Are Disney Films only for children?

[jeffs854]

No!!! Disney films are not just for children.
I am a 33 yr old guy with 44 titles by Disney. I love the Walt Disney Treasures, and will collect Disney DVD's as long as they continue to release works that Walt helped to create. I am looking forward to Lion King being released this year, but the REAL magic is still what Walt did himself.
Hope Eisner reads the posts on this site and figures out what Disney fans really want to be able to collect.
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[TheBionicWoman]

For all the positive feedback. I'm glad that there are other people here that feel the same way. I'll ignore the cynical people who think that cartoons are for kids, and I'll enjoy them!

[Maerj]

Welcome Scaramanga! It's always nice to see a Star Wars fan!

Wait... that quote was from Star Wars wasn't it? I believe Qui-Gon Jinn said it to the "Queen" in The Phantom Menace, but now that I've looked at your site, I don't think that's where you got it

[he backs away into a dark corner where nobody can see his stupidity]

I think it is from Clones. So you are right... a Star Wars quote.

And just to keep this on topic: Disney rocks! Buy 'em all!

Oh, yes and welcome Scaramanga!

The quote WAS from Star Wars Episode I, Qui Gon Jinn said it to Queen Amidala. Obi Wan had a similar line in Episode II: "We're here to protect you Senator, not to start an investigation."

[blackcauldron85]

Apparently some psychologists don't think that some Disney films are good influences on children:

article: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... -pals.html

commentary: http://animationguildblog.blogspot.com/ ... ences.html

The report says that some characters, like Mowgli, in the Jungle Book, and Alice, in Alice in Wonderland, are able to successfully handle to threats they face from adults, suggesting they could have a positive educational impact on children. However, it points out that they do so without telling a trusted adult.

But, Mowgli doesn't have a trusted adult...I mean, except for Baloo, but he's not even with him the whole time! And Alice doesn't have a trusted adult with her in Wonderland!

further four films – Snow White, Pinocchio, Alice in Wonderland and The Jungle Book – were found to show childlike characters in "risky situations" where strangers approach them with "hidden malevolence" and promise rewards in exchange for their compliance.

At least with Snow White, the "stranger" (who isn't even really a stranger, but I know that she was appearing as a stranger to Snow White) dies in the end, so kids can know that evil will suffer! And we assume/hope that Pinocchio has learned his lesson by the end of the film. And when Mowgli goes to the man-village, we can assume that he'll have some adult supervision! And Wonderland was all in Alice's head...she's safe in England with her sister (and other family members, if she lives with them)!

The report concludes: "The findings raise questions about potential impacts on child audiences. Is the unwanted contact and risky situation content appropriate viewing for children, given efforts to teach children sexual safety?"

Whoever did this report is, in my opinion, downplaying the role of parents. a) Parents can talk about the content of films while or after watching, and b) Parents will talk to their kids about strangers and private parts and whatnot.

A bit of history: There were like, no animation story departments, zero, that had psychiatrists on call when those departments were cobbling screen stories together before and long after World War II. 'Toon story departments were mostly filled with male artists who smoked and drank too much, and beat their heads against storyboards trying to come up with The Funny any damn way they freaking could.

Nobody had heard about psycholigical correctness, political correctness or any of the other correctnesses. It just didn't cross their minds.

Exactly! They're movies! They're cartoons! And they do have good moral lessons in them! (I had another point to make but it just slipped my mind...)

No parent can protect her or his kids from every bad influence. Little Dora and Johnny will be hearing multiple f-bombs explode on the school playground; they will use cell phones too much and risk brain cancer; they will eat fatty foods and not wear sufficient sunscreen. They will cross Main Street without looking ... and a chosen few, sadly,will get grea sed by a fast-moving car.

And some will view old, unenlightened animated cartoons and be psychologically warped with the wrong message for hours, weeks, and months ... sometimes years.

But the good news is, even with all the hazards, all the nasty media influences, most parents will raise and mold their kids well enough that most will reach the same functional adulthood as billions of kids before them, and become productive citizens.

Exactly, again! I think that, by watching movies with your kids, starting when your kids are small, you will have discussions on everything from how the kids liked the movies to how they feel about certain situations, to learning lessons from them ("You see how much trouble Pinocchio got into when he talked with strangers? Do you want that to happen to you? It's not proper to talk with strangers. We have told family and family friends a special code word to say; if a stranger ever comes up to you and says that we sent them to get you, if they don't say the code word, then you know that they're a true stranger...").

