Evolution of Disney and Pixar: A New Generation of Storytellers
By Miranda Wu
The stories that we tell often reflect the experiences and hopes of the storymakers. While Disney and Pixar movies have long served as entertainment for many, the specific tales contain moral values and messages indicative of our broader society. Throughout time, the evolution of these movies has represented shifting views and social changes. An examination of the current trend of stories reveals what resonates with today’s audiences and demonstrates how far we’ve come.
Starting with Snow White (1937) and followed by Cinderella (1950) and Sleeping Beauty (1959), the first Disney princesses followed a similar “damsel in distress” formula. Reflecting the gender roles of the time, these princesses are portrayed as more docile and graceful, with their movies featuring them performing domestic chores. Following ideas and stereotypes of the roles that men and women fulfilled during that time, these princesses are more passive in their stories and are all inevitably saved by their respective princes.
Moving along and reflecting changes in society, there was an emphasis on autonomy with each new Disney princess, with stories slowly shifting focus onto the protagonists and their journeys. Starting in the late 1980s, Disney princesses started to show more personality and autonomy, with The Little Mermaid (1989) and Beauty and the Beast (1991). These stories give their princesses more autonomy and show them dreaming of their adventures and rebelling against their environments. Ariel yearns to be on land and seeks it out on her own accord, and the book-loving Belle strikes a deal with the Beast to save her father. Ultimately, these stories are still heavily centered on romance, with each princess having a happy ending with their princes.
Jasmine arrives on the scene in Aladdin (1992) as Disney’s first princess of color, spawning a new era of Disney for more diverse stories to be told. Disney begins to tell princess stories inspired by non-European cultures, resonating with different kinds of audiences. Following the trend of increased autonomy and a move away from romantic stories, the subsequent princesses each have their adventure that is less romance-oriented, with Pocahontas (1995), Mulan (1998), The Princess and the Frog (2009) and Tangled (2010) following this trend. While these movies do feature romantic love, it is not the focal point of these stories like they once were and are more focused on the development of each princess and her journey. The characters have more depth; they have stronger, more realized personalities; and they show their aspirations and motivations more outwardly compared to their counterparts in the 1950s.
Following these movies, we see a shift completely away from romance and the idea that a princess needs a prince for her happy ending. Brave (2012) features Merida, the first princess without a love interest. Superseding romantic love, this film focuses on familial love and family relationship dynamics. Frozen (2013) also focuses on familial love, with the story heavily centering around the relationship between sisters. Frozen even uses the fairy tale trope of a true love’s kiss with a twist to surprise the audience with a takeaway message about sibling relationships. Moana (2016) fits in this era as well, being the first princess to be animated with more realistic body proportions and having a story without a love interest that completely focuses on Moana’s identity, self-journey, and her people. The most recent Disney princess story, Raya and the Last Dragon (2021), also drops the love interest and focuses on Raya’s self-journey and her relationship with her people and community.
The slow progression from the damsel in distress waiting for a true love’s kiss to Disney princesses chasing their dreams and passions represents a new generation of storytellers who cater to both individualistic and collectivist values. While the characters are distinct and able to ascertain their hopes and dreams, they also acknowledge their role and the importance of their communities. The latest shift has focused on familial love and one’s duty to their community. The two most recent Disney princesses exemplify this, with Moana setting sail to save her island and Raya venturing out to unite all the kingdoms of Kumandra. However, the most recent wave of Disney and Pixar movies also seems to focus specifically on parental relationships and generational trauma.
The “millennial parental apology fantasy”, a phrase coined by Emily St. James, describes an emerging group of movies following a similar theme of parents ultimately recognizing their faults, healing generational trauma, and apologizing to their children for their wrongdoings. This is evident in the plot of recent Disney and Pixar releases such as Coco (2017), Encanto (2021) and Turning Red (2022). Interestingly, all of these movies feature a family matriarch who is given the opportunity for forgiveness and is shown as a victim of circumstance rather than a villain. Within all of these stories, we see children who, while struggling to find a place for themselves in their families and family dynamics, are still shown to be deeply connected with their culture and communities. The complicated nature of parent-child relationships and the reconciling of the parent’s trauma and extension of an apology towards their children to heal the intergenerational effects of this pain may represent a nuanced yet common desire in today’s younger audiences.
The evolution of Disney and Pixar movies has moved away from a main focus on romance, although it doesn’t drop this theme completely. This change shows that increased autonomy and individuality can exist, all while holding space for those types of relationships. This is exemplified through Disney princesses who have increased autonomy and their adventures, such as Tiana in The Princess and the Frog (2009) and Rapunzel in Tangled (2010), but also get their romantic happily ever after in the end. Anna in Frozen (2013) gets the romantic relationship she’s been dreaming of, but the story also heavily focuses on the familial love between her and her sister. Even more recent releases such as Encanto (2021) feature subplots of characters who dream of a happy romantic ending, with cousin Dolores hoping for a chance with Mariano. While Turning Red (2022) is heavily focused on the mother-daughter relationship between Meilin and her mother, the film allows space for Meilin and her friends to fangirl over the boy band 4*Town. While the newest films don’t negate romance, it’s not the main focal point anymore, with other types of relationships coming to the forefront as the ones being examined and explored. While today’s storytellers can acknowledge and hold space for the importance of romantic relationships, they are also able to represent and focus on other kinds of relationships and individuality that Disney’s earliest movies did not.
The specific experience of parent-child relationships and intergenerational trauma, specifically in immigrant families differs so greatly from the once common damsel in distress formula. It is indicative of our current generation of storytellers and creators. While romantic relationships can still be explored and celebrated, newer stories hold space for other types of relationships to be examined. Reflecting the diversity of experiences in both millennials and Gen Z, there’s been an uptake in stories carrying these themes that feature immigrant families and their experiences. While the millennial parental apology fantasy has been noted as a specific dream that millennial story makers have brought into current media, the reconciling of parental relationships has resonated with people of all ages. Gen Z follows millennials as one of the most diverse generations thus far and is next to carry on the vital task of creating stories to preserve our culture and serve as a reflection of our current society. As Gen Z continues to age and enter these industries, it will be interesting to see how Disney and Pixar movies will continue to shift and evolve to reflect on this generation’s storytellers and what messages they want to put out into the world. ♦