Happily Ever After

When I began this blog 14 months ago, my goal was to create a fun, yet structured outlet to write. I had no idea it would become so much more. It's been an Adventure, to say the least.

Finding Truth
The writing itself turned out to be a process of discovery. Every week I would sit down at my computer and have no idea what I would end up with. But as I wrote I would stumble upon some precious truth found in the film's story, and that process became something I looked forward to every week. I will always treasure those many hours I spent alone finding clever ways to communicate my discoveries.

There were weeks where I wasn't feeling so clever. And some weeks I was feeling plain snarky (though, inexplicably, those posts seemed to receive the most views. This just goes to show everyone must agree with me about Tinkerbell's pantslessness.)

But then there were other weeks when I realized something new or different about a familiar movie. My review of Aladdin is one such example. Though I've seen that movie probably more than any other Disney movie aside from The Lion King, its theme of clinging to that which defines us was a brand new revelation this time around. In my own life this year I have especially wrestled with my identity as a (1) single (2) Asian American (3) woman (4) in ministry. Each of these aspects of my life have weighed as heavily on me as Genie's shackles and often felt as frustrating as Aladdin's fleas (perhaps less itchy, though.) But as I wrote in that review and many others, I have continued to experience the freedom found in Jesus.

In some ways, this blog has provided an unexpected form of discipleship, leading me to dwell on the Gospel every week, and ponder the ways it has taken root in the world and in my life. The True Story of redemption and hope could not stop ringing in my ears. Even despite all the loud belting of "A Whole New World." And it wasn't just me doing the belting. Though probably 95% of it was me. Sorry about that.

Finding Disnerds
This project has served as a great on ramp to community and new friendships. Hosting a weekly movie night for over a year has been tiring but also a wonderful way to practice hospitality. Apparently I am not the only Disnerd out there. Over the 51 weeks I have hosted over 60 different people at my movie nights! Five of those people, Vicki, Kylene, Mimi, Tiana and Christopher, attended over half of the movie nights, and have even started calling themselves Disnerds. I've enjoyed having these friends and others along for my mostly crazy experience. It made me feel less crazy seeing their enthusiasm for what I was doing. Or maybe I just realized that I am surrounded by weirdos. Either way, I've had a blast! I've also learned that Disney is one of those universal topics that everyone can talk about. The perfect icebreaker, and so helpful for an introvert like me!

The Disnerds recently went to Disney in Concert at the Overture Center, dressed in Disney fashion of course. Can you guess which characters inspired each of us?

a few more details pictures of our outfits! :)

Finding Creative Outlets
Possibly what I have loved most is the wide variety of opportunities to channel my creativity. I never realized how energized I could be making Mickey Mouse mummy cupcakes for Halloween or Mickey shaped Christmas ornaments. I found so much joy in gathering data and designing the self-coined phrase "Disnographics." (Maybe a little too much joy.) I think I hit an all-time low, or high, when I actually created Disnerd t-shirts. And my birthday party. Well, we all know how that went down. ;) The passion I have always had to be resourcefully creative has been thoroughly reignited this year.

celebrating nearly every holiday, Disnerd style

The Renaissance, which took me from about March to June this year, was an especially fun season. Who knew getting dressed could be Disnerdified? I'm pretty sure this is a part of my project I will carry into the future. I've already got my outfit planned for Halloween. I'll give you a hint, I will dress as a villain.

Never have I worn so many solid primary colors in one season!

Finding the End
I could probably go on and on about how this blog has changed my life. It sounds ridiculous but it's true. Not only am I proud of myself for accomplishing what I set out to do, I'm also in awe of all that God has poured onto my overflowing cup. I have learned so much about myself and God, and have made so many memories along the way. While I need a bit of a break from blogging for a while, I know I'll be itching to get back to another blog project eventually. This has been way too much fun.

So here we are. This leads me to my final goodbye, and my last words to you from me, the Disnerd:

Never go anywhere without your pants.

The End!

#49: You Must Be Dreaming

Favorite line of the movie: "Just...ONE kiss?" "Unless you beg for more!" Never fails to crack me up.

