Frozen was one of the most pleasant surprises of 2013, and a true return to form for Disney animation, even if it looked like it was destined to be a train wreck when the marketing began. Was this a movie about a snowman and a reindeer chasing a carrot?! I swear, that's the only scene I ever saw from the film; and I immediately put the movie in the Planes and Chicken Little pile, rather than where it really belongs, next to the beloved classics from Disney's renaissance. Luckily, positive word of mouth made Frozen a tremendous success, both critically and financially, and garnered it a few Academy Award nominations. I almost opted for the "Let it Go" musical sequence to be on this list, but found a beautiful moment in the film's climax to be truly deserving. In order to break a curse befallen on the kingdom of Arendelle and cure Princess Anna of a quickly-freezing heart, we're told that there must be an act "of true love;" a classic Disney trope. Anna proceeds to try to find her fiance so that he can kiss her, and when that doesn't work she tries finding the man she truly loves to do it. But, before she and Christoph can lock lips, Anna sacrifices herself for her sister, jumping in front of a blade meant to kill her. She briefly freezes, but before long the curse is broken. The act of true love wasn't the typical kiss we've seen time and again, but an act of love she gave to her sister. In that moment Disney undid decades of fairy tale cliche, and presented a message that is far less sexist than what they've given us in the past. Frozen became a film not about a Princess needing a Prince to save the day, but one about a strong woman and the love she has for her sister. Bravo, Disney. Bravo.
James is a 24 year old writer and filmmaker living in Portland, OR. He attended college for graphic design and writes for various sources on the web about film, television, and entertainment.
You can view all of his work on his website, www.thereeljames.wordpress.com