*********

And, I definitely don't think that Disney films are just for children. I mean, something like "JoJo's Circus" or "Little Einsteins" are made for children- learning about whatever they teach...but I've even gotten some enjoyment out of shows like that as an adult.

Walt used to say something about how the films are made for the child in everyone. Some adults have more child in them than others...the stories have so much going for them...above anything else, though, they're entertainment, and who doesn't like to be entertained?

[ajmrowland]

Amy, I might add the small detail that Nageera was also intended to be a trusted adult figure to Mowgli, but in a different vein than Baloo was.

[merlinjones]

"I do not make films primarily for children. I make them for the child in all of us, whether we be six or sixty. Call the child innocence. The worst of us is not without innocence, although buried deeply it might be. In my work I try to reach and speak to that innocence, showing it the fun and joy of living; showing it that laughter is healthy; showing it that the human species, although happily ridiculous at times, is still reaching for the stars."- - Walt Disney

"I just make what I like - warm and human stories, ones about historic characters and events, and about animals. If there is a secret, I guess it's that I never make the pictures too childish, but always try to get in a little satire of adult foibles." - - Walt Disney

"Adults are interested if you don't play down to the little 2 or 3 year olds or talk down. I don't believe in talking down to children. I don't believe in talking down to any certain segment. I like to kind of just talk in a general way to the audience. Children are always reaching." - - Walt Disney

"I think one reason why people like our films is that so much effort is made to give them adult as well as child appeal. Children laugh at entirely different things from those which amuse grown people. Where the subject matter is a little deep for children, amusing action must be injected to hold their interest." - - Walt Disney

"I didn't treat my youngsters like frail flowers, and I think no parent should. Children are people, and they should have to reach to learn about things, to understand things, just as adults have to reach if they want to grow in mental stature. Life is composed of lights and shadows, and we would be untruthful, insincere and saccharine if we tried to pretend there were no shadows. Most things are good, and they are the strongest things, but there are evil things, too, and you could do a child no favor by trying to shield it from reality. The important thing is to teach a child that good can always triumph over evil, and that is what our pictures do." - - Walt Disney

"Childishness? I think it's the equivalent of never losing your sense of humor. I mean, there's a certain something that you retain. It's the equivalent of not getting so stuffy that you can't laugh at others." - - Walt Disney

"Why do we have to grow up? I know more adults who have the children's approach to life. They're people who don't give a hang what the Joneses do. You see them at Disneyland every time you go there. They are not afraid to be delighted with simple pleasures, and they have a degree of contentment with what life has brought - sometimes it isn't much, either." - - Walt Disney

"That’s the real trouble with the world, too many people grow up. They forget. They don’t remember what it’s like to be twelve years old. They patronize; they treat children as inferiors. I won’t do that. I’ll temper a story, yes. But I won’t play down, and I won’t patronize." - - Walt Disney

"You can't live on things made for children or for critics. I've never made films for either of them. Disneyland is not just for children. I don't play down." - - Walt Disney

"You’re dead if you aim only for kids. Adults are only kids grown up, anyway." - - Walt Disney

[slave2moonlight]

I just wanted to hear somebody say this. I have been teased before about having an animated collection in my home. I have no children, and have love animated films since I was young.(teens,20's). I have japanese anime as well. Thanks for encouragement!

I'm about to be 34 and have no kids (or wife), but I collect all Disney films and also have a big toy/collectible collection. Yeah, some stuff is made just for kids, but that never used to be the goal of Disney. Walt's idea was always to create entertainment for kids and adults at the same time (it's one of the things they've slacked off on a lot lately with Disney Channel and the parks, because there's more money supposedly in just targeting specific age groups, though it has a negative social effective, further segregating us by age and keeping families in different rooms watching different stuff).

Anyway, I don't know if it depends on the part of the country/world you're in or just the family you're born into or kind of people you hang out with, but some folks are still very primitive in their thinking when it comes to stuff like animation and Disney. It's one of my biggest pet peeves when false labels are applied to Disney and animation and people who like them. I, personally, would avoid people like that.

[Marky_198]

There are many films, like Bambi, or The Hunckback of the Notre Dame, that are actually films for adults.
You have to be older to fully understand the beauty of the depth, story, and the musical score of these films.
Bambi is a very mature masterpiece.

