Yes, My [Future] Children Will Watch Brave

I was a twenty year old college student when I saw Brave in the theaters and I still cried like a big ol' baby. I've always been a bit of a Mama's Girl due to how much time my mom and I spent just the two of us when I was younger due to my dad's work schedule, so watching Merida and Elinor's relationship arc throughout the film had both my mom and I sobbing pretty hard by the end. My mom will even tell you Merida is her favorite Disney Princess, and I can't say I blame her - she's pretty great, as is her entire movie.

Brave was released into movie theaters on June 22nd, 2012, a little over a year and a half after predecessor Rapunzel and seventy-five years after Snow White. The film is an original story by director Brenda Chapman, who stated that much of the inspiration for Merida and Elinor was drawn from her relationship with her own daughter. This movie was a big deal for a lot of reasons when it was released: not only was Merida the first (and currently only) Pixar princess, Chapman was Pixar's first female full-length director and, to get the end result they wanted, Pixar rewrote their animation programs for the first time in twenty-five years. Most of the reviews I was able to find were very positive, praising the writing, Chapman's direction of the film, and Pixar's animation style with only a few critics stating that the story wasn't near as groundbreaking as Pixar's previous works and that the story's twist was almost too abrupt and shocking. With a budget of $185 million, it saw a successful box office of $540.4 million. The movie took home both an Oscar and a Golden Globe in 2013 for Best Animated Feature and was nominated for Best Song Written for Visual Media at the Grammys in 2013 for Learn Me Right by Birdy and Mumford & Sons (the credit roll song). While no full-length film sequel has been announced, Pixar hasn't necessarily ruled it out, so hopefully one day the story of Merida & Co. will continue.

I love so many things about Brave, from the beautiful animation to the individual, colorful cast of characters. Set in ancient Scotland, it's easy to feel like you're right there with Merida riding through the woods. The dynamic of the royal family of Clan Dunbroch is so much fun with all the chaos of a real, loving family. The triplet princes (Hubert, Harris, and Hamish) are delightfully chaotic King Fergus is a loving father and husband who lends his daughter a funny and solid ally and a sympathetic ear and shoulder to his wife. The other lords of the Clans MacIntosh, Dingwall, and MacGuffin, are so funny, and while their sons don't have a lot of screen time they add a decent amount to the conflict of the story as well. Queen Elinor is regal and dignified, which (*spoiler alert*) makes her time as a bear even funnier. She also shows a very real problem that parents can fall into where she somewhat forgets what it's like to be young and lets her own goals for her child get in the way of her relationship with her.

As much as I love Merida, she does share some characteristics with Ariel at the beginning of the film. She's so determined to get her way and live her own life that she is blind to the fact that she's endangering the state of her kingdom as well as her personal relationship with her mother. The good thing about Merida that, in my opinion, she does not share with Ariel is that by the end of the film she's able to see the error of her ways and feels genuine remorse for her part in the conflict. She genuinely loves her family in a way that's very realistic for a girl of 16 - a healthy mixture of love, protectiveness, and annoyance at her little brothers, a teasing respect bordering on reverence for her warrior king father, and begrudging frustration turned love and understanding for her mother. Merida wants her freedom as well as to have someone just listen to her instead of deciding her fate for her, and thankfully by the end that's what she gets. She's independent, fearless, and joyful, and she's a great role model for young girls both in those regards as well as learning to communicate, apologize, and change for the better.

Apart from being the only Pixar Princess movie, Brave has another distinct difference from the other princess movies: it's not a musical. There's a really beautiful score by composer Patrick Doyle, but as far as traditional Disney songs there just aren't any. Despite that, the songs that are featured in the movie are lovely and fun and add just the right amount of emotion to the scenes they're in. Out of the 5 non-instrumental songs in this movie, here are my Top 3.

Touch the Sky by Julie Fowlis (written by M. Andrews, A. Mandel)

The opening song of Brave plays right along with Merida being in her element, riding through the forest, practicing her archery, and exploring remote areas of her kingdom. Scottish folk singer Julie Fowlis has such a clear tone to her voice that adds to the overall carefree atmosphere of the song, and it's easy to see her being the unofficial singing voice of Merida.

When the cold wind is a-calling/And the sky is clear and bright/Misty mountains sing and beckon/Lead me out into the light/I will ride, I will fly/Chase the wind and touch the sky/I will fly/Chase the wind and touch the sky

Into the Open Air by Julie Fowlis (written by A. Mandel)

Brave's other number performed by Fowlis is a sweet, sentimental piece that shows the beginnings of a mending in Merida and Elinor's relationship. This is one of my favorite scenes in the whole movie, and the music really lends a lot to that.

This love, it is a distant star/Guiding us homeward ever we are/This love, it is a burning sun/Shining light on the things that we’ve done/I try to speak to you every day/But each word we spoke, the wind blew away/Could these walls come crumbling down/I want to feel my feet on the ground/And deep behind this prison we share/Step into the open air

Noble Maiden Fair (A Mhaighdean Bhan Uasal) by Emma Thompson & Peigi Barker (written by P. Doyle)

This piece, performed by Elinor herself Emma Thompson and Peigi Barker as a young Merida, is another moment in the movie I really love. Seeing the bond between mother and daughter that's still there, however deeply buried, is very emotional and sweet, especially if you have a close relationship with your own mother like I do. An English translation of the original Gaelic lyrics is below.

Little baby, hear my voice/Me by your side, oh fair maiden/Our young maiden, grow and see/Your country, loyal to yourself/Sun and moon, guide us/To the hour of our fame and glory/Little baby, our young maiden/White, noble maiden

If you haven't watched Brave in a while, I highly encourage it just like I do with all the other Disney Princess movies. It has beautiful storytelling, graphics, and music and is well worth it all around. Happy listening, and see y'all next week!