The Little Mermaid 25th Anniversary

[Atlantica]

Hey everyone ! I did a quick search, and I didn't come across a thread dedicated to the above title, so thought I could start a discussion about it, and share Mermaid - themed memories of the Classic.

The Little Mermaid is now 25 years old. The same age as me. Something I can't quite believe ! I didn't see it when it was first released as I was only months old, but I remember distinctly picking it up on VHS … and then watching and re-watching then watching again ! The soundtrack, or at the very least a song from the soundtrack gets listened to by me everyday. On the commute to work, or having music on around the house….anywhere really.

Ariel herself I think has shaped me as a person and had a huge impact on me growing up. I love her, and everything about her; I can see her faults, yes, but I still think she is a brilliantly written and performed character by Jodi. I've been very ill and in hospital for a vast chunk of my life, and Ariel has been around me and with me for all of it; either the movie or TV series has been on, or the soundtrack playing … anything really. I don't think I've ever been so invested in a movie character or franchise; some people may find it extremely weird and I completely respect and understand that. But Ariel and the film are pretty much part of who I am, and my every day life.

I watched the film in the cinema for the first time in 1997, when it was rereleased to pair off against Anastasia I think ? I saw it with my dad who took me there as a surprise; and blimey, after you've seen a worn out VHS for 7 years to finally see it on the big screen ? Wow, what a moment. The sound, the colour, the vibrancy, the music ….. complete senses overload ! Then the blessed day of the Platinum DVD came, which was magical as well, bad restoration or not. During the run up to the release of Tangled the BFI showed one Disney Classic a week for 49 weeks until the release of Tangled; Mermaid was the only film to sell out. So much so they put on an extra date. The cinema was totally packed out; they showed the original release short beforehand, then went straight into the movie. I must admit, I actually started to cry from the first bars of 'The Little Mermaid - Main Title' ….. its such a breathtaking piece of music, and everyone seemed so in awe of being there and totally wrapped up in the moment … was extremely special.

I read this article that prompted me to this post:
http://hellogiggles.com/happy-birthday-little-mermaid/2

And I have to say I agree entirely with the writers view on the movie. I guess, I just wanted to say thank you to Ron & Jon, Alan & Howard, Glen & Disney …. but most of all to Jodi, who is Ariel, the Little Mermaid, who has given me and so many others, untold joy, comfort and happiness. May Ariel always be 'part of our world'.

I'd like to end with this, from the article linked above;

Ariel set the tone for the next generation of Disney movies, and in doing so set the tone for our generation’s movie touchstone and even the way we watch movies. We can’t thank her enough for doing that. Sure, Disney might have all been “started by a mouse” but our childhood dreams of adventure and exploring were started by a spunky mermaid.

I know its a bold statement that many may not agree with, but for me, its how I view the film and what it did for Disney.

Please, share your Mermaid memories and thoughts !

[rodis]

The Little Mermaid is my favorite Disney film of all time. I saw it in the theaters when I was 5 back in 1990 with my sister and we had enormous fun. Although the memory is quite vague, I still distinctly remember the opening sequence with the seagulls and how excited I felt. And also Under the Sea. We were also happy beyond words to hear it on the radio just days later and hearing the DJ say that this song just won the Academy Award (my sister had to explain to me what it meant LOL). We then bought the VHS when it came out and wore it out of course. I remember everyone who came over and we played him the tape was hooked and in awe by the music and scenery. It was really the first of its kind. Sure, you had Disney masterpieces going back all the way to 1937 but TLM had a modern quality to it with cool music and a spunky heroine and it felt "90's" (or late 80's, for that matter).

I later bought the 1998 VHS and was again delighted with the restored colors, and also in 2006 after awaiting the PE DVD for 5 years since the PE line was launched. I couldn't believe I actually held that in my hands!

Of-course I own the DE as well. And also the UK 1991 VHS, 1990 & 1998 LaserDiscs and the UK and Australian 1998 VHS. And the soundtrack of course (1989 and 1997 releases).

Can't believe it's been 25 years.

[DisneyFan09]

Speaking of which, I've wondered why Disney didn't release the film on blu ray or in 3D this year instead of 2013. It would have made more (logical) sense to release this film this year, considering it's 25th Anniversary.

[Disney's Divinity]

To say I love the movie would probably be an understatement. To be honest, I don't love Disney in general as much as I love The Little Mermaid, although of course I do enjoy Disney films. None of them has hit me to the same extreme and probably never will; you can chalk that up to nostalgia and favoritism playing its role, but even as much as I love "Let It Go" and several other moments from Frozen, The Little Mermaid rolls them out almost every other scene.

