Today, the HOTY (the Husband Of The Year for new readers) and our daughter, a/k/a Sweetly Six, went to see the new Pixar movie Brave.
As you may recall, after I was diagnosed with FBC (f-bomb breast cancer, also for new readers), I watched gobs of what my daughter and I called “Silver Lined movies.” It was a great way for us to be together without my having to expend energy that I didn’t have. We loved the togetherness, snuggled in my bed.
As an aside, I can’t proceed without acknowledging the gratitude that I have to Disney and Pixar for hours of entertainment, peace and Silver Linings on some some extraordinarily miserable days.
One of the things that I definitely learned while watching movies (sometimes multiple times in a row!) is that to be a Disney princess is to have mommy issues. I’m just saying’…For example, Snow White’s stepmother wanted to kill her. Cinderella’s wanted to lock her up. In Tangled, Rapunzel’s wanted to comb the ever-loving life out of her hair.
Brave is no different. Princess Merida is a headstrong young lass with a spirit as fiery as her own unruly hair. Her mother wants her to grow up to be … a bride. Princess Merida has no interest whatsoever in this destiny. This leads to one of my favorite scenes in the movie….when Princess Merida participates in an archery competition “to take her OWN hand in marriage”…and WON!
Hold on a sec. Can we just talk about Princess Merida’s hair? OMG. On the way home, I told the HOTY that I thought that her hair was another whole character in the movie! I learned that the hair, by the way, required two different types of new software to render. Well, I must say that it was definitely worth the effort. It is some seriously glorious hair.
“Brave” seems tailor-made for mothers and their daughters to watch together. It captures the awkwardness inherent in that relationship, and finds a way to transcend it (Silver Lining).
In the car on the way home, we talked about the lessons we learned from the movie. Some were:
- It’s ok to disagree as long as you talk openly about issues and find a common place of peace.
- If a family is splintering, take the time, space and patience to heal the wounds and bridge the gaps.
- Marry for love, not obligation.
- Sweetly Six: “Don’t turn your Mommy into a bear!”
I hope that you enjoy this film as much as our family did (Silver Lining)!