It’s been months since lil’ Ms. GJG and I watched Frozen, but we’re still frozen over the movie (yes, pun intended). I was a bit perplexed that this move has become a big hit, but I immediately understood why, soon after I watched it myself. I was a bit surprised that Frozen isn’t our typical Disney movie. Upon seeing the first few minutes of the film, my gut tells me Frozen’s more than an animated love story. From the sultry catwalks of Elsa, to the clumsiness of Anna, I gotta say it is an amusingly nice movie. Apart from having learned about the characters’ personalities, agendas, and to love thy sister, the movie gave me more than what I anticipated. So here I am writing at three in the morning all that I realized and learned upon watching Frozen. It may not be life-changing realisations, but they’re worth sharing hoping others thought about them too.
The prince isn’t always charming.
Every young woman aspires to find her one true love in the form of a prince. Why were we believed by Disney (or whoever) that we need a prince to rescue us from whatever kind of life we are living?! That I don’t know. Thankfully, Frozen has proven that not all princes are charming, some are posers and villains in reality. Which leads me to my second learning.
Your guy best friend can be the man you end up with.
We know this story. Almost all rom-com movies have this kind of plot. Girl has a guy best friend- guy best friend loves the girl- girl loves some alluringly handsome modern prince- prince breaks the girls heart- guy best friend comforts the girl-girl best friend realizes guy best friend is a catch and then falls in love with him-the end. Well, it may not be exactly like this but could be something similar. A guy you’d never think you’d fall in love with nor do you even imaging going out on a date because for one, he’s not your type and two, you’re just friends. We’ve seen this kind of story in Just Friends, No Strings Attached, Friends With Benefits, The Ugly Truth, Keeping The Faith, 13 Going 30, Life As We Know It and so on. It’s typical yet unusual at the same time. The kind of love they say that lasts.
A queen doesn’t need a king to rule a kingdom.
Gone are the days when women live under the shadows of men. Back then, when a woman wants to rule a kingdom, she would either be graceful enough to catch a king with her looks or be wicked widow or witch who would search an entire kingdom to find a king she can lure into marrying. Today, Frozen proved that a woman can rise above even without the aid of a man. Despite Elsa’s lack of efforts in being a good leader, still without a doubt, she’s respected and honoured as the rightful queen of Arendelle (up until the people discovered her magical powers that is). Cue Katy Perry’s Roar and Alicia Key’s Girl On Fire.
True love comes in many forms.
To break the spell that has governed over Anna’s body, she must do an act of true love. Assuming true love is only evident with the usual “true love’s kiss” is very stereotype of a princess waiting to be kissed by a prince. Slow clap for Frozen for presenting it in a different form- sisterly love. You see true love comes in many forms, like how Kristoff loves his buddy reindeer Sven, or how Elsa distanced herself from Anna because she doesn’t want to hurt her. True love isn’t always romantic nor is it always pretty. True love is about being genuine and sincere to the person you truly love and care for.
Parents aren’t always right.
Sometimes parents don’t always know what to do. Truth is, nobody knows it all. There are times that parents would decide based on uncertainty, affecting not only themselves but their family as well. Just like what happened to Elsa & Anna’s parents. They were unsure of what Elsa’s powers can bring to their family. So instead of trying to decipher and learn about it, they asked Elsa to hold it in, thinking if she did, it would be easier for everyone, but obviously they were wrong.
Don’t judge a book by its cover.
Looks can be deceiving. Does this ring a bell? How many times have we heard this line before? We can’t help but judge a person based on how we see him/her. Judging someone based on how he/she looks is attributed into making that first impression. At first, Prince Hans projected as if he was the total prince package while The Duke of Weselton early in the movie presented a dark impression. Of course to us who watched the first part of the movie, we assumed Hans was indeed a perfect prince and the duke was nothing more than a villain wanting to exploit the riches of Arendelle. But we were wrong! We were too quick to judge based on first impression. Those who watched along with lil’ Ms. GJG & I assumed too soon and when these two characters were revealed in the latter part of the movie, a wave of gasps filled the movie house. For me, it was one of the simplest lessons the movie has taught us that night.
Solitary confinement lets you know who you are.
The moment Elsa ran away from Arendelle, she was in solitary confinement. At first she was afraid to be outcasted but as it turns out, it was exactly what she needed to know herself even better. She grew more confident to accept who she really is and know more about what she’s capable of doing. She was alone alright but that didn’t stop her from making the best out of it.
It’s not love at first sight, it’s like at first sight.
I only experienced love at first sight when I shop. Seeing a bag, a shoe or a dress that I totally fell in love with the moment I laid my eyes on it. But even that couldn’t be attributed to love, love. Maybe its more of like. So much liking at first sight. Because I don’t know how you can love someone immediately the moment you gazed your eyes on a person when you don’t even know his story, his personality, his flaws? Saying you love someone at first sight pretty much is the superficial speaking, judging one based on how he/she looks, like a first impression. Sorry fairy tale aficionados but I’m with Elsa on this one.
Sometimes, letting go is all you need.
Why is it so hard to let go of something? It is because of the attachment we’ve made over something or someone. We hold on to something because the thought of losing it is unbearable. We are afraid of letting go because we don’t know how much this act can affect us, how much it can change us but sometimes, letting go is all we need. It’s the one thing we need to do when we are no longer happy. To let go is to be free. It’s a hard thing to do, but the momentary pain will eventually be replaced with genuine happiness. When Elsa made a conscious decision to show who she really is, she let go. Let go of what others think, of who she really is. What really sets her part actually made her confident and free. In my case, I let go of things and people that only bring negative vibes in my life. I let go of the superficials and focus on what’s important. I let go of the petty every day struggles so I can further appreciate the entirety of my life.
As others may find that Frozen is just another Disney movie, I beg to disagree. It has helped me catch these takeaways and know that beyond the love story angle, there’s so much more.
What’s your take away from Frozen the movie?
*all photos are sourced via Google images*
… or lust at first sight. 😛
What I like about Elsa the most is that she embraced her talent and specialness but at the same time she considered other people.
Sometimes, in our efforts to embrace our uniqueness, I notice the tendency to get bitchy or start developing the “I’m like this. I don’t care what you think, and I don’t give a fuck how I affect other people.” attitude
Elsa, on the other hand, embraced here uniqueness and still lived in consideration of other people.