1989 - Rated G - 1 hr 23 min
Directors: Ron Clements, John Musker
Starring: Jodi Benson, Samuel E. Wright, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Pat Carroll, Buddy Hackett, Kenneth Mars, Edie McClurg, Rene Auberjonois
In the 80s, many feared that Disney's animation department was on its way out. I remember how huge this movie was when it came out and I even saw it twice in the theater. I was 8. I had no idea the kind of legacy this movie helped to rebuild but still, I sensed there was something special about this under-sea tale.
And I loved every minute of it. It was fresh and unique for its time, but still did so much to enchant a little girl's imagination. I wanted to be a mermaid, I wanted to be a princess. Okay, I wanted to be a princess mermaid. And meet my handsome prince.
Reggae music, seashells, and evil squid-women aside, the story is a much needed update to Hans Christian Anderson's original fairytale. One that ends in terrible tragedy (see Once On This Island for a musical that stays true to his heart-breaking ending). For Disney, suicide won't do... so let's give the mermaid what she wants.
And thank goodness they did. It was a bold move for the studio, but one that reshaped their future. Look at all the little girls who still want to be princess mermaids, more than 20 years later.
