Enchanted Was Not So Enchanting

While my niece was visiting, she exposed me to her new favorite Disney movie, Enchanted. Sometimes I can sit back and enjoy these things for what they are -- mindless entertainment -- and sometimes I just can't turn off the sociologist in me. Yes, the movie was cute and somewhat original. The beautiful Princess Giselle gets banished by the wicked queen to New York City, where she turns from a cartoon into a real person. She's initially dismayed because she was supposed to marry Prince Charming (Edward) in cartoon land, but it turns out that she finds her true love in real-people land, so the wicked queen has inadvertently done her a favor. The transition between cartoon land and the real world was interesting and some of the supporting characters were fun. In particular, Pip the chipmunk was adorable and Susan Sarandon was delightfully wicked as the evil queen. But ...

In typical Disney fashion, this simple love story glosses over some serious moral dilemmas. The one that's really nagging me is the fact that the real-world true love, Robert, just so happens to be involved with another woman who he has been with for five years and is thinking of marrying. Let me reiterate -- FIVE YEARS! And in the course of a movie-time week, he dumps her and falls for the princess. Of course, Princess Giselle, who was smitten with Prince Edward (whom she had only known for five minutes before falling madly in love), suddenly realizes that Robert is her "true love" even though Prince Edward followed her all the way from cartoon land to NYC to marry her. Damn -- that's just harsh!

But never fear, Disney conveniently smoothed over this awkward situation. It's okay to leave your partners in the dust as long as the jilted lovers fall in love with each other! Yup, Robert's long-time girlfriend follows Prince Edward back to cartoon land and they live happily ever after, of course. Robert is then free to marry Giselle and, of course, they live happily ever after as well. (Sigh.)

Aside from the typical gender stereotypes and unrealistic expectations that Disney normally sells, what is this movie teaching our kids about fidelity, commitment, and building meaningful relationships? This could have easily been a compelling love story without the complications of existing relationships. The jilted lovers don't even make the storyline more interesting.

The bottom line for Disney is that your "one, true love" is out there. You will find him/her. You will be with him/her regardless of the costs. You will live happily ever after. You will never get divorced or become the jilted lover, despite that fact that neither your nor your partner know anything about successful relationships. Yet again Disney is making millions by selling fantasy at the expense of morality. Somebody please tell them that the two are not mutually exclusive.