The Princess & the Frog, 2009
watched September 2, 2012

This film brings us back to familiar territory in the best way possible. We've gone a full 16 weeks since our last princess story, undeniably Disney's most popular genre. The Princess and the Frog also marks a return to traditional hand drawn animation. I can safely say this film redeemed the last one! Thank. The. Lord. Also, we haven't had a full-on musical (where characters actually sing) since Mulan. I am thrilled we're back in a place reminiscent of the Renaissance.

Now that Disney is a decade removed from that wonderful era, have they made any alterations to the formula?

Tiana stands alone amidst the princesses as someone who knows exactly what she wants at the start of the film, pursuing it with complete abandon. Her parents (both of them!) instill in her not only to dream big but to also work hard. Whether or not she actually achieves her dream as she had imagined it, well, that's where the story unfolds.

The story's prince stands out as well. Rich, spoiled Naveen, who spends most of his time in this movie as a frog, appears not to possess a heroic bone, or frog leg, in his body. Additionally, Naveen and Tiana begin their relationship at odds. She's practical, he's a romantic. He loves music and dancing, she'd rather be working. They see each other as obstacles in the way of what they want. Their witty banter and embodiment of "opposites attract" make them refreshing and engaging characters.

One thing Disney hasn't changed, however, is their emphasis on dreaming. "Dreams Come True" is unabashedly thrown all over glittery bedazzled tshirts for girls (and okay, women too. Not that I own one or anything). There's some truth here. Dreamers are compelling because they are driven by something beyond themselves. Their resilience and hope inspire us because we're built to live and hope for something beyond ourselves too.

But while dreams produce passion, if too small, they can also make us single-minded. They can become a reason to act selfishly in disregard of others. What I love about this story is how both Naveen and Tiana learn that their dreams are too narrow. Tiana spends so much time working and saving money to open her restaurant that she doesn't have time to enjoy life. Naveen, conversely, squanders his time and wealth, only to realize it leaves him empty and restless. As the two spend more time together (never mind that it's only two days), they learn the possibility of a bigger view of the world, a bigger dream, leading them to give up their own for something better.

I've had specific moments in my life where I've come to realize that my dream is too small. My idea of what happiness or success is can't be defined by myself. I need others to show me that there's much more than my own view of the world.

There's one Person specifically who can expand our dream. He helps us to stop wandering aimlessly like Naveen and pursue our calling. He helps us to not take life too seriously like Tiana and see beauty and joy in the world. Most of all, as we willingly give up our own dreams, he gives us one that's even better.

Fashion Summary

My goal was to get this done before the summer ended...(according to my job, that means end of August.) So here is my super nerdy Disnographic about my Renaissance fashion adventures! Yup, it's probably more than you ever wanted to know. But I figure that's like my whole blog. So really I'm just being consistent.

I am super proud of myself for putting together a whopping 47 outfits (46 Disney, 1 Avengers) and spending only 80 bucks on 10 new items! I've realized that I'm pretty passionate about being creative on a budget. There are few things that thrill me more.

I also find it quite interesting that I created outfits for twice as many male characters than female characters. I think there are actually a lot more male characters in Disney movies. Weird, huh?

Now for my faves!

1. Favorite Hero Outfit: Hercules
I love this color combination! It's something I definitely would not have done before... in fact, I think this is the only orange-rust colored thing I've ever owned.

Honorable mention: Beast

2. Favorite Heroine Outfit: Belle
Here's an outfit that required no new purchases. Most people remember Belle's yellow evening gown but her "daytime" look is much more my style.

honorable mention: Mulan

3. Favorite Villain Outfit: Gaston
I love that this outfit is both accurate and still totally wearable. I've never worn a belt around this shirt before but now I know I can!

honorable mention: Frollo

4. Favorite Sidekick Outfit: Magic Carpet
This was definitely one of my most creative outfits, straying far from the original character's look. I loved creating a new outfit from old clothes that I could wear again in the future.

Honorable mention: Crikee and Flounder

How do you think I did? Which was your favorite outfit from the entire project? Leave your thoughts in the comments. I need more verbal affirmation, people! haha. 

Renaissance Parallels Pt. 5: Love

It's the last of my Renaissance Venn diagrams! I promise. :)

In this final set I focused on love, unquestionably the central theme to almost all Disney movies. But love doesn't necessarily mean romantic love (though 9 out of 10 times it does). I would like to point out the two fathers featured here: Mufasa and King Triton, both of whom give their lives for their child. Mufasa's death is one of the most emotional moments in the entire Renaissance.

