Kids Are Icebound by ‘Frozen’ Fervor
Disney’s Animated Film ‘Frozen’ Has Some Children Obsessed
If any parent doubts the power of the Disney animated film “Frozen,” perhaps they should talk to Willie Geist, a “Today” show host.
The day Mr. Geist left for Sochi, Russia, to cover the Winter Olympics for three weeks, his daughter, 6, and son, 4, were distraught, sobbing and clinging to his legs, he said. Moments after he pulled out of his driveway, his wife texted him a picture of their children jumping with excitement.
“She had just told them they were going to see ‘Frozen,’ ” Mr. Geist said. “That joy far, far outweighed the sorrow of their father leaving for a faraway land for nearly a month. Completely erased the tears.”
Since opening in November, “Frozen” has taken in $1.19 billion worldwide and the movie’s soundtrack has sold 2.7 million copies in the United States alone.
It may be surprising that a Disney movie centered around two female characters, the sisters Elsa and Anna, could drive such staggering sales. But the real eye-opener is the strength and scope of the film’s grip on children, girls and boys alike. Parents are using words like “obsessed” and “cultlike” to describe the force with which the film is capturing little hearts and minds unlike any in recent memory.
“We have been doing so many ‘Frozen’ cakes, it’s crazy,” said Rachel Thebault, the owner of Tribeca Treats, a bakery in downtown Manhattan whose clients have included Jessica Biel and the New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony. “In the seven years since we’ve been open, I have seriously not seen any other trend come close to this.”
With stores across the country sold out of the most coveted merchandise, desperate parents are turning to eBay, where, according to Bloomberg News, an original Elsa dress was recently offered for $1,600.
While brawling over the last must-have toy on the shelf is hardly unprecedented, “Frozen” is taking the madness to another level. A Manhattan mother said her son insists she call him Elsa while he runs around the house pretending to freeze everything. Another mother lamented that while her guests were around the table at Passover, her preschooler was in the other room singing, “Let It Go” at the top of his lungs.
Idina Menzel’s rendition of what has become the movie’s anthem, “Let it Go,” is a phenomenon unto itself, producing a level of passion and exuberance in children the likes of which some parents have never seen. I have been sent videos from friends who have captured the moment their children become possessed by the film’s song. One video featured Nora MacDonald, 3, of Sandwich, Mass., gently bouncing on a mini-trampoline in her gym class when “Let It Go” came over the speakers. Instantly infused with utter delight, she took off sprinting, almost flying, in ecstatic circles around the perimeter of the room.
“It was like jump-starting a car, connecting little bits of her brain that fire every system at once,” said her father, Jamie MacDonald.
The song has a similar effect on Jack Solomon, 4, who is often slow to rise and grumpy in the morning. One day his father, Steven, entered his room playing “Let It Go” on the computer. Jack leapt out of bed, beaming and ready to start the day.
“It’s like a drug,” said Jack’s mother, Moira Jaffe-Solomon. “I only use it on days we need to be somewhere and he’s still sleeping.”
I’ve witnessed this metamorphosis in my 4-year-old daughter, Bee. When she hears those opening notes she gets very still and focused as if she is about to conduct a symphony orchestra or turn into the Hulk. She goes inward, deep into some Scandinavian cartoon zone, and then begins to sing along in a serious voice as if the lyrics are sacrosanct.
In addition to the global appeal of its soundtrack, the film’s extraordinary success may also be explained by the balance it strikes between classic story elements and modern twists.
“ ‘Frozen’ both honors and subverts our expectations of a princess movie,” said the screenwriter John August. “There’s a handsome prince, but he’s the villain. True love is the answer, but familial love, not romantic. Tropes have their place, but ‘Frozen’ manages to refocus them.”
Danielle Human of Chicago finds Anna’s loyalty, bravery and determination particularly empowering for her 6-year-old daughter, Ruby.
“It makes my heart warm that she can finally connect with a girl who is lovely and witty and funny and real,” Ms. Human said.
