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Movie Review: The Princess & The Frog

And ‘this’ is what we waited for?

Contributor

Published: Monday, December 21, 2009

Updated: Monday, December 21, 2009

According to TV Guide, Disney's "The Princess & the Frog" topped the box office last weekend earning 25 million dollars – the highest grossing start ever for an animated movie. This is not surprising when you consider how long we’ve had to wait for an African-American Disney Princess.

I too contributed to the movie's success when I went to see it debut with my 5-year-old niece. Even though I was excited about the historical moment, I couldn't help but have pre-reservations on what I soon witnessed; reservations stemming from the fact that Disney made a princess of every ethnic background except for an African or African-American throughout the series.

As a child, I always wondered where the princess was that looked like me. I even wondered where the people were in the Lion King. I knew that Africa consisted of humans and heard their voices singing, but never saw anyone throughout the entire movie. This exemplifies the historical racism, insensitivity and total disregard of an entire ethnic group of people from Disney.

Having this knowledge caused me to approach this movie with a critical eye, and now that my niece is at the "Disney princess" age, I want her to be able to witness one that she can admire and relate to, but at a standard identical to previous princesses.

Disney producers were receiving complaints about their lack of sensitivity in this matter, and I couldn't help but wonder if this production was forced, and if so, how were they going to portray this princess, for the sake of African-American girls everywhere?

The movie was set in New Orleans, Louisiana, seemingly chosen for its rich culture, but also known for its negative stereotypical portrayals of African-Americans. The princess was a girl named Tiana who aspired to own her own restaurant. Tiana was poor, but very hard working, and had a Caucasian best friend who came from a very wealthy background. An arrogant prince of African decent comes to town (due to being kicked out of his home for having too much "fun") to find a princess with money, and is automatically set up with the Caucasian friend, due to her wealthy father being the "King of the Mardi-Gras."

A Louisiana voodoo witch doctor (who was surrounded with African drums, music, masks and spirits) turns the prince into a frog, and tells him that the only way he'll turn back to being a human again is to kiss a princess. The frog finds his way to Tiana's room assuming that she is a princess seeing that she is wearing a gown (that was borrowed for an event).

Tiana talks to him and is convinced to kiss him, but she instead turns into a frog which reveals to the prince that she is not a princess. He doesn't want her when she tells him that she is a poor waitress, and they are both forced to spend time with one another in a journey to attempt to turn human again. They befriend a toothless firefly and a fat crocodile who are both comical with horrible grammar.

It was comical, but stereotypical personification nonetheless. They all sing and grow fond of one another and make their way to see yet another witch doctor, an overweight "mama" who lives in a boat within a tree in the deep swamps of Louisiana who gives them "wisdom". Afterwards, the spell is broken when the princess has an encounter with the original witch doctor, and the prince and Tiana then get married as frogs. They turn to humans again, Tiana opens her restaurant, and has a happily ever after ending with her prince.

If I recall correctly, the typical Disney princess story requires a prince to sincerely pursue his princess, arrogance and selfishness aren't the typical characteristics of a "prince" (negative stereotype of young black men?), and there are no instances where the princess spends the majority of her time as an amphibian.

Although there is a portrayal of hard workers within the movie, it still lacked class, true romance, and portrayed black culture as poor, uneducated, and full of witchcraft. We are a multicultural ethnic group, and it still seems to me that what is presented to the public is stereotypically filtered through white eyes.

My grade for "The Princess and the Frog" lands at C+.

 

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3 comments Log in to Comment

Courtney Anderson
Thu Dec 24 2009 06:13
Angelique Page (first commenter), thank you!!! I totally agree. Kudos! Your response was well said!

I believe that critiques of this movie that focus on the appearance of the characters lose sight of the message of the movie. For many of the reasons you pointed out, this was the best Disney movie I've ever seen. Tiana is not sitting around waiting for magic to happen, she's dedicated to the hardwork of pursuing her dreams. At the same time, this film sends a message to us as black females, who often work so hard to achieve our dreams that we miss out on other things life has to offer. Sorry we couldn't hear it from people who look like us, but don't let that stop you from appreciating it.

As far as the "stereotyping", it was dealt evenly. The firefly was probably white, the hunters were the Cajun equivalent of the three stooges, and the best friend was a spoiled brat. You may have to understand a little bit more about Louisiana to understand that. The first commenter, Angelique, was also spot-on with the point about religion.

With this movie, you have to take Mama Odie's advice and "Dig a Little Deeper". I left this movie proud that Disney's most relevant fairytale so far was ours!!