It's also notable that Pocahontas shows up the most often, whereas it had very few appearances in the previous sets. This is probably because the love story in Pocahontas is the most overwhelming and dominating (ie: that movie doesn't have much else going on). It's probably not a coincidence that it's my least favorite Renaissance film. I love a good love story, but not when it becomes the whole story, which is kind of Pocahontas' downfall, in my opinion.

So, what did you think? Did I miss any major similarities? What was most surprising/interesting? Leave your comments!

And check out the other sets here:  main characters  |  songs |  villains  |  sidekicks

Renaissance Parallels Pt. 4: Sidekicks

So you wanna be a sidekick.

Sidekickery is a vital job in the Renaissance. Your first order of business is to tell your hero why you're so awesome. You should do this with great panache - song and dance is a must. After you've gotten the gig, your next task is to tell your hero why he's so awesome. (Heroes tend to have identity crises. They're high maintenance like that.) After that, finding some other talent or way to help out is a good idea. If you can fly, you're pretty much set. Otherwise, you should try to work on bossing other sidekicks around. That way you establish some authority. It also helps if you have a great sense of humor, know how to train your hero for battle, or hold a position as the king's right hand man.

If all else fails, being chubby and cute works just fine.

Renaissance Parallels Pt. 3: Villains

It's time to talk about villains! There are actually a lot of similarities between them.

A good (and by good I mean bad) villain is a key component to a quality Disney movie. The Renaissance has some great ones, but also some ehhh ones (namely Governor Ratcliffe from Pocahontas. Man, does he annoy me).

Observations:

• No Shan-Yu (Mulan)! I suppose he could be considered a 'jealous of the king' villain, sort of. Not quite. He's definitely pretty different from all the others. One of the scariest, that's for sure.
• There's only one appearance by the first Renaissance villain, Ursula, who, not insignificantly, is the only female villain of the series.
• Most frequent appearance: Judge Frollo from Hunchback.  
• I'm not actually sure if Hades is the brother of Zeus. I'm forgetting my Greek mythology at the moment. Anyone want to correct/confirm? 
• My favorite parallel is the hilariously similar way that Frollo and Scar confront the main character (Quasimodo, Simba), atop a high place that's on fire (Notre Dame, Pride Rock) and confess the truth that they killed his parent. Villains always seem to want to confess the truth at the climax of the film as they think they are about to triumph. But it never turns out well because shortly after the confession, the hero has a resurgence of energy and defeats them, and they fall to their demise. 
• I also love how villains can never seem to do anything by themselves. They always have their henchmen do the work, only to get frustrated when they inevitably screw it up. If you were a villain, why would you entrust the most important task (killing your arch nemesis) to your stupid sidekicks? This is highlighted in the satirical Emperor's New Groove, but it actually happens in both The Lion King and Hercules. Seriously. Scar and Hades were smart villains. That was their biggest mistake.

Did I miss any parallels between villains?

Renaissance Parallels Pt. 2: Songs

It's another edition of RenVenns! Music is arguably the Renaissance's greatest achievement. I know I've spent a lot more time playing this music on long car rides (when I can sing along, it helps me stay awake) than I have actually watching the movies.

I already wrote about the types of songs featured in these movies, as exemplified by the Beauty and the Beast soundtrack. So here, I present some of the lyric and content similarities.

There aren't too many patterns here, at least none that are surprising. The most common theme in songs are the main character's search and longing for meaning, fulfillment, love, etc. (every movie except Tarzan has a song about this). Makes sense--these are clearly emotions and thoughts that can only be expressed in song. Wouldn't it be awesome if life were a Disney musical? Whenever I was feeling sad, happy, excited, confused, I could just burst out into a musical number and it'd be exactly what I need.

The design is a bit messy because I added in samples of some of the song lyrics. I know that not everyone knows these songs by heart, as I do. 

Renaissance Parallels Pt. 1: Main Characters

I'd like to say that I noticed similarities between all the Renaissance films after watching them consecutively for these past 3 months. But in reality, I created a highly extensive spreadsheet several years ago. Yes, I just admitted that here in the public blogosphere. I figure after 9 months of Disnerdy antics, I don't have much face left to save.

