Hacker Cinema
The Aristocats
1970 · Film · 78 min
Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman
AnimationComedyFamilyAdventure
When Madame Adelaide Bonfamille leaves her fortune to Duchess and her children—Bonfamille’s beloved family of cats—the butler plots to steal the money and kidnaps the legatees, leaving them out on a country road. All seems lost until the wily Thomas O’Malley Cat and his jazz-playing alley cats come to the aristocats’ rescue.
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7 comments on Hacker News
A few years ago Disney+ added a note to the beginning of Aristocats and a few other movies that “This program includes negative depictions and / or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together. Disney is committed to creating stories with inspirational and aspirational themes that reflect the rich diversity of the human experience around the globe.”
I appreciated the note, the thought that went into it, and, of course, that I got to watch the movie exactly as I had years earlier.
Changing 'plump' to 'cheerful' without any note to the reader about the alteration feels disingenuous.
Watership Down and the Secret of Nimh were my two favorite movies as a young child in the early 80s, followed closely by the Dark Crystal and maybe Aristocats and the Black Hole.
Other movies of the time like the Rescuers and the Fox and the Hound and Labyrinth and such were a disappointment compared to these...
"Disney+ has removed several movies, including “Dumbo,” “Peter Pan,” “The Aristocats” and “Swiss Family Robinson” from children’s profiles on its service over negative depictions and stereotypes."
Edit: further reading of the article gives details for each film. For Dumbo, it is the scene with the crows doing a minstrel show (with the leader's name being "Jim Crow"). Peter Pan has simplified/stereotypical (inaccurate) portrayal of Native people. The Siamese Cat is the issue in The Aristocats.
So they made the decision to not edit the films, but have the warning screen and remove the shows from the 7 & under profiles.
Even if you're a staunch ally of safe, conservative family entertainment for its own sake, Disney was pretty damn crappy for a while. Look at their animated stuff in particular for plenty of mediocre storylines and bland animation (e.g. The Aristocats, The Fox and the Hound, Robin Hood). Children deserved better!
Eventually some meaningful competition from the likes of Don Bluth started to push them in the right direction (Secret of NIMH, Land before Time, All Dogs Go to Heaven, etc.) and not too long afterward they were doing things like Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin. Quite an improvement, though I dare say the storylines have never quite caught up. (Of course, all of Bluth's stuff would later be undermined as it was sequel-ized to Hell and back, like The Land Before Time XXIV: Teach Your Kids Roman Numerals Edition...)
Right now, though, after seeing Pixar's homages to Ghibli, I'm anticipating the impact of recent works like Puella Magi Madoka Magica, which really pushed some boundaries in Japan. (If you're not familiar with it, I'll just say... imagine if Pan's Labyrinth had been actively marketed to little children as a happy family film and an homage to Alice in Wonderland... and then translate that willful deception and the profound darkness onto Sailor Moon.) If it does make a splash in the youth entertainment industry at large, that will be quite interesting indeed.
You said cats and aristocrats and all I could think of was the movie The Aristocats.. so to me they seemed related :x
Maybe it was to make a 3d versions of old 2d disney movies.
3d Aristocats anyone?
I'm with you. Not sure what the appropriate age is, but my friends read their 4 year old the books... and, don't think that was necessarily the best idea. I'm actually screening the Aristocats tonight to see if it's OK :)
That being said, my babysitter growing up lived in the woods... we ate bear stew for most dinners... and they only rented me horror movies. I saw all Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday 13th movies by the time I was about 8. Yeah, I had some twisted nightmares once in a while, but I think most kids do anyhow, and... I turned out alright!