disappearing from the lagoon, and no one knows why. No one except for Grandma Tala. When Moana was a toddler, Grandma Tala told her and other children the story of how the great demigod Maui stole the life giving heart of Te Fiti, the mother island. Now Moana knows what she must do: The ocean has chosen her to find Maui and journey with him across the sea to restore the heart of Te Fiti. They will have to face many dangers, including Te Ka, the demon of earth and fire! Will she succeed, or will her island of Motunui and its people be lost to darkness?

   Moana has a little bit of historical information. The movie shows that long ago, the people of the Pacific sailed from place to place and all across the ocean on their canoes. Moana didn't know this about her own ancestry, and it helps explain why she's drawn to the sea and wants to sail. Your ancestors are a reason for who you are and where you are now. It's undeniably amazing to go back and learn about the people that you are related to who lived in different times. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, ancestry is very important because if you can find the names of your ancestors, you can do special work for them that they couldn't do when they were alive. When you do that, you appreciate your ethnic background more, and you become closer to all your extended family who have been passed away for a long time, and they will be very grateful to you. 

    Though it would have been more interesting if they had filmed a flashback of Maui's sad past, there's still a lot to look at. (SPOILER alert!) Maui was abandoned as an infant, but the gods found him and gave him his magical fish hook, helping him to become the great demigod he is known to be. Of course, Maui still has feelings, and his past still hurts him to to think about. But Moana comforts him by telling him that, "Maybe the gods saw someone worth saving." The gods saw someone special, and that was before he was big and strong and was wielding a great hook. They could've chosen anyone to be a demigod, but they chose Maui, just like how the ocean chose Moana.
     Both Maui and Moana have to look at their past to recognize their current selves. Moana learns about her heritage, and Maui accepts how his life began. They do it together, making Maui and Moana one of the most heartfelt and beautiful friendships in Disney. Yet even now, the knowledge of the many previous people from which you have come is worth saving. Even more so is the beauty of your true self, which many people need to be reminded of. Even Te Ka!  

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The Impossible Child: Heidi

    So far ETF has never looked one of Hollywood's most beloved child actors: Shirley Temple. America and Hollywood's little darling of the 1930's, Shirley Temple is most remembered for her golden curls and "Animal Crackers In My Soup." She did a good number of films throughout her childhood, and was even considered for the role of Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, which would instead star Judy Garland. But that's ok, because Shirley had many other stories to be a part of. In October of 1937, when Shirley was 9, Heidi was released.

     

   
   Once upon a time, a little Swiss orphan by the name of Heidi is brought to her grandfather by her Aunt Dete. Her grandfather, Adolph Kramer, is said to be a harsh old hermit, "feared by everyone." But Heidi, funny and sweet, finds her way into his heart. For a time, grandfather and granddaughter are happy together. But one day, Aunt Dete returns and takes Heidi without Kramer's knowledge AND consent. Before Heidi knows it, she's taken to Franfurt and into the wealthy home of Herr Sesemann to serve as a friend and companion for his disabled child, Klara. Will Adolph Kramer find his granddaughter in time before the evil Fraulein Rottenmeier tries to get rid of her? Or will it be too late? 
 
      As a child, Shirley Temple seemed to give off an aura of endless cheer. Because of that, Heidi does the same thing. It's very to charming for us to see in the film that even the grumpiness of her grandfather does not bring her down, which is could be why her grandfather comes to love her so much. This is also a reason why Heidi doesn't need to be a particularly epic film. It's just an amusing, simple, and fun story.  

   When Heidi first comes to the Sesemann home, Fraulein Rottenmeier, Herr Sesemann's housekeeper and Klara's caregiver, doesn't like her, and tells Aunt Dete to "Take that impossible child back!" Dete refuses of course. 
   What Fraulein Rottenmeier may fail to see is that Heidi is not an impossible child at all. So many things in the film that the characters thought impossible became possible with Heidi. (SPOILER alert!) Heidi learns to read when her friend Peter said she'd never be able to, she reunites with her grandfather when some, including Heidi herself, thought she'd never see him again, and she helps Klara to walk under the wonderfully childish logic that, if Heidi could read if she wanted to, then Klara could walk if she wanted to. When Heidi says that the butler, Andrews, looks like a king, he says to her,"Ah, little Fraulein, if only the rest of the world could see through your eyes." And not just Heidi's eyes, but the eyes of a child. As Master Yoda from Star Wars said, "Truly wonderful, the mind of a child is." This of course, includes the lovely mind of Shirley Temple. 

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Full of Fun: Darby O'Gill and the Little People

    Disney has never done much for Saint Paddy's Day, but they didn't do nothing. A film that goes under this category is The Gnome Mobile, but even more so is Darby O'Gill and the Little People. Released in 1959, Darby O'Gill is one of those obscure but actually quite enjoyable Disney Films.

      Once upon a time, an old man named Darby O'Gill, in the Irish town of Rathcullen, is spending his time at the local pub drinking and telling stories of his dealings with King Brian, ruler of the Leprechauns, who lives on the nearby hill of Knocknasheega. With his daughter, Katie, Darby is the caretaker of Lord Fitzpatrick's property. But now Fitzpatrick has brought someone to take his place: Mr. Michael McBride, a handsome young man from Dublin. As for Darby and Katie, Lord Fitzpatrick has given them a cottage to move into, even though Darby knows he and Katie won't want to leave the home they already have.
    Meanwhile, Darby O'Gill and the King of the Leprechauns are constantly trying to outwit each other, being what you might call, "frenemies." But now that Michael is here and Darby has been replaced, they will attempt to make Katie and Michael fall in love so that they won't have to leave the property. But Darby has yet to tell Katie that he's been replaced, and Pony Sugrue, a mean but handsome man of Rathcullen, wants not only Darby's job, but Katie as well. Will Darby tell his daughter the truth and succeed in making her fall in love, or has the time come for him to say goodbye to King Brian and the Little People?

  Darby O'Gill and the Little People is honestly a perfect film to watch on St. Patrick's Day. It is also perfect for giving audiences a small taste of Irish culture and folklore. Most people knew that the Irish love to drink, and many know of their legendary figures. The movie is not so much about the little people but mostly focuses on little King Brian. Darby tricks him into granting wishes, and Brian manages to trick Darby a few times as well. But dark times arrive in the film, and that's when they face the Banshee. The Banshee is the Irish messenger of death. If you hear the Banshee loudly wailing, it means that someone is about to meet their doom.
     King Brian brings us and Darby into a world of pretend. Leprechauns, Banshees, Knocknasheega. Such films help the imagination to wake up and bloom in anyone. Audiences may find it wonderful for Walt Disney to encourage make-believe when in the opening of the film, an acknowledgment from him appears saying, "My thanks to King Brian of Knocknasheega, whose gracious co-operation made this picture possible."

       Whatever the reason for its obscurity, Darby O'Gill and the Little People is still a marvelous film for multiple reasons: The film is not without magic, song, and dance, and it uses a more elderly person for the protagonist. Even better is that our protagonist is smart and quite funny. What better Disney film could we watch on St. Patrick's day? Even if it doesn't actually have anything to do with St. Patrick himself, Darby O'Gill and the Little People is not a film that should be ignored when you want an Irish Disney movie on an Irish holiday. (Not to mention that there is the handsome sight of a young Sean Connery.) 

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