The Bad:
So I've heard that the "hidden theme" of this movie was inter-racial friendship. If so, it was a VERY hidden theme as I don't think anyone would realize this without being told. Also, it has an extremely poor message of pro-segregation, if you were to analyze the film this way. However, since I don't think any small child is going to grasp that kind of message, I think it's worth ignoring that theme and taking this film more literally – evolving friendship and loss that happens to all of us over time. And since that theme is a good thing, so I'll address it more in the next paragraph. Moving on to other 'bad' things: the music in this is...folksy. Not a style with a huge following, and not one I care for. The animation is not particularly beautiful either. There is a bit of an anti-hunting message, but again, not strong enough to be a problem for those who disagree, I think. The love interest is very bland and there's no lead-up to the pair falling in love, but I don't think you can expect much from a pair of foxes!
The Good:
Coming back to the movie themes, I find the idea of childhood friends growing apart and ending up in different places (literally or metaphorically) is a realistic and important idea to explore in film and I think this movie does an okay job at that. Granted, there's an interlude of serious antagonism before the resolution, which hopefully won't be found in our children's relationships, but the bittersweet ending is one that I think can resonate with children who have moved or known grief. This is also one of the most realistic of Disney's animated films (talking animals not withstanding). There's no magic, no real villains (not even the dog's owner is really a bad man). Just two animals who are figuring out how the world works and what their place in it is. And, coming back to themes, there is the underlying sense that without outside interference, the animals would have stayed good friends. But that's life – no one lives in a bubble and things outside our control can impact us. The ending isn't a happy one, but it is a realistic and satisfying one.
The Mom View:
I feel like this is a forgotten Disney classic. Not one of their most famous films, and it probably deserves to be ranked somewhere in the lower middle range of their animated movies. But I still like it and feel it's worth ensuring my kids are familiar with. The friendship that defies the normal way of things is a cute, sweet part of the movie. The depth of misunderstanding (which is never adequately resolved, but is forgiven) can get overly intense and the bear can be down-right frightening for young children, so I'll have my kids see this when they are middle elementary age. Overall, not my favorite Disney animated movie and not one a child would miss if they never saw it, but it's not bad and worth renting. 6/10
So I've heard that the "hidden theme" of this movie was inter-racial friendship. If so, it was a VERY hidden theme as I don't think anyone would realize this without being told. Also, it has an extremely poor message of pro-segregation, if you were to analyze the film this way. However, since I don't think any small child is going to grasp that kind of message, I think it's worth ignoring that theme and taking this film more literally – evolving friendship and loss that happens to all of us over time. And since that theme is a good thing, so I'll address it more in the next paragraph. Moving on to other 'bad' things: the music in this is...folksy. Not a style with a huge following, and not one I care for. The animation is not particularly beautiful either. There is a bit of an anti-hunting message, but again, not strong enough to be a problem for those who disagree, I think. The love interest is very bland and there's no lead-up to the pair falling in love, but I don't think you can expect much from a pair of foxes!
The Good:
Coming back to the movie themes, I find the idea of childhood friends growing apart and ending up in different places (literally or metaphorically) is a realistic and important idea to explore in film and I think this movie does an okay job at that. Granted, there's an interlude of serious antagonism before the resolution, which hopefully won't be found in our children's relationships, but the bittersweet ending is one that I think can resonate with children who have moved or known grief. This is also one of the most realistic of Disney's animated films (talking animals not withstanding). There's no magic, no real villains (not even the dog's owner is really a bad man). Just two animals who are figuring out how the world works and what their place in it is. And, coming back to themes, there is the underlying sense that without outside interference, the animals would have stayed good friends. But that's life – no one lives in a bubble and things outside our control can impact us. The ending isn't a happy one, but it is a realistic and satisfying one.
The Mom View:
I feel like this is a forgotten Disney classic. Not one of their most famous films, and it probably deserves to be ranked somewhere in the lower middle range of their animated movies. But I still like it and feel it's worth ensuring my kids are familiar with. The friendship that defies the normal way of things is a cute, sweet part of the movie. The depth of misunderstanding (which is never adequately resolved, but is forgiven) can get overly intense and the bear can be down-right frightening for young children, so I'll have my kids see this when they are middle elementary age. Overall, not my favorite Disney animated movie and not one a child would miss if they never saw it, but it's not bad and worth renting. 6/10