No, not the top five Disney princesses; I won’t give in to Disney’s obsession with normalizing monarchy in the 21st century. For goodness sake, isn’t it time we did away with monarchical terms to describe people?
Disney has had some great animated heroines in their long history, as well as some forgettable ones. And I’m going to inform you right off the bat that you if you are looking for Snow White here you should look elsewhere. I cannot stand Snow White’s voice and, to be brutally honest, I usually find myself pulling for the evil queen who is, let’s face it, the fairest woman in the movie.
5. Dory. Finding Nemo. Well, I told you this list wasn’t going to be a list of Disney princesses. Dory is clearly a heroine. Finding Nemo is animated. And Disney made it in cooperation with Pixar. Dory may not be the princess-y kind of heroine that you associate with the typical idea of Disney, but if Dory is not in your top five, then you might be a homophobic redneck. What is there not to love about Dory? Besides being the funniest fish character since incredible Mr. Limpet, she also helps to save the day and get Bingo back to his dad.
4. Belle. Beauty and the Beast. I am not a big fan of Beauty and the Beast and fail to grasp how it managed to become the only animated film to ever be nominated for Best Picture. (Although Wall-E may soon join that exclusive club.) Gaston is the lamest Disney villain of all time and I never found the Beast to be all that engaging. Belle, however, is a wonderful Disney heroine, but my appreciation for her may have to do with the fact that I am a writer and Belle loves books. Belle loves books, I love writing, so why wouldn’t I love Belle? Don’t care for her movie, however. Shame on Disney for creating such a wonderful heroine and inserting her into such a forgettable movie.
3. Mulan. Mulan. Most people appreciate and admire Mulan because she proves that she can make it in a man’s world. I appreciate that as well, but I really admire Mulan because in the end she does not give in to the temptation to simply become a warrior like all those around her. Mulan maintains her humanity and even her femininity within the most vicious and testing of circumstances. Too bad there aren’t more soldiers who choose humanity over yielding to the temptation to become mindless warbots.
2. Ariel. The Little Mermaid. This is a tough one; Ariel could easy be my favorite Disney heroine. I’ll tell you one thing fo sho: she sings my favorite Disney song ever sung by one of the heroines, “Part of Your World.” I like Ariel because she’s got great hair and an infectious laugh and because her desire to become part of the world of humans is foreign to me. I really have trouble understanding why Ariel wants so desperately to join us above the sea. But I can really appreciate Ariel’s desiring something so much that she is willing to give up her greatest gift. Can’t we all fully embrace that underlying tragedy in Ariel’s plight in The Little Mermaid?
1. Lilo. Lilo and Stitch. My choice as Lilo as Disney’s greatest animated heroine may come as a surprise to some, but I simply find her the most engaging character in all of Disney’s animated movie history. In fact, I have often argued that Disney could have made a movie about Lilo and her sister without the appearance of Stitch and it would have been at least as good, if not better. Lilo’s outsider status is probably what appeals to me most and I only wish I had as positive an attitude as the little Hawaiian girl. Plus, her obsession with Elvis is one I can definitely appreciate. I mean I’m not Elvis fanatic, but God has told me to go to Graceland and when He gives word it is the right time to go, I will pack up the family and leave at a moment’s notice. I love little Lilo because she manages to be memorable without having to fight off evil; try saying that about most Disney animated heroines.
