I've been for the past five months rewatching the entire Disney animation canon from 1937 to present day, and still going so far... now in 2000... but that only covers animation..
The fact is while Disney now days is criticized for there "live action" films being either shot for shot remakes, or stupid boring movies, there's a lot of great legacy to them... Live Action has been a part of Disney really since the Song Of The South which while yes forgotten and critiqued, it was the first film to feature live action footage at Disney...
But the real start didn't begin till 1950's Treasure Island, a full theatrical live action film based on the beloved novel...
Anyways my goal through the next year is to watch mostly every theatrical Disney Live Action feature, and rate them... If I like them, I will seek to own them, but if I do not, I won't own them... but furthermore I'll give a 1/5 star - 1/10 scaling for each feature...
This will not contain everything... there will be some notable exceptions:
1. If the film is only available to view through illegal means - yes I know I can find Song Of The South or future films but if I have to commit piracy to do it, then really I don't think it's worth doing... piracy is by law a crime and I don't seek to risk a fine just to watch some forgotten flicks.
2. if it has content I am not morally comfortable with - some films deal with themes of witchcraft or sex that I am not comfortable with (not a lot) but some... so I will simply mention why I skipped it and move on. I don't blame anyone who has viewed them, I only ask my choice is respected.
So to begin... let's go back to 1948's So Dear To My Heart.
Honestly this is a film I have fond memories of as a kid, one I enjoyed and thought was a cute little Disney film. On rewatch as an adult I must say it still has the cuteness and some of the heart, but is more baffling then remembered.
For starters, I think it's still got a heart to it, it's the classic trope of a kid finds an animal and has his heart set on owning it, I wouldn't call it a cliche it's human nature, we as children love cute animals (most do) and seek to have them, because we just love how adorable they look... and on that part of the script, great hook, cute Disney sheep story...
But it really crumbles in it's execution and quality... I think the characters are fine, you have the Granny who runs the farm on her own obviously concerned about providing for her and her son Jeramiah in which gives almost a defense to what some may accuse her of "being mean". She's not mean, she's just trying to be realistic and to her the sheep *lamb* is nothing but a source of trouble...
I also like the little kid Jeramiah, and some of the other characters, his friend, the Uncle, etc etc. All fine...
The moral itself... what even is the moral? The film tries to give a plot of "the kid wants to keep the lamb" his grandma is hesistant "so he goes on a quest to prove he's worth owning and keeping, he loves the sheep..." - so lets throw in an awards show... and have the kid suddenly upset when he loses... oh and throw in references to biblical figures (which I must say faith plays quite a noticeable apparence in this which I appreciate) but not only that... let's uhm have the animated owl say to the kid HEY! Christopher Columbus didn't quit his voyage, despite the storms... okay that's true... but he did quit when he didn't even land in the right country for peat sake... and then did very bad things....
Yea, great moral Disney... tbf it was 1948 but still... that aged like sour milk.
Then let's put in the grandma saying the boy's blue ribbon for the sheep has gone to his head, he does not care about the sheep, only the ribbon... what evidence does she actually have? What evidence does she not have?
and then the ending... so the lamb runs off, the boy prays he'll find it and promises God if he does, he won't go to the fair... then his Grandma comes (once he's found it) and says hey... so, God's known me longer and I prayed that if you did find him... I promised I'd take you to the fair...
she legit basically claims "because I've known God longer" your prayer is null and you can still go... ????
It's a very rocky film, not garbage but not as tear jerking as other classic animal films of the 40s and 50s... even from Disney... it's rough but I enjoyed it. - 5/10 - 2/5 stars
Does anyone else have other thoughts? I know it's a film with very mixed feelings...
The fact is while Disney now days is criticized for there "live action" films being either shot for shot remakes, or stupid boring movies, there's a lot of great legacy to them... Live Action has been a part of Disney really since the Song Of The South which while yes forgotten and critiqued, it was the first film to feature live action footage at Disney...
But the real start didn't begin till 1950's Treasure Island, a full theatrical live action film based on the beloved novel...
Anyways my goal through the next year is to watch mostly every theatrical Disney Live Action feature, and rate them... If I like them, I will seek to own them, but if I do not, I won't own them... but furthermore I'll give a 1/5 star - 1/10 scaling for each feature...
This will not contain everything... there will be some notable exceptions:
1. If the film is only available to view through illegal means - yes I know I can find Song Of The South or future films but if I have to commit piracy to do it, then really I don't think it's worth doing... piracy is by law a crime and I don't seek to risk a fine just to watch some forgotten flicks.
2. if it has content I am not morally comfortable with - some films deal with themes of witchcraft or sex that I am not comfortable with (not a lot) but some... so I will simply mention why I skipped it and move on. I don't blame anyone who has viewed them, I only ask my choice is respected.
So to begin... let's go back to 1948's So Dear To My Heart.
Honestly this is a film I have fond memories of as a kid, one I enjoyed and thought was a cute little Disney film. On rewatch as an adult I must say it still has the cuteness and some of the heart, but is more baffling then remembered.
For starters, I think it's still got a heart to it, it's the classic trope of a kid finds an animal and has his heart set on owning it, I wouldn't call it a cliche it's human nature, we as children love cute animals (most do) and seek to have them, because we just love how adorable they look... and on that part of the script, great hook, cute Disney sheep story...
But it really crumbles in it's execution and quality... I think the characters are fine, you have the Granny who runs the farm on her own obviously concerned about providing for her and her son Jeramiah in which gives almost a defense to what some may accuse her of "being mean". She's not mean, she's just trying to be realistic and to her the sheep *lamb* is nothing but a source of trouble...
I also like the little kid Jeramiah, and some of the other characters, his friend, the Uncle, etc etc. All fine...
The moral itself... what even is the moral? The film tries to give a plot of "the kid wants to keep the lamb" his grandma is hesistant "so he goes on a quest to prove he's worth owning and keeping, he loves the sheep..." - so lets throw in an awards show... and have the kid suddenly upset when he loses... oh and throw in references to biblical figures (which I must say faith plays quite a noticeable apparence in this which I appreciate) but not only that... let's uhm have the animated owl say to the kid HEY! Christopher Columbus didn't quit his voyage, despite the storms... okay that's true... but he did quit when he didn't even land in the right country for peat sake... and then did very bad things....
Yea, great moral Disney... tbf it was 1948 but still... that aged like sour milk.
Then let's put in the grandma saying the boy's blue ribbon for the sheep has gone to his head, he does not care about the sheep, only the ribbon... what evidence does she actually have? What evidence does she not have?
and then the ending... so the lamb runs off, the boy prays he'll find it and promises God if he does, he won't go to the fair... then his Grandma comes (once he's found it) and says hey... so, God's known me longer and I prayed that if you did find him... I promised I'd take you to the fair...
she legit basically claims "because I've known God longer" your prayer is null and you can still go... ????
It's a very rocky film, not garbage but not as tear jerking as other classic animal films of the 40s and 50s... even from Disney... it's rough but I enjoyed it. - 5/10 - 2/5 stars
Does anyone else have other thoughts? I know it's a film with very mixed feelings...