Up
Oh my word, Pixar. Really? The first few minutes of this movie start me out in tears! It's just one thing after another. First, you have this sweet little matchup of friends. Then, you have a wedding. Then, the wife, who've you've amazingly grown seriously attached to in two minutes, has a miscarriage. She's sitting there in her doctor's office crying into the arms of her husband who is standing there clearly heartbroken. And if that wasn't enough, cue the next few minutes which show them slowly giving up on their traveling dreams as they get older and older. And then, the wife dies, leaving behind her sweet husband. This is a whole Nicholas Sparks level romance movie all hurled at you in ten minutes. You don't even have time to adjust to all the emotions! It's crazy. My mistake was watching this movie for the first time on my honeymoon. It had just come out in theaters and we thought it would be a fun movie to watch. WRONG. I have only watched this movie maybe twice since then and it's been six years. And we own it. It's sitting right there with all our DVDs and blu-rays. Client One begs to watch it. She likes the silly dog and the crazy bird. Thank goodness she can watch it in her playroom where I don't have to see it. I just can't handle the feels!
Dumbo
I'm going to be honest. Dumbo has never been one of my favorite movies. I've just really never been much of a fan, but I never really knew why. Now, I know. The movie starts off with a wonderful theme! The circus! Come see the elephant parade! Oh, look! A fun circus train! Then, a mother elephant dares to defend her sweet baby from a mean bully and they abuse her and lock her up in a tiny little prison. Her misfit baby with the big ears is then left to fend on his own against the cruel world. And, just in case that whole concept isn't enough to break your heart, how about we have the little baby Dumbo visit his mommy in elephant prison while a sweet lullaby called "Baby of Mine" plays. My eyes are filling with tears even thinking about it! My kids have never seen this movie and they probably never will, at least not when I'm within crying distance.
The Rescuers
As far as Disney movies go, this one isn't too bad, but it still gets to me. A poor, little, unloved orphan girl is kidnapped by a twisted lady and her obnoxious sidekick to go into a dangerous, life-threatening situation to get a stupid jewel and the only people helping her are two tiny mice. Every time they send that little girl deeper into that hole, my mommy-heart contracts. Are people really that evil? Why didn't anyone adopt this sweet little girl before? It makes me want to run out and gather all the unadopted kids into my arms and take them home with me. I don't even care that we don;t have room for them. That scene where she's talking to that cat and wondering why no one wants her and wondering why they picked the other little girl is just such a tearjerker! My mommy heart just can't handle it!
Monsters Inc.
I actually like this movie pretty well. It came out when I was in highschool (maybe Junior High) so I understood what was going on but it didn't give me the feels until I had kids. Sweet little Boo has to go home without Sully. She loves Sully. She adores Sully. And she has to say goodbye. I mean, the way she runs into his arms for that big hug and then has to leave... And he has to say goodbye. I've been around kids a lot before through teaching and working at a daycare. There are some kids that you are glad to see go. You practically throw a party when you realize you never have to see them again. But then, there are the kids you love. The ones that make you laugh. These kids you will miss so much and you kind of want to keep in touch to see how they turn out. This is the relationship between Boo and Sully. You want them to be best friends forever. You don't want that door to be shredded. and then, when Mike puts the door back together and you hear Book shout "Kitty!"... Please pass the tissues.
Once Upon a Forest
This movie freaked me out when I was a kid. I mean, seriously, who thought about putting a poisonous gas that kills of the families of woodland creatures into a kids' movie? The little girl (badger?) runs into her house to find her mother and father dead. I get that they were trying to show how humans are bad and polluting the world and blah, blah, blah, but this went over the top. Now, as an adult and a mother, it's even more powerful. What would happen to my kids if I died from a toxic gas that came pouring unexpectedly into my home? What would my kids do if they found me freaking dead? How upset that poor little furling must be! She needs a hug and so much love! This movie is horrible and tears me up in so many ways.