Like you, I'm actually the same age as the film; although I'm only the same age as it for about a month every year. I've unfortunately never seen TLM in theaters, which is why I was supremely disappointed the TLM 3D re-release was cancelled because of TLK. I remember begging and begging my mother to take me to see it in 1997, but she refused. The only reason I have the gorgeous lithograph they gave to people who went was because my mother and aunt went to see it. (My maternal grandmother refused to give me the lithograph until I was around 20 years old; not that she liked TLM, btw, she's just a spiteful person in general who likes to have what others don't. She would often do the same thing with collector's Barbies when my sister loved them as a child. I do love her, because she's blood, but not my favorite grandma by any means. The only people I have positive relationships with in my family are dead, but I guess that's what everyone's family is like?) Perhaps this is why that particular promotional image of the film is my favorite of them all. I have a memory of drawing a recreation of this picture with pencil/crayons for my grandmother (the other one--who I was probably closer to more than anyone else in my family and passed away when I was going through the worst years of my life) and my third grade teacher laminating it for me to give her. I own that picture now that she's gone and it reminds me of her.

I'm not sure I identify with Ariel in every way; I'm not as pretty as she is, or as well-off, or as outgoing, or as lucky, nor do I have lots of friends who love her like she does, but it's so hard for me not to love this character. I suppose I'm like Flounder--I just want to see her be happy, without judging everything else about her the way others do. Maybe the way we view ourselves--we know our flaws, all the reasons why we don't deserve to be happy, but we still want to believe it's possible for us to get that ending. I suppose both she and Ursula go part and parcel with my coming to terms with my sexuality in middle school, which probably cemented the film even more so on my soul. Of course, I identified with the characters themselves, but my parents were always slightly uncomfortable that I loved this movie and it was one of the early signs (imo) that I was gay--I loved many "boy's" things, but I also loved TLM, princesses, Barbies (especially the clothes), and Sailor Moon. Them coming to terms with my love of TLM probably prepared them for later.

But it's not just with Ariel, I love all the characters, even Triton (and Flounder/Scuttle, who are kind of boring). Triton, in particular, reminds me so much of my own father--my father easily resembles this character (both in look and personality) more than any other Disney character (my sister is more like Cinderella and my mother the Queen of Hearts, although she hates when I say that. ). I had so many moments as a child that were as traumatic as that scene when Triton destroys her grotto, a moment that is often senseless, hateful and violent even when looking back now. Learning to love/understand Triton as a child and as an adult despite that helps me to love/understand my father; he's a very odd, quiet, intimidating person who's hard to talk to, but he's someone you know who is reliable and powerful who you always know will be able to fix things when they go wrong, just like Ariel thinks of her father. And I have to remind myself that Ursula is an evil character we shouldn't want to win ( ), even though I can't help but admire how intelligent, determined and talented she is and see those as desirable qualities to emulate. Sometimes I see Ariel--Ursula as a scale of morality I rate myself on, the differences between them despite both their ambitions. The film has helped me religiously, too, because I do see things in the film that mean something to me even if they aren't intentional.

I also feel like TLM is a part of my daily life in little ways. I know it's stupid to most people, but I've had moments in my life when I've been seriously overwhelmed, where the only thing that's helped me keep going another day is putting on TLM for an hour and then I feel like I can move on again. That's not very often, but it's nice I've learned a way to calm myself down. Sometimes the first part of the Main Title can make me cry, but usually it's that last choral moment of the film after, "I love you, Daddy," and, "Now they can walk/Now they can run/Now they can stay all day in the sun/etc." I guess it reminds me that one day, even if it's not in this life, we'll all have happiness whether or not the way we dreamed.

Yes, I really do feel like The Little Mermaid is just wrapped up in my identity, and it'll always be a part of who I am. Some people feel the same about Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Mary Poppins, or The Wizard of Oz (the latter of which was also a favorite of mine as a child), and The Little Mermaid is mine. It inspired me artistically (even if I never did pursue becoming an animator, partially because I suck at drafting and partially because 2D was dying at that point), it inspired me to write in the hope of creating characters that powerful, and it inspired me to love the theatrical even though I never could've pursued acting because of self-consciousness and stage fright. I still remember watching this film over and over and over--to the point, my mother finally broke the VHS because it was always sitting out--pausing scenes, particularly of Ursula and her tentacles to see cel after cel in amazement at the underwater movement of the hair and lower bodies, the bubbles, the lighting effects, the smoke of Ursula's cauldron, even the trident, and then trying to re-create the images myself and trying to replicate the emotions/line-readings of the songs. The experience felt and still occasionally feels surreal--this was made by people, I have to keep reminding myself. The film is overwhelming, an overload of so many magnificent things going on, which maybe is why it helps me when I'm overwhelmed, giving me a taste of great things that can be made real. Even though I may come back to it at times and worry that the animation isn't as great as it would've been under Walt or that what I love is seen by some others as regressive or questionable, I don't think I could ever not love this film. It's just not in me.

