Frozen Hope

I finally got to watch the movie Frozen with my daughter. She was able to see it a few times already and she was very excited to finally share it with me.

I'm a huge fan of Disney and musicals! I was really looking forward to hearing the AMAZING voice of Idina Menzel who played Elphaba in "Wicked"!!
She was the voice of Elsa in "Frozen" (pictured above, the blonde one).

She did NOT disappoint! When the song "Let it Go" began, I immediately started crying. That's what some musicals do to me. Just at the beauty of it to me, it overwhelms me. I pretty much cried through the entire movie of Dreamgirls! Oh, Jennifer Hudson's amazing pipes just reduced me to tears!! I listened to it again... yup, it still does!
"Jennifer Hudson in Dreamgirls"

Then, my daughter said something during that song that made me completely lose it...
"You remind me a lot of Elsa, Mom."
If she only knew the power those words had for me...

Imagine, wanting so desperately to be that thing that you admire so very much, that it takes your breath away.
To me, at that moment, it was Elsa as she was discovering her inner power and purpose and singing in that beautiful voice of Idina! 
Then, have one of the most important people in your life tell you...
"Hey... that's YOU!!" 
I can't even describe it.
So... I cry.
I was so choked up I couldn't even ASK her why I reminded her of Elsa!

We got done watching the movie and I heard my husband ask my daughter, "How was it?" She replied, "Good! Mom cried a TON!"  Ha!

I loved the story!
Yes... Spoilers ahead. Stop reading and go watch the movie if you don't want to know!

Two sisters born into royalty. Elsa, the older sister was born with a special ability. The ability to turn things she would touch into ice. Her little sister, Anna, is a free, fun loving girl who constantly coaxes her sister into using her powers for them to frolic and play!

One day Anna accidentally gets hurt by her older sisters' powers. Her parents take the children to some Trolls to heal Anna. The main Troll wants to know if Elsa was "cursed" or "born this way"? The parents let the Trolls know that Elsa was born that way. The Trolls heal Anna but then prescribe a life for Elsa of living in Solitude, keeping her separated from her adoring sister and hiding who she truly is from every one.
Who listens to Trolls anyway???  

So that is how they grow up. Not knowing one another. The parents both pass away. Elsa is left to herself learning to hide and control who she truly is, so that one day, she can be Queen. Her sister Anna, grows up and never loses her free spirit and sense of adventure.  Even though she has been charmed into forgetting her sisters' powers, she never forgets her love for her sister and constantly tries to reunite with her. Only to be let down again and again.

The time comes that Elsa is to be crowned Queen. Elsa and Anna are able to meet and speak with one another. Without going into all the details, Elsa's powers are unleashed and become out of control. The entire Kingdom is turned into a frozen wasteland. Elsa is hunted down as a "Monster" and flees her Kingdom to the mountains. Where she is finally free from all the things that have kept her hidden, controlled and imprisoned. That is where she creates her own Kingdom and sings the song that makes me cry...
"Let it Go" 

Her sister Anna, leaves her new "Prince" she has just met and devoted her life to and goes off to save Elsa. She is assited by a young, quirky man, named Kristoff, she meets along the way. When Anna finally finds and confronts her sister to try to convince her to return, she is again accidentally harmed by her sisters' powers. 

Kristoff takes Anna to the Trolls who helped her when she was a child. They let them know that this blow will completely freeze her heart and she will die unless she is saved by Love. Kristoff sacrificially takes Anna back to the Kingdom to meet her new found prince.

Anna's prince... turns out not to be such a nice guy. Ahhhh, Disney you fooled us!!
He has Elsa in chains and plans to rid himself of both Anna and Elsa to take over the Kingdom himself! It is up to Kristoff to save Anna! Kristoff has secretly loved Anna through the movie and of course... HE is the True Prince!!
But wait... Disney fools us again!!!

The Love that is the "key" turns out not to be the typical
"Princess needs a Prince's Kiss to save the day"... 

It was the act of Anna's Love for her sister! It saves Anna's life, Elsa's life, and the entire Kingdom!!
Now there's something we didn't see coming!!
The sacrificial Love that Elsa experiences also helps her to use her powers in a beautiful and helpful way for every one. 
That's the kind of thing Love does!!!

I was just thrilled to see Disney take a step forward and change some stereotypes that I had grown up with and give a new a vision to my own daughter.
One that I believe really does produce "Happily Ever Afters"!

Of course many have decried Frozen on the blogosphere as "Pushing the "Gay Agenda" *gasp*....
(Just Google "Frozen's Liberal Agenda")  *rolls eyes*.

Just because the kiss of a Prince did NOT save the day, but the love of a sister for her sister did! Not sure how they arrive at that one!? I for one, do not want my daughter growing up with the feeling that finding a man will make her whole.
Because it will not!

Ironically, I felt the movie did grasp strongly, the idea that people's Fear controls them and that always stops the True message and power of Love from being experienced by all.
Too bad that got missed by some.


The next day after we watched the movie, I was able to ask my daughter what it was about Elsa that reminded her of me? She said, "Oh... you're just strong like she is." 

I told my daughter that she actually reminded me of Anna (the younger sister), because of how she did not let fear rule her life. My daughter has had a special battle with fear and keeps winning! Also, how she is able to keep herself fun and silly all the time no matter how serious life always gets! I told my Holly that I hoped she would never lose that ability!

I guess this movie will always remind me, in a special way, of my daughter and I!

I have Hope in overcoming Fears.
That overcoming Fear is only the first step.... Experiencing Real LOVE is what completes you!
I have Hope in discovering yourself and loving who you are.
To be able to "LET GO" of what others may do to distract you from that!!
I have Hope in Loving others from that place, in such a way, that it changes the world and melts hearts!

My Holly at a Comic Con we went to recently
 with a Cosplay Anna!  :D