The Little Princess
The movie starts out so great! She's a wonderful little girl who has an amazing relationship with her father. He encourages her creativity and they clearly love each other very much. But then, her daddy gets called off to war and she has to go to a boarding school controlled by an evil, money grubbing woman. Despite the lack of creativity, all goes fairly well until the little girl's daddy dares to dies in the service of his country and can no longer pay. (Or at least is thought to be dead for the sake of the story.) The matron, or whatever she is called, decides that losing her father is not enough to make the girl miserable so she locks her in the freezing attic, practically starves her and forces her to do manual labor to earn her keep. And anytime the "princess" tries to turn it around and make a happy experience, it's torn down. And the thing is that her father is actually alive and across the street the entire time! I know this is a great, classic book but something about seeing it in movie form just pulls at those heartstrings.
Bambi
One of my favorite quotes from FRIENDS is when they are discussing Bambi and Chandler says, "Yes, it was very sad when they stopped drawing the deer." (Or something like that.) I always chuckle but it really is sad when they stop drawing the deer. My mom has informed me that when I was little (about two) I used to watch Bambi all the time. It was my favorite movie for awhile and every time I watched it, I would hide under a blanket when Bambi's mother died. Even as a toddler that scene had an impact on me. Now, as a mom, I watch it and all the feelings of leaving my children alone swell up inside me. It's such a simple scene but somehow it has such a strong impact. The mother dies while making sure that her only son gets to safety. This is motherhood!
The Fox and the Hound
Okay, whoever decided to put animals in movies alongside humans only to have those humans abandon them later was an evil, evil person. First, this poor little fox pup is hidden by his mother while she runs off in the opposite direction to save his life. Then, this sweet little pup is adopted by a dear old lady who names him Todd. They bond and she becomes his mother. He even gets to make best friends with the hound puppy next door, Life is good until the pain in the ass neighbor gets to be an even bigger pain in the ass. He shoots off his loud mouth and his gun and forces the poor old woman to take drastic action. So, once again for his protection. Todd is abandoned in the middle of a strange forest to fend on his own. Every time she takes him and starts driving in that car I start bawling. I mean, he's sticking his head out the window and smiling. He's all happy and has no idea what's going on. It's just so emotional!
Toy Story 2 & 3
The first Toy Story isn't too bad as far as the feelings go. It's funny and quippy and rather quite enjoyable. But Toy Story 2 is just too much for me to handle. The part that gets me, just in case you had any doubts, is when Jessie, the cowgirl doll, sings her little song. What is it with these movies and abandonment? I mean, for real! Did all these animators have parents who abandoned them or died when they were small children? This segment makes me want to dig out every old toy that I have and just hug them all and cry. It also makes me never want to throw out another one of my kids' toys ever again. And on top of all of those feelings is the major reminder that one day, my kids will be all grown up. One day, that ragged, old bear that Client One carries everywhere will be sitting on a shelf, alone and forgotten. I don't want my babies to grow up and I don't need a movie to remind me that they are. But, just in case you manage to gloss over those feelings in Toy Story 2, the threw in Toy Story 3 to really rub it in. I swear, I cried like 10 times in that movie. Andy is all grown up and going to college. He has no need for his toys anymore. They aren't even sitting on his shelf anymore or buried in a closet. He gives them away. He has moved on. When he gives his toys to that little girl and then walks away... Dang.
Charlotte's Web
I loved this book as a kid! And the movie was amazing! But as an adult it totally makes me cry. But not until the end. Up until the end it's all happy. I mean a tiny little spider, who is not creepy at all, saves the life of her pig friend. She even helps him win a prize at the fair! What are best friends for? But then, the end comes and she dies. But before she dies, she lays her eggs. She doesn't even get to meet her babies. Nope. She kicks the bucket while Wilbur is sitting there begging her not to go. But she just grows weaker and weaker until she dies. And then her babies come along, never knowing their mother. Luckily for them, they have a fat pig to tell them all about her.
So, now I hesitate every time it a new movie comes out and Client One wants to go see it. I have to sit back and consider whether or not I'm willing to risk bursting into tears in the middle of a crowded theater. I used to only have to worry about that when the movie was featuring an animal you know was going to die (Marley and Me) or a romance/drama where someone was bound to die, usually in a very tragic way. Congratulations, children's movies. You now have me blubbering into a tub of popcorn and making it all soggy. I hope you're happy because I'm obviously not.
No comments:
Post a Comment