With the plethora of chocolates and teddy bears lining
the store shelves there’s no doubt that its beginning to look a lot like
Valentine’s Day once again. In keeping with the holiday’s celebration of all
things romance, this week I’ll be turning the spotlight on three films that
lent many a viewer their first glimpse of romantic love. While all of these
films are geared towards young audiences, their exquisite animation, lilting
tunes, and compelling storytelling capture the full sweep of romance at its
most thrilling, transformative, and powerful in a way that will inspire both the
young and young at heart. Tell us your favorite Valentine’s picks in the
comments!
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| The days when carbs were still acceptable on dates |
Lady
and the Tramp: Easily one of the most iconic love
stories in all of cinema, this 1955 Walt Disney film has come to define romance
for several generations. The film tells the deceptively simple tale of a
well-bred cocker spaniel and her whirlwind courtship with a mutt from the wrong
side of the tracks in turn of the century middle-America. The film’s use of two
dogs as protagonists allows the filmmakers to tell a surprisingly adult tale of
romance against class lines, as affluent Lady pursues an unlikely romance with
worldly rogue Tramp. When her human family push her aside in favor of their newborn son and leave her in the care of a borderline abusive aunt, Lady finds unexpected solace in the street-smart stray, Tramp. While she initially rejects him at the urging of her prejudiced fellow house pets, she begins to see him in a new light after he rescues her from an attack by a gang of vicious strays. When she learns that he has suffered similar rejection from his former human family the two eventually bond over their shared trauma, and she begins to appreciate the freedom of his life without a leash and collar. The two then embark upon a journey across town in which each begins to see the world from the other's very different perspective . While the pair’s adventure includes some truly magic moments (particularly the famed spaghetti dinner), it
takes a decidedly sober turn when the revelation of Tramp’s past as a womanizer
and stints in the pound make Lady question his feelings. The film continues
on this mature trajectory when Lady breaks off her relationship with Tramp only
to face the full weight of her actions when she returns home to confront her
ruined reputation. Even the plot’s final resolution is surprisingly gritty, as
it is not until Tramp risks a fatal trip to the pound for the sake of Lady’s
human family that the two are finally reunited. Rather than diminishing the
film’s romantic sensibility, the script’s mature tone lends the film greater
emotional resonance as the characters face all too real obstacles and
consequences that set their relationship apart from the studio’s usual idyllic
fairy tales. Beyond its emotional maturity, the film contains some of the most
charming characters ever to grace the big-screen, and a date night that put’s
many a real-life couple’s romance to shame. For a bella notte to remember look
no further than Lady and the Tramp.
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| Let's see you top that, Pixar |
Beauty
and the Beast: Arguably Disney’s most ambitious effort, Beauty and the Beast remains one of the
most successful animated films from any studio. While most animated films
feature life-altering quests and evil villains, Beauty and the Beast maintains a firm focus upon the relationship
between its characters, and is all the better for it. Even in the midst of
enchantment spells, talking furniture, and a beastly hero, the film possesses a
surprisingly human core as it chronicles the unlikely relationship between its leads.
The film manages to move beyond its fantastic premise by revealing the ways in
which the ahead of her time Belle and the Beast are able to relate to each
other through their shared status as social outsiders, despite their obvious
physical differences. The film also adds realism to its story by showing the
ways in which their relationship progresses from mutual respect, to friendship, before
finally blossoming into romance. The story further engages audience by making
Belle and the Beast’s own inner demons a far greater obstacle to their
happiness than any of rival suitor Gaston’s schemes. As a result, audiences are
able to invest in both characters’ emotional development in a way that other
animated films cannot. Perhaps the film’s greatest romantic draw is its
portrayal of the ways in which love can ultimately change us for the better.
While the Beast’s transformation into the handsome prince is indeed a sight to
behold, it is the inner transformation that he undergoes earlier in the film
that lends the script its greatest emotional resonance. In an act of self-sacrifice the Beast
shows his love for Belle by putting her happiness above his own and finally
letting her go. It is in that moment that the Beast undergoes his true metamorphosis
and it becomes obvious that, regardless of his unchanged physical appearance, his love
for Belle has helped the Beast to become a better man. For a tale as old as time that remains truly
timeless, hit the ballroom floor with Beauty
and the Beast.
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| Proving that dogs can make the best wing-men |
One-Hundred
and One Dalmatians: Although this film is best remembered as
a children’s take on the classic style crime caper, it is the love stories
between two dogs and their owners that forms the heart of this Disney classic. When
we first meet Pongo and his ‘pet’ (a/k/a owner), Roger, the two are living a
less than swinging existence as London bachelors. Frustrated by their
monotonous lifestyle, Pongo becomes determined to find a wife for Roger and a
mate for himself. After a hilarious montage of Pongo’s search for woman and dog
pairs that are reminiscent of a Match.com date search, Pongo finally locates
the ideal pair in Anita and her Dalmatian, Perdita. In a fairly realistic
representation Anita and Roger initially fail to notice each other, and even
after Pongo intervenes by tangling his leash with Perdita’s the two nearly
clash before bonding over the absurdity of the situation. The film breaks with
most traditional love stories by placing its focus upon what happens after
happily ever after through its depiction of the struggles of married life. While
both couples truly love one another, their relationships are continually
challenged by financial difficulties as Roger struggles to make ends meet as a
songwriter, even as Pongo and Perdita begin their own large family. In spite of their troubles, both couples’
bonds grow stronger in the face of adversity as Anita supports Roger’s artistic
career, while Pongo and Perdita share the responsibilities of parenthood. When
Anita’s fur-loving acquaintance, Cruella De Ville, arranges the dognapping of
Pongo and Perdita’s puppies, both couples doggedly pursue the case until the
puppies are safely returned. As Pongo and Perdita face one danger after another
in pursuit of Cruella’s henchmen the two remain admirably united as they rely
upon each other for support and refuse to give up hope. Even when faced with
the challenge of what to do with the other eighty-four puppies Cruella’s held
captive, the couple remain united and mutually agree to adopt and raise the
other puppies as their own. Similarly, Roger and Anita rely upon one another as
they grieve over the supposed loss of Pongo and Perdita and the puppies. While it may not hold the full romantic sweep
of its counterparts, One-Hundred and One Dalmatians
offers viewers some of the best relationship role models in cinema and reminds us
all that some of the greatest happiness comes after happily ever after.
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