The only flaw for me was that the soundtrack could have been richer, considering the movie was set in New Orleans. Love the Ne-Yo song, though.

Angela Allen
Mon Dec 21 2009 18:40
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, so we can agree to disagree. Some may feel that we should just be content with the fact that we finally have a black princess, and that people with opinions similar to mine are "reading too much" into the movie in regards to race, but my observations force me to be critical of it. I do appreciate Disney for their long overdue effort, but I had to express my disappointment at the finished product.

There are too many young black girls (and boys) with low self esteem to ignore and not to demand that this issue be properly addressed. There was far too much voodoo and demonic activity in the film appropiriate for young children, and it is simply not the right representation of African American culture. As I stated in my critique, yes the princess is very hardworking coming from a hardworking family, but forcefully so due to other circumstances, which exemplifies the fact that she didn't come from a wealthy background. Comfortable maybe, but nowhere near grande. There is a difference between a regional accent and horrible grammar, and horrible grammar is simply what I observed. From my understanding, the prince was a black Eastern European, who lacked an element of pursuit that is seen within previous Disney movies (and yes, I have seen them all.) If I am mistaken about his ethnic origin, that only adds too my disappointment. Why not have a black prince? Why have a "princess" spend the majority of the movie as a frog?

Some people argue that we are currently living in a post racial nation; yet I would argue that progress continues to be very slow. Yes, the overall attempted message of the film was positive, but I believe the stereotypical negatives outweigh that message.

Angelique Page
Mon Dec 21 2009 16:33
We could not possibly have seen the same movie. And yet it seems we have.

I, too, saw the Princess and the Frog this weekend and came away from it with a completely different take on the Disney animated feature, having left the theatre jumbilant and saying to myself "This is what I was waiting for!". I personally came into it believing I would hate it and that it would be one dimensional and negatively steroptypical. However,

This is the story of a hardworking young lady who comes from a hardworking family, who instills in her that "wishing on stars" will only take you so far then hardwork will get you where you want to go, but even further, that a life full of the joy of family and friends is more than what you want it's what you need. Something Tiana forgets in the passing years while pursuing her goals.

The Prince who incidentially is NOT from an African nation, (there's a wealth of press out there on how advance audiences reacted to the prince not being of African origin) but does come seeking a bride to fatten his coffers since he's always ready to party but doesn't have the funds to keep his lifestyle going. Of course, he doesn't want her when he realizes she's poor...he came for a rich girl to get his party on! This has nothing to do with race and everything to do with financial alliances. Tthis arrangement happened all throughout world history, which is why you dont see Charlotte (Tiana's best friend) or the Prince bemoaning its necessity and asking "why must I get married".

As two frogs, Tiana and the Prince set out on a journey where they make friends, she learns a life with only work has no light, and he learns that a life not tempered by sacrifices isn't worth much. In the end, the Prince resolves to give up everything he wants and holds dear for Tiana the lowly waitress because he thinks she deserves everything and more. A completely and wholely compelling turn for a Disney Prince when past ones are sterling, flat, one dimensional characters or etc, or dont have to sacrifice something as realistic as money.

And by the way, the firefly Raymond is Cajun. Cajun's are decidly not Black-I've never come across a Black one in my long life and he certainly was not Creole. And the alligator, was speaking 40's Jazz speak and has nothing to do with any Black regional patois, which is why Tiana's speech patterns were completely different, intelligible, and articulate.

Your review of this movie is onesided and suggest that little black girls dont deserve fairy tales. Every character in any Disney animated movie is a combination of a series geographical, historical, and sociological aggregates and are all themselves sterotypes.

This Prince pursues his Princess more so than any other Disney prince. So you must not have seen many Disney movies. The Beast only keeps Belle initally because he selfishly initially wants to be human again. Princess Ariel gives up her home, her friends, and damnit her voice to pursue Prince Eric who for most of the Little Mermaid doesn't give a notice to her.

The Black people in this movie were not characterized as poor and I have no idea where you come to this conclusion. Tiana's family is characterized as hardworking. Her mother is a business owner, her father has mutliple jobs, her boss owns his own restaurant, her Black friends are very well dressed, articulate, and moneyed enough to spend an evening on the town as a group!

Further it definitely did not character Black culture as poor. Where in this movie, did it imply anything about the traditions, habits, or etc of the Black characters as anything less than grand? And the Witch Doctor versus Voodoo Man dichotomy was present to highlight the power of religion and traditions to lift you up or tear you down.

Rant aside, I cried in this movie. This movie was about how two flawed individuals can come together as something better than what they are individually and how wishes aren't granted, but dreams are made.

I loved it and give it an A+.

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