For years, Disney has established itself as a studio that produces feel good and values oriented movies targeted at both children and the young at heart. But there may be more to these Disney animated movies than you think.
Ryan Duncan, Entertainment and Culture editor of Crosswalk.com, has a theory.
He recently wrote an article that delved into subtle Christian messages contained in some of the most popular Disney films like Snow White, The Lion King, Tangled, Cinderella and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
In his post, Duncan cited Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the first animated Disney feature which was released in 1937. In one scene, Snow White was seen praying with her hands clasped and her head bowed, asking God to bless the seven little men who have allowed her to stay in their house in the woods.
"It's a short, but nonetheless poignant display of faith that you won't find in most modern films," he said.
Duncan also sees parallels between Disney's The Lion King and the Bible's story of The Prodigal Son in which Simba, in the beginning was shown to have similar traits to the prodigal son, being unmindful of his responsibilities in the Pride Lands whom he is set to rule. After a series of events leads him away from his home, he embraces the Hakuna Matata carefree lifestyle, like the prodigal son who squandered his inheritance with merrymaking. While the prodigal son was forced to eat pig feed when his resources ran out, Simba dined out on grubs and insects and both eventually returned home with a better understanding of their roles.
Tangled, which was based on the story of Rapunzel, also had similarities to the Gospel of Christ, he believes.
"Rapunzel represents humanity, who has grown comfortable in her prison but can't ignore the light that shines in the darkness. The devil is signified by the witch, who tries to convince Rapunzel to forget the lights and stay locked away in her tower. Lastly, God can be found in the parents, who without fail, continue to shine their light in the hopes of bringing their lost child back home," Duncan said.
Duncan also added that Cinderella serves as a good representation of God's grace because much like Cinderella's gifts bestowed by her fairy godmother, Christ did the same thing for mankind.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame has a more overt Christian message, Duncan argues, with the film depicting Christian imagery in various parts of the film. The compassion of the church deacon in saving a baby about to be killed by the main villain showed the power of the Holy Spirit and the heroine singing a song in which she pleads with God also reminds audiences about the strength of faith.
"When it comes to Disney movies, you won't find one that incorporates God more than The Hunchback of Notre Dame," he said.
