While Disney is mainly known for its magical and child-friendly image, there are moments when it also gives some socially aware messages through its movies and TV shows that are not only for kids but adults as well. Many of which have left viewers with hard-headed lessons or made them cry, in a good way. Moreover, for every problem, there is always a solution shown through encouragement, bravery, friendship, and love. Just to show that while there is evil, there is also good in the world.
Disney is no stranger when it comes to talking about real-life issues. From intellectual disability to intergenerational trauma, the production house offers great insight on topics that have been hushed for decades on the big screen. This is not necessarily bad. In fact, research has shown that films that show real-life issues and how to solve them can help a child’s cognitive and behavioral development. For adults, they can help to make these issues easier to deal with, make them feel understood, and help them mature. Here are some Disney movies that explore serious real-life issues.
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6 Finding Dory (2016)
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
In this 2016 film, Dory is a character who suffers from short-term memory loss. Due to this, she has to constantly deal with being lost, forgetting important events, and sometimes even the names of people she met. One of these moments includes Dory accidentally getting separated from her parents, as she gets distracted and later forgets where she is and what she is doing. The film does a great job of showing how Dory overcomes all her obstacles with her infectious positivity and proves that her disability is not a weakness.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
Disney also carefully addresses how serious short-term memory loss can be for a person, and how the people around them can help them feel more encouraged to combat it on a daily basis. In doing so, Finding Dory promotes a message of inclusion and passion toward people that suffer from cognitive impairments.
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5 Tangled (2010)
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
In Disney’s version of Rapunzel, Mother Gothel is shown to be a narcissistic parent that constantly (and passively) slides into guilt-tripping and emotionally abusing remarks toward Repunzel. In the scene where Repunzel asks to go see the floating lanterns, Gothel responds with the famous ‘’mother knows best’’ line, along with multiple passive-aggressive and fear-engraving comments. This is effective as Repunzel is seen going back into the arms of Gothel at the end of the song. In Tangled, Disney provides an authentic depiction of narcissistic parents that value what their children can provide, and not what they are worth.
4 Coco (2017)
Coco is a brilliant combination of friendship, passion, betrayal, and love. One of the reasons why this movie stands out from the rest is because it explores the taboo of life and death. This is something that is not discussed a lot in animated movies.
3 Inside Out (2015)
This 2015 Pixar hit explores an array of emotions throughout the film, from depression to intermittent explosive disorder. Riley has been shown to suffer from different stages of depression and is afraid to talk about it. What’s great about Inside Out is that it was created with the help of actual psychological research. Rather than just dubbing Riley as an unruly child, this movie talks about why she is this way and works its way up to resolve it. Additionally, it helps viewers to understand that it’s okay to feel sad at times.
2 Zootopia (2015)
On the outside, Zootopia looks like a silly, comedic kids flick that showcases a city of human-like animals in which prey and predators live peacefully together. There’s the noble police Judy Hopps and con artist Nick Wilde, who team up to defeat the villain of the story and free mindless predators from causing havoc around the city. While this sounds like a creative story, this is not only what it’s about. In fact, the hidden (but not so hidden) issue that this film highlights is about racial profiling.
Racial profiling of predator animals takes over the city of Zootopia, and it causes the police and society to start pointing fingers at predators for crimes they didn’t commit. Disney does a good job of highlighting how racial profiling can disturb the peace and cause innocent members of society to be targeted easily. In the end, the movie shows how society can work together to abolish this culture and accept people for what they are, not what they look like.
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1 Lilo & Stitch (2002)
Buena Vista Pictures
Beyond the narrative of aliens and superpowers, Lilo & Stitch showcases how the loss of parents can affect the children left behind. Moreover, it also highlights how child custody can be a big struggle. While Lilo struggles with the trauma of losing her parents, Nani is seen struggling with letting go of her dreams and working hard to raise her little sister by herself. One of the greatest messages given by this show is that no matter what comes, no one is left behind.
While there are multiple reasons to watch Disney movies, its way of helping the audience to deal with real-life issues will always remain magical.
