MovieChat Forums > Thumbelina (1994) Discussion > Distorted lessons from this movie

Distorted lessons from this movie

posted 14 years ago by keykeyx100000
27 replies | jump to latest

1) Love at first sight exists, AND you can experience love at first sight with a rich prince that happens to be a fictional creature, and it will be genuine.

2) When you are smaller than the average person, no one will respect what you want.

3) Kidnappers with ulterior motives make more sense than prince charming practically proposing upon meeting.

4) If you are attractive enough, you can be the center-focus of everyone's desires because everything can be about you. HOWEVER, if enough people call you ugly, you shouldn't have enough self esteem to believe otherwise until someone compliments you.

4.1) "If the prince thinks you're beautiful, you are". You are definitely ugly otherwise.

5) When you are stuck, wait for something to come save you.

6) A beatleman (unattractive) can't kiss you up your arm, but a prince (attractive guy) can fly you around to the great unknown, profess his love to you, attempt to kiss you and promise you forever.

Or, maybe it's just one of those movies that is justified because it's a cartoon?-- I'm glad I had a mother that dispelled those myths about being female and dealing with the opposite sex.

Side note: Does anyone else thing Ms. Toad's On The Road song is the best part of the film?

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] keykeyx100000 14 years ago

Love it or hate it, do you agree with the message?

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] keykeyx100000 14 years ago

I didn't intend to offend. I don't agree with cincerella either, but I think it's a cute film.

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] keykeyx100000 14 years ago

Yes, she seemed pretty helpless and if it weren't for mice or a fairy godmother, she would of been stuck as a maid. There was no independence or strong will. Then again, I prefer Pirates of the Caribbean type movies for modeling. Keira plays a strong independent character that follows her heart truly.

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] keykeyx100000 14 years ago

I didn't even know there was a 2!

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] CosmosX9 14 years ago

Personally, I think the OP has a point. I understand that you grew up with this movie, that's okay with me. :)

I used to like it too, but when I got older, this movie became more strange to me, and it didn't make a whole lot of sense. Plus, most of the characters were pretty annoying to me (especially Jacquimoe *sp?*).

"I think George Lucas is gonna sue somebody!"

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] CosmosX9 14 years ago

Like the fact that Jacquimoe decided find the "Veil of the Fairies" WITHOUT taking Thumbelina along, or how he dragged her on the lilly pad, instead of offering to get on his back, and simply fly her to shore....?

Plus, Thumbelina didn't even know why she loved Corneilious (sp?), she just thought he was cute. :/

"I think George Lucas is gonna sue somebody!"

[–] thereseuphemiaabernathy 12 years ago

I dunno, I think I could fall in love pretty quickly with a guy who flew me around and promised all those wonderful things, and seemed to be as genuine, sincere, kind, generous, loyal, and courageous as Cornelius...xD But yeah, it is definitely possible to look back and find some questionable "lessons" in childhood classics that were probably close to the opposite of the film's intended message, and that you likely did not "learn" from it as a kid!
The Cinderella sequels do some good things for the characters (although I always found Cinderella to have an incredible sort of quiet, inner strength that permitted her to remain such a good, kind, caring person despite her horrible life of enslavement and constant abuse.) I will, however, always love the original more...no matter how much I may adore Prudence, and Anastasia's relationship with the baker!! I mean, I grew up on Disney movies, still love them as much as ever, and wound up a strong feminist with good values...so while we can analyze the films now and come up with negative perspectives, I for one fortunately took away just the positive lessons and morals when I was younger. Disney succeeded!

[–] stayprettystockholm 12 years ago

Oh, you mean like Ariel. and Jasmine. And Rapunzel. And Odette.

Though you're dressed in rags, you wear an air of queenly grace

[–] LadyMiraculous 11 years ago

Oh, you mean like Ariel, and Jasmine. And Rapunzel. And Odette.

Well, you may have a good point about Ariel, but I don't think you're on the ball with Jasmine, Rapunzel, and Odette.

You see, Jasmine didn't fall in love with Aladdin because of his looks, she fell in love with him because he was being nice to her, and helping her survive the market place. Rapunzel didn't even fall in love with Flynn at first sight! She may have tried to flirt with him when she started asking where he's from (while walking through the tunnel), but they never actually start to "fall in love" until the lantern scene.

