Onions, Cakes, and Parfaits.

One of my favorite Disney movies of all time is The Hunchback of Notre Dame. And I remember watching it as a child and enjoying it for what it is: a good movie. But it wasn't until I watched it again as an older person that I fully realized what was going on.

Hunchback of ND is definitely one of Disney's darker and more complex films, which is probably why I like it so much. But when you look at it as a child it doesn't seem to be about much of anything. There's a nice romance and a lovable main character. Not to mention all that wonderful comic relief that the gargoyles provide. It's the surface layer that appeals most to children. When you go back as an adult (although I don't consider myself an adult) and watch it again you start to peel back the layers of the film. You start to deal with things like oppression, prejudice, mental abuse, lust, and using religion as an excuse to be a tyrant. You feel the creepiness and realness of Judge Frollo and you start to really understand what drives him throughout the film. When I watched it again I personally found Frollo to be the embodiment of rape culture, which as a child went right over my head. I also found myself to be a lot like Esmerelda. Someone who wants equality and justice and will do anything to get it, even die. And perhaps I am like her because I watched the movie so much as a kid. Maybe because she's strong, intelligent, and confident I wanted to be those things too.

Just this year Pixar came out with the film Inside Out. I remember sitting in the theatre with my friend Alex and Sadness says "Crying helps me slow down and obsess over the weight of life's problems" and I just thought to myself This is a children's movie. And then I thought, Good. It should be a children's film. And it reminds me of Hunchback of ND because of the deeper and a little bit darker themes behind it. This movie is easily about mental illness and depression. It shows how depression isn't about just being sad it's about not feeling anything. It's about a numbness which is beautifully illustrated. But because I've only seen it as an adult I can't speak for how a child views it. But I do think that the movie teaches children (if it were to teach something) that it's okay to be sad. But adults (or at least me) view it as anyone can get depression. And that it's not something to be taken lightly. That it should be talked about and addressed in children's media. I think that it shows kids that their feelings are valid and sometimes to be strong you must be weak first. You can't have happiness without sadness. 

  

Overall I think that children should be exposed to things that adults deal with every day. Because they too will eventually have to deal with the very same things. I'm not saying bombard them with crazy amounts of reality when they start to walk and talk but don't be afraid to answer their questions honestly. Cure their curiosity with the truth. Otherwise they'll just be walking blind with confidence, which can be dangerous. There is darkness in the world, so constantly keeping children in the light won't help them grow.