Thanks for making this thread, Atlantica, and for posting the article (loved the last line and I feel the same--I'm so glad it's a part of our world).

[tweeb²]

Regarding TLM I have a similar story, I watched when I was five in the big screen, it was the second movie I've seen in a theatre, and I distinctly remember it scared the living hell out of me, specially when Ursula was on scene. Then I forgot about it a little bit, it helped that I didn't have the VHS as I did with the Disney movies that followed, Rescuers Down Under, BatB or Aladdin, I only had a cassette tape with the songs.

But at the end of 2009, something led me to it again, you see, I was about to finish college and off to work, presumably, as the crisis hit so hard in Spain and I had to wait longer to get a job, and to add to that, It was the most nostalgic season of the year ever, Christmas Eve. So you know, It hit me like a train at full speed, nostalgia, about childhood, the anticipation for Christmas, the bliss, the sense of wonder and discovery when you looked at everything, having no problems, etc.

So I started watching old cartoons in Youtube and I found this clip, in gorgeous quality, it was the song "Part of Your World" and I remembered how big it was when I was a kid, but then I saw it as an adult. The quality of the animation, the details, the song, the passion, I searched for it and I discovered this movie may be the one that brought Disney Animation from the dead (well..that and Who framed Roger Rabbit!) . so I respected the movie all the more. Its not my favorite , but I have a huge respect for this film, how well it portrays the struggles of a teenager and how well it reflects the passion of the team that worked on it, you can almost feel it glowing.

Oh and I agree with all of you, the orchestral piece at the beginning of the movie with the main theme is so powerful you can't help it but to feel emotional, I just listened to it to celebrate the Anniversary!!

[MeerkatKombat]

I'm also the same age as The Little Mermaid but I have never seen it in cinemas sadly.
My strongest memory of the Little Mermaid is this book and the VHS

Sorry it is a large image!
I loved this book. I loved the pictures. They absolutely mesmerized me as a child including all the other Disney Ladybird books. The characters all looked like they had come straight out the film. I used to trace them all the time and colour them in.
I remember being about 13 and me and my best friend at the time decided we would just draw pictures of the little mermaid all afternoon. I was most upset when I found out my mum had thrown all the ladybird books away. This was the book I loved the most.
My nan made me a Little Mermaid costume with tail and purple seashell bra (she was a seamstress). Couldn't walk in it but I had my Flounder and Sebastian soft toys and a fork, so I used to crawl on the floor and be Ariel (lol). I also had several Ariel dolls and Little Mermaid Polly pockets with the tiny figures that had Eric's castle on top and opened up at the bottom so you could play under the sea. Brilliant.

I also owned the 1990 VHS and it had the Euro Disney preview at the end and it looked amazing, I've never wanted to go somewhere so badly. That preview was magical. I loved all the songs and used to rewind Part Of Your World and Poor Unfortunate souls. Even as a kid, the different coloured lighting at the end of Poor Unfortunate souls used to look really cool. I kept the VHS right up until the DVD came out in 2006. I got it for Christmas and fell in love with it all over again.
I threw all my VHS away and the regretted it earlier this year but I managed to get a Little Mermaid VHS when it turned up in my local DVD shop who give VHS away for free. Now I have the Little Mermaid on VHS, DVD and Bluray. I wish there had been a collectors edition with a book. Always annoyed that TLM has come towards the end of the Disney schedule so doesn't get the nice gift sets as Disney becomes lazy.

[DancingCrab]

Today is the official 25th Anniversary! I was 13 when the movie came out...totally changed my life direction into becoming an artist. Thank you Ariel & Co. for being a huge part of 25 years of great memories!

[bruno_wbt]

My favorite movie of all time! Happy Anniversary!

[jazzflower92]

Its too bad Kenneth Mars is no longer with us.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Mars

I have to say that King Triton has to be one of Disney's most complex parental characters. He does try to be a good father but his flaws like prejudices against humans colors his views. One moment I think in the movie that becomes sadder for me now as an adult is when after Ariel becomes human and he becomes distraught after he cannot find his daughter anywhere.