Not all parents see “Frozen” as having such a positive influence. Jenny Wong-Stanley of Brooklyn said that her daughter Josie, 4, has developed a “constant and neurotic” habit of sweeping her hair to one side in an effort to look like Elsa. Kate Schaper of Manhattan said her son, Benjamin, 4, throws lines from the movie at her in dramatic fashion like, “I can’t live like this anymore.”
Leslie Talmadge Ellwood of Manhattan has seen the movie make a different yet equally significant impression on her children, Natalie, 4, and Ben, 10.
“Natalie loves ‘Let It Go,’ but she has no idea that the lyrics are about dropping a facade,” she said. “It’s a little jarring to hear such a young girl sing lines like, ‘Conceal, don’t feel.’ ”
But Ms. Talmadge Ellwood has been pleasantly surprised that “Frozen” has paved the way into several meaningful conversations with her son. He was most struck by the handsome and gallant Hans, who (spoiler alert) pretends to be in love with Anna, when he is really after the throne.
“We’ve talked a lot about that, how people can act a certain way because they want something from you,” Ms. Talmadge Ellwood said. “I’ve told Ben never to act that way. It’s insincere and hurtful.”
Joan Rosen, who has taught prekindergarten at the Ethical Culture school in Manhattan for 42 years, said the impact of “Frozen” on her students has been intense.
Themes related to “Frozen” have become a regular part of the play in her classroom with unexpected results. Girls who don’t usually build in the block area are now doing so, making “ice castles.” The “Frozen” fervor has also proved distracting at times, so Ms. Rosen has instituted some rules. The children are allowed to sing one song from the movie three days a week, right before lunch, or any time during outdoor play.
“ ‘Frozen’ is visually very beautiful and the music is so appealing, even to me,” Ms. Rosen said. “But speaking as an adult woman, I’m pretty much over it.”
She is not alone. Scott S. Kramer, a father of two in Los Angeles tapped into the growing sense of “Frozen” fatigue by writing a “Let It Go” parody expressing the frustrations of those who had reached their breaking point. The video has gotten nearly 1.5 million views on YouTube.
Coincidentally, Mr. Kramer said the song was written out of love for the movie. It’s this love (or what some would call an insatiable appetite for all things “Frozen”) that has parents like Mr. Geist a little nervous.
“I’m concerned they don’t have a sequel ready yet,” he said. “I can only hold off these kids for so long.”
Source: NY Times
Parents Respond to The ‘Frozen’ Frenzy
We have just a touch of “Frozen” fever at our house. Our spring break trip involved three long plane journeys, and my youngest daughter watched “Frozen” in every available language on the seat-back television screen. We are not big singers of “Let it Go”; we prefer the sprightly “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?”— but my older daughter and the girls we visited over break did engage in vigorous debate over whose version of “Let It Go” was better (“vigorous agreement” might be a better phrase for their passionate preference for the Idina Menzel version over the Demi Lovato one). And anyone, anywhere, can get a laugh at any moment by declaring: “Hi. I’m Olaf, and I like warm hugs.”
The parents described in Kids Are Icebound by ‘Frozen’ Fervor are experiencing the movie’s power in much higher doses. “Frozen” overkill isn’t happening here, although we did have to deal with the tantrum that resulted when my younger daughter realized that “Frozen” was free only on the plane; there is clearly a DVD or download in our future. That enables me to join the appreciation for the movie’s mercifully unromantic themes. Like “Brave” of 2012, the plot of “Frozen” does not center on star-crossed lovers or need a wedding to reach its happily-ever-after. Putting family at the center of both was brilliant.
Could the secret of the popularity of “Frozen” lie in just that genius move? For the young audiences Disney and its ilk are courting with all of their animated offerings, the most powerful relationships; the ones that invoke truly primal feelings of love and need and jealousy and fear, are with family. Imagining yourself as Rapunzel, Ariel or Belle is a leap; the feelings that lead Anna to pursue Elsa are closer to home, and not at all related to gender.
Is “Frozen” taking over at your house, and are you welcoming it, or secretly hiding your copy of “Frozen: A Tale of Two Sisters” under the bed? And — Team Idina, or Team Demi?
Source: Motherlode
Statistics: Posted by ArchuLinShved14 — Sat May 17, 2014 2:04 am