[Flower's Friend]

When I first started reading this just now I did not know that it was started in 2003. I am 32 now and when this thread started I must have been around 26 years old.

Anyways my 26 year old self in 2003 and my 32 year old self in 2009 both love Disney Animated films. These films are made for everyone. They are films for adults and they are films for children. If someone told me that Disney films are only for children (and they meant children around the age or 7 and 9) I might would tell them to look at the Beautiful artwork in Pinocchio and Sleeping Beauty. Beautiful artwork is something that adults have enjoyed long before even Walt Disney himself was even born.

There are many reasons why Disney Animation films are not just for children and the Beautiful artwork is just one of those reasons. Walt Disney himself said that he never made any films just for children.

I have lots of Disney Animated films such as Disney's version of the Little Mermaid and I also have some other Animated films such as The Last Unicorn,The Secret of NIMH and Charlotte's Web.

I also have an Animated version of the Little Mermaid that is not the Disney version and in no way is this just a children's movie. This version of the Little Mermaid is very close to the book and I felt like it was a very powerful film for both adults and children. I was very happy with this film. It's nice to have this version and the Disney version of the Little Mermaid. Both versions are very different from eachother and I like having them both.

I always say do what makes you happy. If someone wants to watch Animated films there is nothing wrong with that. If someone does not want to watch Animated there is nothing wrong with that. Some people enjoy Animated films and some people don't enjoy Animated films. We are all different and the fact that we are different makes this world a very fun place

[blackcauldron85]

Amy, I might add the small detail that Nageera was also intended to be a trusted adult figure to Mowgli, but in a different vein than Baloo was.

I read your quote a few hours ago, and then a bit after that, and now for a third time...and I just now realized that you meant Bagheera. I had no idea who the heck you were talking about!

Yes, Bagheera is an adult, but just like Baloo (even though Bagheera is somewhat more responsible than Baloo), he's not with him the whole time...I mean, no adult is with their kid 24/7...but Bagheera wasn't around every time Mowgli encountered something unsavory (for lack of a better word)...

"I didn't treat my youngsters like frail flowers, and I think no parent should. Children are people, and they should have to reach to learn about things, to understand things, just as adults have to reach if they want to grow in mental stature. Life is composed of lights and shadows, and we would be untruthful, insincere and saccharine if we tried to pretend there were no shadows. Most things are good, and they are the strongest things, but there are evil things, too, and you could do a child no favor by trying to shield it from reality. The important thing is to teach a child that good can always triumph over evil, and that is what our pictures do." - - Walt Disney

That's something that I love about Walt and his filmmaking philosophy; some parents will complain that certain villains are scary, or that Pinocchio shouldn't talk to strangers, etc., but there are scary people out there, and there are strangers who will talk to children; just talk to your kids, don't shelter them.

[ajmrowland]

Amy, I might add the small detail that Nageera was also intended to be a trusted adult figure to Mowgli, but in a different vein than Baloo was.

I read your quote a few hours ago, and then a bit after that, and now for a third time...and I just now realized that you meant Bagheera. I had no idea who the heck you were talking about!

Yes, Bagheera is an adult, but just like Baloo (even though Bagheera is somewhat more responsible than Baloo), he's not with him the whole time...I mean, no adult is with their kid 24/7...but Bagheera wasn't around every time Mowgli encountered something unsavory (for lack of a better word)...

"I didn't treat my youngsters like frail flowers, and I think no parent should. Children are people, and they should have to reach to learn about things, to understand things, just as adults have to reach if they want to grow in mental stature. Life is composed of lights and shadows, and we would be untruthful, insincere and saccharine if we tried to pretend there were no shadows. Most things are good, and they are the strongest things, but there are evil things, too, and you could do a child no favor by trying to shield it from reality. The important thing is to teach a child that good can always triumph over evil, and that is what our pictures do." - - Walt Disney

That's something that I love about Walt and his filmmaking philosophy; some parents will complain that certain villains are scary, or that Pinocchio shouldn't talk to strangers, etc., but there are scary people out there, and there are strangers who will talk to children; just talk to your kids, don't shelter them.

Ah! *facepalm*.