[tsom]

Before a young Lion became a King, before a Beauty tamed a Beast, before Aladdin unleashed a Genie, there was a Little Mermaid who dreamed of something more. Happy 25th anniversary to the film that took millions of people on an adventure in fantasy somewhere under the sea and beyond our imaginations!

The Little Mermaid is my second favorite Disney film, and it will always have a special place in my heart.

[jazzflower92]

The movie that took Disney out of the Dark Ages and into the Renaissance. That reminds me that All Dogs Go To Heaven is celebrating its 25th anniversary as well. Don Bluth was beating Disney during the 80's with each new highly praised film coming out. When Little Mermaid came out in 1989 people were ready for a new era of Disney.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Dogs_Go_to_Heaven

[DylanCharles90]

Check out my special anniversary piece for the movie :

http://dylanbonner.deviantart.com/art/T ... -494977233

[universALLove]

Check out my special anniversary piece for the movie :

http://dylanbonner.deviantart.com/art/T ... -494977233

Very nice

[Babaloo]

Check out my special anniversary piece for the movie :

http://dylanbonner.deviantart.com/art/T ... -494977233

I haven't posted here in a while, but I don't have an account with DeviantArt. This is beautiful !!! I love your style of art! We're you ever thinking of selling prints of it?

[blackcauldron85]

Ground Zero of Animation's renaissance
http://animationguildblog.blogspot.com/ ... sance.html

‘The Little Mermaid’ at 25: Ariel was the birth of the spunky Disney princess
http://popwatch.ew.com/2014/11/17/littl ... c356665fb3

[unprincess]

I saw it on my 16th b-day in December 1989. I saw it with my mom and when Ariel says "Im 16 yrs old, Im not a child anymore!" my mom looked at me and we laughed. After we went to eat at Mcd's & bought the happy meal b/c I loved the box art. Thank God my Mom wasnt one of those parents who thought I was too old to be watching animation.

Oliver and Company is still my first sentimental fave of Disney's classics but LM showed me just how immersive an animated film could be...it really felt like you were underwater with Ariel & that you were surrounded by magic.

[Disney's Divinity]

Check out my special anniversary piece for the movie :

http://dylanbonner.deviantart.com/art/T ... -494977233

Oh, that's very nice! It reminds me of "There's Only One Ariel."

[Prince Edward]

'The Little Mermaid' at 25: Ariel was the birth of the spunky Disney princess
http://popwatch.ew.com/2014/11/17/littl ... c356665fb3

We ranked every song in 'The Little Mermaid'
http://popwatch.ew.com/2014/11/17/littl ... gs-ranked/

[DisneyJedi]

Honestly, you guys are all lucky to have seen this movie on the big screen. I never did because I was literally a baby when it came to theaters. Hmm...

As for memories, the first I remember having is being too scared senseless to watch it entirely as a little tyke, thanks to the malicious grin Ursula makes at the camera. It never helped that it was a closeup shot of her face!

But as I grew up, I came to get over that fear and appreciate the movie as a whole. Heck, I think Ariel was my first animated crush. One time, we were at Disney World in 2009 and my sister waited in line with me to meet Ariel at her grotto. When it was my turn, Ariel took notice of this t-shirt I was wearing with the caption 'I have a million excuses. Which one do you want to hear?' and she asked me for help in making an excuse for missing her recital and I simply suggested she could say she just forgot. She thought it was a good excuse because she admitted she was forgetful.

Another fond TLM-related memory I have is meeting the voice of Ariel herself, Jodi Benson. I was there in Disney World for the New Fantasyland unveiling and I spent what I think was an hour looking for her, giving up and then finding her. She let me get a picture with her and I let her know that she was such an inspiration to me and she told me I was such a blessing.

[Disney Duster]

Awwww everybody. The Little Mermaid is my second favorite Disney film (though sometimes I think Sleeping Beauty is). It is a magical, incredible, dreamy, passionate, vibrant piece of art. Ursula was always my favorite character in it, and she is my second favorite villain (after Maleficent). Ariel is my third favorite princess because of her beautiful tail. But of course, she is one of the best Disney heroines ever, if not the best. She just has so much character to her!

I remember begging and begging my mother to take me to see it in 1997, but she refused. The only reason I have the gorgeous lithograph they gave to people who went was because my mother and aunt went to see it.

Ok your mom didn't take you to see it...but went to see it herself, with your grandmother? WTF?! Why?! That's really cruel of her! I'm sorry!