Jessica Ploumis reviews The Princess and the Frog (2009), by Ron Clements & John Musker…directed by Ron Clements & John Musker; written by Ron Clements & John Musker

Jessica Ploumis reviews The Princess and the Frog (2009)

A clever twist on the popular bedtime fairy tale – The Princess and the Frog is a story about what you want vs. what you need, and how can we tell the difference?

The film starts with Tiana and her dream to open her own restaurant, just like her father talked about when she was a little girl. Set in the colorful and bustling New Orleans, Tiana waitresses day and night saving every penny she makes. In the mean time, the handsome smooth talking Prince Naveen has just come into town. Naveen’s biggest ambition is to just have a good time and treat every day like it is a party (complete opposite of Tiana). As these two characters blindly pursue their “wants” they are oblivious to the preying eyes of the Shadow Man – Dr. Facilier – who turns them into frogs! With no option left but to rely on one another to turn back to humans, Tiana and Naveen go on a wild journey trying to break the spell before midnight, when the spell becomes permanent. As the film continues both characters want to return to their original dreams and lives, but realize that what they need – is something entirely different. With the help of fun loving and whimsical characters, Tiana and Naveen come to know the value of friends, family, and above all love.

The Princess and the Frog is a wonderfully refreshing look at a “princess story” that Disney has not often shown before. Not only is this Disney’s introduction to its first African American princess, but an introduction to its first severely independent princess as well. This is a nice alternative to being poised and kind – but equally as attractive! Not every little girl is a part of the majority. Not every little girl is Cinderella waiting for her prince, or even Belle reading and dreaming of a faraway place. Some little girls follow a different dream of being an artist, a doctor, or in this case, a restaurant owner. This princess is for them.

And that is a princess story that little girls need.

Jessica Ploumis