SO, I thought it was about time to turn that spreadsheet into some fun Disnographics! Here's my first edition of "Renaissance Parallels." This first set of Venn diagrams (should I call them RenVenns? Haha. Wow.) focuses on main characters.

I find it interesting that 5 of these 8 parallels are family-related, two of which have to do with father-child relationships. Also, Tarzan, the latest of the 9* movies I'm comparing, shows up 5 times as well. I suppose by the time they got to Tarzan, they just grabbed stuff from all the previous stories? In any event, you start to see how similar these movies are to each other when you look at them like this.

Coming up: sidekicks, songs, villains and a couple others if I can muster up the time. There are a LOT of parallels!

*Rescuers Down Under will not appear in this Disnographic series. It has so little of the same structure, which is why I've always said it doesn't count as Renaissance.

Renaissance Ranked

Well, folks, it's the end of an era. The Renaissance movies will forever remain the best of the best, in my Disnerd opinion. I'm sad that we're moving on, but I've really enjoyed the past 10 weeks! Hope you have to.

You can expect the blog to calm down a bit, but I hope you will still tune in. I've got some Renaissance Disnographics in the works, and believe it or not, there are still about 15 more movies to review! (Yup. That's about four more months, people.)

In case you are curious, here's how I personally rank the Renaissance films. Do you agree or disagree?

1. tie: Aladdin (review) & The Lion King (review)
Top question I've been asked in the past 9 months of Disnerding? "What's your all-time favorite Disney movie?" These two tie for first. They both seem to have that perfect blend of compelling characters, an engaging story, beautiful animation, and awesome music. Funnily enough they also typically get labeled as "boy" Disney movies. Like I've said before, I've never really been into the whole princess thing.  

3. Beauty & the Beast (review)
Just trailing those 2 is Beauty & the Beast, which also has the same quality elements I listed above. I also love the development of not one but two central characters. Their transformations are interesting and compelling.

4. Mulan (review)
The main reason this isn't higher on the list is because of the music. I do love the songs that are on the soundtrack, but somehow they leave me wanting. They're not as classic or memorable as some of the Menken/Ashman stuff. Otherwise though, it's a pretty awesome Disney movie. And Mulan is a pretty awesome heroine.

5. The Little Mermaid (review)
Despite my critique of the film's story, it's hard to deny that The Little Mermaid was instrumental in kicking off a magical era of animation. The movie's demonstration of creativity and fun outweighs its more annoying aspects. I dare you to watch "Under the Sea" and NOT sing and dance along!

6. Tarzan (review)
The relationships between the characters are what make me love this film. It's also beautifully animated and the sequences when Tarzan is flying/surfing through the jungle are impressive. Also, it's hard not to love a movie starring a muscular man in a loincloth.

7. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (review)
It's probably the darkest of the Renaissance films, but so interesting and unique for that reason. The Latin choral music-inspired score is pretty epic, and Quasimodo is one of the purest heroes ever.

8. Hercules (review)
As has been said, this film doesn't shine quite as brightly as the others, but it's definitely entertaining, heartwarming and fun. And I will always love Hercules' cinnamon bun ears.
 

9. Pocahontas (review)
Ehh. I think I've already said enough about this one.

10. Rescuers Down Under (review)
The only reason this falls after Pocahontas is because I've never counted it as an actual Renaissance film.

Stay tuned for more Renaissance wrap-up stuff: Disnographics, a summary of my fashion updates, and maybe some other stuff if I have time. :)

Disney Fathers - Two Types

Have you ever noticed there are really only two types of Disney fathers?

1) Strong, powerful, serious. Not particularly verbose, often has anger issues. Angular face, broad-shouldered. Almost always a king or leader. Undeniably good, but priorities to stay in control or to protect their family/kingdom can be their downfall.

Examples:
King Triton, Mufasa, Chief Powhatan, Zeus, Fa Zhou, Kerchak

2)  Short, fat, round, bumbling. Overly talkative and often mumbly. Comes off as silly and harmless, yet lovable. Hard to take seriously.

Examples:
Maurice, Sultan, Archimedes Porter (Jane's dad)

I've always been fascinated by this. Why are there only two kinds of fathers depicted in Disney movies? What does this communicate about the image of a father or a man?