As for Odette, well, it's debatable on whether or not she fell in love with Derek at first sight. I mean she seemed kind of smitten with him, until he refused to kiss her hand, but then when she sees him as a young adult again, she completely falls for him (until she starts asking him "the big question", if you know what I mean ). So again, I think Odette's relationship with Derek is debatable, to say the least.

Let the storm rage on, the cold never bothered me anyway...
[Formerly CosmosX9]

[–] KatieBird693 13 years ago

Absolutely! Cinderella 3 is fantastic, she actually is a well-developed character with a backbone who does things for herself. The 2nd one was really lame but the 3rd was actually great!

[–] stayprettystockholm 12 years ago

Taking care of herself and animals is helpless? I can't even...

And why are Disney/Bluth/etc fans so obsessed with "following your heart"? What does this have to do with being a good role model or whatever? You guys clearly dont even know what it means and are
just parrotting it because it sounds so romantic.

Following your heart is the definition of selfish and naive. I also dont recall Elizabeth Swann (a flat, unoriginal character) doing anything of the sort anyway.

that's really naive and pretty conformist to how society says women must be to imply a strong girl like Cinderella is weak just because she was unable to do anything more. Lol, I would love to see how you guys would act in a trapped, abusive situation like that where you have no one to help you with nowhere to go. Critical thinking and common sense are not hard to use.

Though you're dressed in rags, you wear an air of queenly grace

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] LadyMiraculous 11 years ago

And why are Disney/Bluth/etc fans so obsessed with "following your heart?"

They're not! But this movie clearly is.

Seriously, in the movie, you hear Jacquimoe constantly singing: You're sure to do impossible things, if you follow your heart! You're dreams will fly on magical wings, if you follow you're heart!

It's right there in the freaking song! I don't see how you could've missed that!
And besides, Disney/Bluth fans aren't saying that to sound "romantic" (that's just dumb), it's this freaking movie that's trying to force that message down our throats!

Let the storm rage on, the cold never bothered me anyway...
[Formerly CosmosX9]

[–] LadyMiraculous 12 years ago

You can say what you want about Cinderella, and Snow White, but give them some credit! At least they were optimistic and useful in their own ways. Thumbelina was neither of those things, she just spent the whole movie whining about how "impossible" everything was.

"A Decepticon never retreats" -Starscream (G1)
[Formerly CosmosX9]

[–] stayprettystockholm 12 years ago

To be fair, there's not a whole lot a thumb sized girl can do. She also isn't being abused like those two, who from it were able to develop an enormous amount of emotional strength. Thumbelina was also *literally* born yesterday, lol. She can't have learned much in such a short amount of time but was smart considering her young age. I think she's pretty determined, too, which is a trait I always hear people praise in Ariel, Rapunzel, Tiana, etc.

Though you're dressed in rags, you wear an air of queenly grace

[–] Avatar19 13 years ago

Is it just me or was there a racist subtext to this?

The major villains trying to kidnap and marry the white girl were a Hispanic toads and a mole that looked oddly like an overweight black preacher, the voices are obvious too.

Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future.

[–] keykeyx100000 13 years ago

HAhah ! WOW I never thought of that, and it was in our faces the whole time. Yeah, it's kind of like 20's cartoons. If you google some racist Warner Brothers you won't believe what they got away with.

Thanks for pointing that out.

(although, I'll admit the Toad song On The Road is a personal fave)

[–] StarskyandChinaHutch 12 years ago

Man, he would have been a lot cooler if he actually were a Beatle man... then they could have him sing a song that's actually good!

Who busts the Crimebusters?

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] cheedo 11 years ago

Yeah, like the one he had, instead of cringeworthy stuff like Love Me Do, Ob La Di, Birthday, Hey Jude, Dear Prudence, Ticket to Ride... golly, quite a few.

Who looks at a screwdriver and thinks, "This could be a little more sonic"?

[–] SkittlesMilly 11 years ago

I must say, about half of those lessons were more things like '100 things I learned from ......' more than lessons that you can really apply to anything.

And nope, I actually really hate 'On The Road', it's up there with 'Marry the Mole'. You are entitled to like it but I preferred 'Soon', 'Let me Be Your Wings' and the sun song more. I found the rest of them to be kind of cheese-y, if I'm honest.

Believe me, nothing is trivial. - Eric Draven, The Crow.