[Sky Syndrome]

"I didn't treat my youngsters like frail flowers, and I think no parent should. Children are people, and they should have to reach to learn about things, to understand things, just as adults have to reach if they want to grow in mental stature. Life is composed of lights and shadows, and we would be untruthful, insincere and saccharine if we tried to pretend there were no shadows. Most things are good, and they are the strongest things, but there are evil things, too, and you could do a child no favor by trying to shield it from reality. The important thing is to teach a child that good can always triumph over evil, and that is what our pictures do."- - Walt Disney

Very nice! I like how poetic it is. That quote really needs to be spread around in real life. Schools and daycares should have posters of that quote hung up.

[Goliath]

No way! Like someone said earlier in this thread: it takes an adult to appreciate the fine artwork, the layered storylines, the depth of the characters, the cleverness of the songs' lyrics etc. Kids enjoy Disney-films, yes, but real appreciation...? I think that only comes as an adult. Someone mentioned Bambi and Hunchback as films for adults. I agree, although Disney pandered to kids in the last by having the gargoyles making fartjokes. But there's also Pinocchio, which is extremely dark, and a modern Classic like Lilo & Stitch. I think, nowadays, Disney does produce an awful lot of films and tv series aimed only at kids. Basically any post-millennium tv-series, except for Kim Possible, can only be enjoyed by 10 year olds. Same goes for the cheapquels and teenybopper fare like High School Musical. *Sigh* It's just not Mary Poppins anymore...

I'm 23 years old now and I don't care what anyone thinks about it. Luckily I'm doing a Film and Television studies, so nobody raises an eyebrow when I tell them I like Disney-films. I even got to write two papers on Disney movies. I also enjoy Disney comics, which, contrary to the US, are still widely popular in Europe. The comics I like most were made in the 1940s, '50s and '60s by Carl Barks. He had the same attitude toward comics as Disney had to films: never aim just at kids. Although Barks took it one big step further, and his comics, especially the ones before 1956, are loaded with parody, sarcasm, cynicism and a very cold, hard depiction of real life.

[CampbellzSoup]

I'm a big kid anyway so it works out for me regardless.

[Mooky]

Amy, I might add the small detail that Nageera was also intended to be a trusted adult figure to Mowgli, but in a different vein than Baloo was.

Though if you think about it, that name does suit him...

[ajmrowland]

It seems to me that the US gets pretty self-absorbed. I never heard of the Disney comics, and I doubt many people in the US have. We're too involved in our own way of life to think about the attributes anyone eastward.

Just saying it doesn't hurt to do a little more involving foreign relations.

[Wonderlicious]

On the topic of the psycho-analysis: Well, as much as those psychiatrists care, I think that they've gone a bit over-critical. The article makes out that the conclusion of their studies is that children who watch Disney movies are going to become fair-game for paedophiles. And maybe I need to watch Robin Hood again...but why is that film of all things being brought into the mix?

On the topic at hand: It's quite fair to say that kids have certainly not been ignored when it comes to Disney films. However, aside from some of the cheaper direct-to-video films and a few other "bad day" films, I would say that Disney has for the most part produced enough universal films.

[Goliath]

It seems to me that the US gets pretty self-absorbed. I never heard of the Disney comics, and I doubt many people in the US have. We're too involved in our own way of life to think about the attributes anyone eastward.

They used to be huge in the US during the 1940's, 50's and 60's. Almost every Disney character used to have his own monthly magazine: Donald Duck, Uncle Scrooge, Mickey Mouse... even Chip and Dale! But the main attraction was "Walt Disney's Comics and Stories". During the 1970's and early 1980's they suffered a sharp drop in quality and sales dropped heavily. In the 1990's, only a few tens of thousands were sold in the US, and at the dawn of the millennium the faded out of existence altogether. They were brought back temporarily in 2003, but because the general public isn't interested, prices were high and they were relegated to special luxury book shops, were they once again died down.

Meanwhile, millions of people in each European country have a subscription to one or more weekly or monthly Disney comics magazines. Donald Duck is the main star in most comics, along with Scrooge McDuck and Huey, Duey and Louie. Often, writers try to incorporate relevant current events in the stories, so they can be enjoyed by adults as well as children.

[seanjonmc]

Of course not! I'm 24 and I love Disney films. I've been watching them since I was a kid, and I will continue to watch them always.

[Black pearl]

Of course Disney films are not just for children. Walt Disney said that himself.

You are never too old for a disney fact!

I am a young adult & I love disney films And I think you will find that most of the members here are adults/young adults.

Now a days it is the kids that don't want to watch a disney film, they would rather a film with more explosions & car chases! They don't know what they are missing.