Do these father images resonate with your experience, either as a father yourself or the fathers in your life?


Happy Father's Day! 

To my dad, who took me to my first Disney movie experience when I was 10. I have a vivid memory of him not falling asleep, as he was prone to do during most movies, but laughing and smiling along with my siblings and me. I guess you could say he's a Disnerd too (although recently I had to explain this term to him. That was a hilarious conversation.)

Two Worlds. One Loincloth.

Maybe it's because I still have Mulan on the brain, but Tarzan makes me think a lot about being Asian American.

Let me explain.

Caught between "two worlds," Tarzan longs to understand who he truly is. Is he a man? Is he a gorilla? In both contexts he never feels quite at home.

With his gorilla family, he can't climb trees, he has no fur. He has to wear a loincloth. With humans, he'll never get used to standing upright. He prefers swinging and leaping to walking. Also, he wears only a loincloth.

He's significantly an outsider no matter which way he looks at it.

I can relate. When I'm among a predominantly non-Asian (ie: mostly white) group, I never feel quite myself. I feel sheepish when I rave about dim sum and all I get are blank stares. I can never quite explain why the Jeremy Lin phenomenon gave me so much joy. I struggle to express the complexities of my family background. Yes, I'm Chinese, even though my parents were born in the Philippines. No, I'm not part Filipino.

And yet, I often feel very "American" when I'm with my Asian friends. Because of my uncommon background (ethnically Chinese with a significant Filipino cultural influence), I often find it hard to relate to Chinese and other East Asian friends. I don't speak Mandarin or Cantonese. We never used chopsticks growing up. My parents weren't strict about school or grades. My relatives actually kiss and hug each other.

So am I human or gorilla? Am I Asian or American? Why does it sometimes feel like I'm neither?

For Tarzan, he comes to realize that he is ultimately both. Though he finally stays with his gorilla family, it is the very human things about him that enable him to thrive and lead well in that community. He is neither just human or just gorilla.

My Asian identity and American identity sit side by side. Not always in perfect harmony, but together they make up who I am. I will never be just one, and neither could I ever be fully both. Asian American is itself my ethnic identity, in which I straddle two worlds, yet as a whole complete person.

The experiences I've gained through my Chinese-from-the-Philippines family, my immigrant Chinese home church, my Midwest upbringing, my Chinese American Christian college fellowship, and my current life in a predominantly white Madison community... all these worlds come together and make me who I am: me. An Asian American human-gorilla. Who, fortunately, gets to wear more than just a loincloth.

Fashion Update #10: Tarzan

It's my final fashion post! It's been a fun 10 weeks. Tarzan was challenging. I mean, the main character is nearly naked! And most of the characters are all gray. Still, I think I did okay. :)

Jane: If you happen to own a yellow dress, as I do, Jane's look is really simple! I wore lavender earrings since I have no lavender ascot.

Tarzan: Well, I really didn't have much to work with here. And I was not about to wear a bathing suit or loincloth or any such thing. The wooden earrings are from Africa, which I think makes this outfit more legit, since the rest of it is kind of a stretch.

Tantor: Got this tunic for $12 at Target. And I dug out this really old pink pendant necklace that I haven't worn since high school! I thought it worked well since the inside of Tantor's ears and trunk are that pink color. The silver earrings were inspired by his tusks.

Clayton: An explanation about the tank top I wore underneath: there are lots of bananas in Tarzan, since it's a story about gorillas. I hate bananas. Clayton hates gorillas (or at least doesn't value them as living beings.) So, I wore my tank top that has a banana on it. If that's not inspired I don't know what is!

Terk: Really I could have been Kala or Kerchak too. But Terk's gray fur seems to match my gray blouse pretty well. I thought about giving myself a faux hawk or some kind of special hairdo, but I ran out of time. Actually I got a lot of compliments on this outfit that day. I guess it's because it's a little dressier.

And...that's the end of my fashion series! I'll do a summary/best-of post some time soon. Let me know your favorite outfits in the comments!

#37: Like Father Like Mother

Tarzan, 1999
watched June 3, 2012

Well, we've come to the end of the Renaissance Era. It's been a wonderful ten weeks of (mostly) great movies and a lot of fun! But more on that later. Must get on with the task at hand.

