One of my podcasts I enjoy listening to is the Grownup Kids Podcast. (See my blog post on My Top Podcasts for more info). They are watching the Disney movies from the 30s forward and then discussing their favorite parts and such. I thought this would be a fun series to create in collaboration with my sister Claire, who’s 9 years younger. Neither of us have seen many Disney movies, but we are fans, so this hopefully will be a fun experience. We will be following along the D23 list of films in chronological order (link at bottom) which is what the podcast follows. However, we will only be watching a movie if it’s available on Disney+. So, what follows is our thoughts on the first feature film: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Episode #1 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
30 Word Disney Dash
Here is our summary in 30 words or less:
Queen orders Snow killed. Snow escapes to Seven Dwarfs’ house. They become friends. Queen as Old Hag tricks Snow into eating poisoned apple. Snow seems dead. Wakes upon Prince’s kiss. (word count: 30)
Fun Facts
Snow White was released in 1937 as an animated musical fantasy film based on the 1812 German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. The film boasts $8 million initial earnings, making it the highest-grossing film at the time. With inflation adjustment, it is ranked the highest grossing animated film ever. It won a honorary Oscar, a miniature version presented to Walt Disney by Shirley Temple. It was selected as one of the first 25 films for preservation in the National Film Registry. It was influenced by Romeo & Juliet, another high ranking film of the era.
Our Favorites Characters
Lily: Grumpy
Despite Grumpy’s unpleasant view of women in the beginning, I found him to be such a fun character in the story. He had comments that would make me laugh and true to his namesake got upset at the littlest things. I maybe related to him the most now as an adult. He actually ended up leading the charge to save Snow in the end, showing character growth.
“Mark my words, there’s trouble a-brewin’.”
Claire: Dopey
Dopey adds a humorous effect on many of the scenes. Dopey is clumsy pretty often and when he fell or made a mess it would make me laugh.
Happy: “This is Dopey, he don’t talk none.” Snow White: “You mean he can’t talk?” Happy: “He don’t know, he never tried.”
Favorite scenes
Lily: Washing scene
This is one of the more memorable scenes for me and likely is one of my favorites because Grumpy plays such a big role. The fact that he’s putting up such a fuss about washing before dinner time is comical. There’s also the quotes from that scene that I like a lot.
“Step up to the tub 'tain't no disgrace just pull up your sleeves and get them in place. Then scoop up the water and rub it on your face and go…*brrr brrr brr*. Pick up the soap, now don't try to bluff, work up a lather and when you got enough get your hands full of water and you snort and you snuff and go... *brrr brr brr*.”
Claire: Party/Dancing Scene with the organ
This scene was when the seven dwarfs and Snow White were all happy and partying. Grumpy was playing the organ and they were all singing and dancing. This scene was my favorite because all of the characters involved were having a good time.
Happy: "I'd like to dance and tap my feet, but they won't keep in rhythm. You see, I washed 'em both today and I can't do nothin' with 'em."
Takeaways
Lily: My takeaway from this movie is that even though a lot of bad things may come your way, you can still choose how you react to your situations and try to have a positive attitude. Snow White had terrible things happen to her, but she took it all in stride. After feeling sorry for herself, she picked herself up and went on with her life.
“There's no use in grumbling, when the raindrops come tumbling. Remember, you're the one who can fill the world with sunshine”
Claire: My takeaway from this movie is that even though you might feel a strong way towards something, your feelings could always be changed. Grumpy at the beginning of the movie thought negatively about all women. At the end of the movie however, he liked Snow White and he was even the one who felt it was important to save her.
Grumpy: "The Queen will kill her! We, we gotta save her!"
Overall Thoughts
Claire: I liked Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs overall and it had many moments that made your heart warm. It was a feel-good movie and it made me laugh and smile many times.
My 5 Star Rating in the Disney Princess genre is: *** (3/5)
Lily: This is a fun movie overall. It’s got all the aspects of a good movie: comedy, romance, good music. There’s lots of comedic parts and it isn’t too heavy on the tragedy or romantic aspects. The Evil Queen clearly is the villain, but the Old Hag character too is an audience pleaser. The individual personalities of the Seven Dwarfs adds a fun element to the film. Even though Snow White’s main songs are about dreaming of her Prince coming to save her, she isn’t all encompassed by that dream. She still is going about her life and has a great bunch of friends in the Dwarfs. I also really enjoyed the woodland creatures and how they are always on Snow’s side. The music is so memorable and catchy, getting stuck in my head for days to come.
My 5 Star Rating in the Disney Princess genre is: *** (3/5)
What are your thoughts on Walt's first animated feature? Give us your 5 star rating! Happy viewing and don't be too grumpy.
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