The Princess and the Frog Marks Disney's First Black Heroine
By D. Kevin McNeir
Sr. Correspondent
Editor
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
With visions of being "princess for a day" dancing in their excited heads, young girls across the nation, in affiliation with local Boys & Girls Clubs and with the financial support of Walmart, walked the pink carpet, donned their tiaras and played Disney trivia games before enjoying a special viewing of what has emerged as last weekend's number one box office choice - The Princess and the Frog.
Hoping to ride the success of previous princess-themed films, including The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast, John Musker and Ron Clements have joined forces as the directors for this new animation which is a twist on the classic tale.
Set in New Orleans and infused with music befitting a Mardi Gras fete, the story revolves around a young
|
African-American woman, Tiana (Anika Noni Rose), who becomes a frog after kissing a prince (Bruno Campos) who has himself been turned into a frog by the movie's bad guy - a voodoo shaman (Keith David).
Some critics have claimed that this film lacks the memorable tunes or a truly scary villain that have been the hallmark of previous Disney greats and argue that it may have been a bigger hit had it been released a decade ago.
But based on the reactions of the young girls with whom this writer saw the movie and the huge number of families who spent their green last weekend, The Princess and the Frog looks like it's going to be a must-see movie for the holiday season - and another money maker for its producers.
|
| |
|
| |
| |
| "All little girls dream of being a princess and we were excited to sponsor approximately 365 private screenings in selected US cities as part of our longstanding relationship with Disney and Boys & Girls Clubs of America," said Kelly Kletzing, an Atlanta-based Walmart store manager.
Most of the girls who were on hand at Atlanta's Regal Theater in Atlanta Station were children of color and the buzz which was generated because of the film's princess being Black did not go unnoticed.
|
"Channel 11's Kids & School Reporter Donna Lowry helped us with our program before we showed the movie and it was clear that the girls were excited about the first Disney princess in 10 years being an African-American character."
History will ultimately determine whether The Princess and the Frog will live up to the Disney hype but with its message that all dreams are possible and that when we dig deeply we can discover what really matters in our quest for happiness, this film is still entertaining, inspiring and magical.
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
Nice article.