Some people dispute the inclusion of Tarzan in the Renaissance, but I think thematically the film fits in just fine. In fact, I fear sounding like a broken record by now. For nearly 10 weeks straight we've been dealing with characters searching for deeper fulfillment, meaning, belonging, and love. Tarzan is no exception.

So what sets Tarzan apart from the others, I find, is the tenuous relationship between Tarzan and Kerchak, the clan's leader and the closest thing Tarzan has to a father. While extremely protective of his family, Kerchak is cold and distant, and refuses to recognize Tarzan as one of them. And though he has a loving mother and good friends, Tarzan is discontent without Kerchak's acceptance. In Tarzan's eyes, Kerchak's disapproval only highlights all the ways he doesn't fit in.

Speaking of not fitting in, I wonder if Tarzan ever got upset that he was the only one who had to wear a loincloth. I can just imagine a belligerent 6-year-old Tarzan during a temper tantrum, refusing to put on his loincloth: "But Mom, it's itchy!"

Anyway.

Tarzan hones the more significant differences--his agility, creativity, and intelligence, to prove that he belongs in the only family he has ever known. But his remarkable skills in tree-surfing, fruit-spearing and vine-swinging impress everyone except Kerchak.

This strained relationship between son and pseudo-father hits a nerve with any of us who have felt the rejection, criticism, or just plain ambivalence from our father (or mother, perhaps). And too often, we believe that our Heavenly Father is also like Kerchak: stern, unforgiving, judgmental. As we are prone to do with our own fathers, we try everything to earn the Father's acceptance and love. But of course, when the Father's character is distorted as such, nothing ever seems good enough, and our failure leads to a lonely and unsatisfying life.

Believe it or not, the film does give us a glimpse of the true Father. But it's not through Kerchak. In fact, the clearest picture of the Father is found in a mother.

Kala is the parent who seeks Tarzan out and saves him from sure death. Without hesitation she adopts him as her own. And in the most sacrificial mother's way, Kala allows him to choose a life in the human world, even though it means that she will never see him again. Her unwavering love reminds Tarzan that no matter where life takes him, he will always belong. And ultimately, it's this love that draws Tarzan back to his true family.

When we are lost and left for dead, we have a Father who rescues us and brings us into his family. When we are feeling dejected and rejected, we have a Father whose heart beats with ours. And here is the best news: When we think we've failed, we have a Father whose acceptance and love can never be earned, because it's already ours.

Lessons in Adolescence

This is the last from my Renaissance guest bloggers. Here's my friend Drew's thoughts on one of his faves, Hercules. Yes, it's out of order, as I covered Hercules two weeks ago. You can blame Drew for turning it in late.

If you’re a Disney animated movie, chances are you belong to a club. The $100 million club.

It’s not particularly exclusive. There’s no velvet rope, no bouncer, no list you have to be on. All you have to do to join is gross $100 million in ticket sales during your theatrical run. Pretty simple, really.

If you do that, you can mingle with your fellow members anytime. You can drop by and talk about books with Belle, watch soccer with the Beast and Aladdin, maybe even have a steak dinner with Simba and Tarzan. In fact, in this club, you can rub shoulders with every Renaissance Disney movie—except one.

Hercules.

Hercules grossed only $99 million dollars domestically. Not 100. 99. Missed it by a measly million dollars.

It’s a fascinating bit of symmetry that Hercules, a movie about a clumsy misfit who just wants to belong, is itself a bit of a misfit in the Disney catalogue, left on the outside of the $100 million club while everyone else parties inside. That symmetry is why, I think, it retains as much charm as it does, even while—objectively speaking—it’s not the classic that its predecessors were.

With few exceptions, Disney heroes and heroines are young adults working through the most readily accessible dimensions of growing up. Think Aladdin learning to be true to himself, Ariel craving new adventure, or Mulan struggling with her identity formation.

Hercules departs from those movies in the specificity with which it approaches young-adulthood. It is, by a marathon length, Disney’s most particularly adolescent movie.

Previous heroes were essentially glorified adults—theoretically 18, but practically adult in their vocabulary, movement and attitude. But Hercules, in his teenaged incarnation, is as gawky, overgrown, uncontrollable and accident-prone as any teenage boy ever was. He decimates an entire market square with his wild strength. Other kids call him ‘Jerk-ules’ and exclude him from their games. If there is a quintessential teenage feeling, it is that sense of “not belonging,” of having nowhere to fit in.

Those are universal feelings. To this day I can summon up, with remarkable clarity, the power of those teenage memories—of being misunderstood, not fitting in, feeling a little bit alone. I suspect you probably can, too. It's not very much fun. 

And it's this, I think, that accounts for some of why Hercules stumbled at the box office in the first place. Other Disney movies draw us back to rose-colored, exclamation-pointed memories of our teenage years: Growing up! Learning to love! Dreaming big! But Hercules firmly grounds us in adolescence’s hard, question-marked reality: Why am I so awkward? What’s my body doing? Do I fit in anywhere?

Hercules doesn't resolve those questions. Yes, it ends with true love winning and Hercules attaining immortality. But he also chooses to stay and live on earth with Meg, not ascend to Mt. Olympus. His choice means that he will always have to live in the in-between, never quite at home among humans and away from the place where his god-hood actually fits.

Sound familiar? The same adolescent tension vibrates through our own lives: not quite at home in a world that doesn't respect our Image-Of-God-ness, yet separated from the fullness of the Living God in whose context we make sense.

Hercules will never get into the $100 million club. It will spend eternity with its nose pressed to the glass, wondering why everyone else gets to go to the party. As Christians, we're lucky—like our physical adolescence, our time outside the party is temporary. And as for life here on earth, we take our cues from Herc—knowing that the tension is real, with no option but to live in it.

-------------
Drew Larson is the Editorial/Development Intern at InterVarsity. In the past, he maintained the world's only sports/comedy/theology essay blog, the Casual Footballer. He knows the words to more Disney songs than he will freely admit in mixed company, unless we are talking about A Goofy Movie, in which case, game on.

Fashion Update #9.2: Mulan

There were so many Mulan posts I had to push this one to a new week. Here's part 2 of my Mulan outfits!

Mushu: I don't think I'd normally wear a yellow scarf and yellow tank top together. But Mushu only gives me 3 colors to work with here. I like how my blue earrings match his blue horns (or whatever those things are on dragons.)

Shang: He was a challenge. I didn't really have the right color grayish brown, so I just wore gray. Definitely a useful office outfit though. I'm getting a lot of mileage out of my red headband and belt. :)

Cri-kee: Here's a new preppy look that I enjoyed putting together! I wore this to a baby shower over the weekend and it seemed appropriately chic and grown-up for the occasion.

Top 10 Reasons Why Mulan Ain't No Princess

Mulan is unquestionably the best Disney heroine of all time. It seems insufficient to place her alongside the demure, sometimes fragile princesses from the classics, and the whiny, sometimes emo 'modern' princesses of the Renaissance. I've mentioned before that I don't count Mulan as a Disney princess. Here's why:

10. She isn't royal and she doesn't marry anyone royal.
Umm...enough said. Aren't those the requirements of being a princess? But I'll go on, because I can.

9. She isn't the daughter of a single parent and isn't raised by someone other than her real parents.  
She also has no evil stepmother. (Why do so many princesses either have no mother or a stepmother who hates them?) Mulan has loving parents, and a hilarious grandmother to boot!

8. She uses her cleverness to do incredible things.
She destroys the entire Hun army with just one canon. Talk about efficient!

7. She never needs to be rescued by the guy.
In fact, she rescues him. Multiple times. One time she uses her shoe!

6. She single-handedly takes down the bad guy.
...using a Chinese paper fan!
Shoes. Fans. Seriously, she's so resourceful!

5. She cuts her own hair.
And she uses a sword. Automatic awesome points.

4. She doesn't look perfect when she's sleeping.
I don't believe for a second that Sleeping Beauty or Snow White's hair could stay in tact in their sleep. Normal girls don't wake up looking flawless.

3. She doesn't fall in love at first sight.
She gets a crush. And he doesn't notice her at all. Finally. A romance I can relate to. (Granted, I'm pretty sure the reason my crushes didn't like me back was NOT because they thought I was a man. At least I really hope not.)

2. But she doesn't wait around. She invites the guy to dinner!
Hmm...maybe I need to take a cue from her.

1. She plain old just kicks ass. Yup, I said it again.

Mulan is the best!!

(thanks to disneyscreencaps.com for all images)

My Reflection

I'm excited to share a guest post written by my older sister Lynnette, whom I call "Achs" (pronounced 'Utz'.) Mulan is special to both of us but in very different ways, which I find both fascinating and awesome.

When Mulan opened in movie theatres in 1998, I believed that the film had been created just for me, for all, but not only, the following reasons:

• It featured the first Chinese heroine - finally a “princess” I could be for Halloween!
• It utilized the singing talents of Lea Salonga - you may know her simply as the voice of Jasmine from Aladdin, but ask any Asian kid growing up in the 80s and 90s with Broadway dreams, and her eyes will gloss over dreamily at the mention of Salonga’s name
• It was about a girl hanging with the boys - as a “tomboy who likes wearing makeup” (that’s what my sister called me once), I aspired to the precise blend of guts, wit, and grace that Mulan embodied
• It premiered the summer I graduated from high school - an obvious sign (to my 18-year-old’s ego) that this film was not only made for me, but also about me!  It came at a time when, like many kids, I was preparing to go off to college, to become the “me” I was supposed to be.  If you think that I didn’t spend hours standing in front of a mirror singing, “When will my reflection show who I am insiiiiiide?” and bursting into tears, then you are sorely mistaken!

At the heart of it, this film resonated so strongly with me because it focuses on two core values of great importance to me: love for my family and authenticity to self. Two values that often felt like they were at odds with one another. When Mulan sings, “now I see that if I were truly to be myself, I would break my family’s heart,” she voices a fear that until then I had not been able to put into words. But despite this fear, she knows that sacrificing her authenticity will not bring her happiness, nor her family honor. One might think Mulan’s greatest display of bravery lies in her fearlessness in fighting off an army of abnormally large, gray-colored villains, but I think it lies in her taking that big scary step toward being “true to her heart.”

I’m not sure that my family has always felt that I have brought “honor to them all.” I know there are “true to my heart” decisions I’ve made in my life: where to live, what to study, and what I believe in – that have instead brought them worry and concern. But whether my parents did it consciously or not, they raised “a girl who’s got a brain, who always speaks her mind.” And in the end, I hope that this brings them pride.

Now in my 30s, I think my ego has calmed down, and while I now recognize that this film was not created as a personal allegory for my life, its story reminds me that there is honor in being authentic.  And these days when I gaze at my reflection in a watery surface, as I often do, I’m no longer brought to tears, because I like the girl I see.

-------------
Lynnette is a writer/actor/singer living in L.A. with her husband John, and her cats, Zelda and Billy. She's also Laura's older sister. On a family trip to Disney World, a 19-year-old Lynnette sat at the back of a room full of young children during a character sketching demonstration. When the artist asked, "Does anyone have a favorite character they'd like me draw?" Lynnette yelled "Mulan!" without hesitation. Those kids never had a chance!

Dumpling Dinner

I will never make dumplings for twenty people again.

Don't get me wrong, I loved that a record number of people came to watch Mulan. I suppose the homemade dumplings added an extra incentive for people to join me. But I really don't know why I made things so difficult for myself. I was chopping cabbage for an hour and a half, not to mention the several other hours of prep, cooking and cleanup! I was super stressed out that there wouldn't be enough food. When you host a potluck for mostly single people, you can't always count on everyone to actually bring something. Also, how in the world would 20 people even fit in my apartment?

Despite all the stress, I think the party turned out well. I'm glad everyone else enjoyed themselves. I enjoyed all the yummy Asian food people brought. But next time I attempt to host a party like this, I'm asking for help!

Here are some pictures from that night! I wanted to take more, but well, I was a little busy.

Everyone helped wrap the dumplings!

Kylene and Tiffany (my Asian friends) showed everyone how to do it.

Thanks to Tiffany and Kylene for helping with the frying too!

More dumplings & meatballs waiting to be cooked.

And there was plenty of food, even though I was stressed out that there wouldn't be enough! Especially excited about the MUSHU pork Kylene brought, and the ha kao (shrimp dim sum)!

Finally, it's time to eat!

Had to take this photo from the porch to show how many people were in my apartment.

Time to watch Mulan!