Film #116 – The Little Mermaid (1989)
The Little Mermaid is another film that I could go on about for days if given the opportunity. The main thing that sets it apart from the Disney animated films that preceded it was the focus on music. This is not surprising, as lyricist Howard Ashman also served as a producer on the film and made sure that it was more like the classic Disney films, more of an animated musical. Although films such as The Great Mouse Detective and Oliver & Company had used some musical-style techniques, they lacked the Broadway feel that really defined Mermaid.
The Little Mermaid is, in my opinion, the greatest of all of Ashman & Menken’s collaborations. I’ve never been that fond of Beauty and the Beast and I think Tim Rice’s lyrics are better than Ashman’s in Aladdin (one of the few times the Academy and I agreed). Unlike later works (where he just seemed to be working from a template), the songs in Mermaid, like those in Little Shop, feel fresh and original. They are immediately evocative of their respective scenes, working on their own, but immediately recalling their place in the film.
Storywise, it is one of the best examples of how Disney can take a classic story, strip the “tragic” aspects off and yet still maintain its strong story structure and artistic value. Sure, there is something to be said for the original ending to the story, but it’s hardly family entertainment. In this version, the tragic ending is replaced with a heroic victory over the villains, much more satisfying.
And the animation was on a scale that had not been seen in years. Gone was the “sketchy” look that had defned Disney animation since the late 60s, replaced with a lush style much more reminiscent of films such as Snow White or Cinderella. It is not surprising that shortly after this film, Disney began its long-running “Disney Princess” brand and that Ariel has been prominent in it ever since. She instantly became a classic Disney character.
All of this was bolstered by a superb cast that included Rene Auberjonois (Louis), Buddy Hackett (Scuttle), Edie McClurg (Carlotta) and lots of voice-over veterans such as Nancy Cartwright, Frank Welker, and even Mark Hamill. But it was the relative unknown major cast that truly made the film shine. Jodi Benson was able to give Ariel the right balance between youthful naivete and clear-minded self-assurance that makes her otherwise reckless decisions undertandable. Christopher Daniel Barnes is able to instill Prince Eric with more depth than previous Disney Princes were afforded. But the real breakthroughs are Samuel E. Wright as Sebastian (who built his career on the fame from Mermaid) and Pat Carroll as Ursula (who was certainly known previously, but not really a star). They both give the kind of stylized performance that would play well on stage, but also, therefore, translates well to this kind of animated adventure story.
The Little Mermaid did not make ridiculous amounts of money when it was first released. It made $85M in 1989, which put it behind Dead Poets Society, Ghostbusters II and even Honey, I Shrunk the Kids that year. It was the impact on home video, when people began to notice that kids would watch it a billion times a week and, more importantly, their parents would watch it with them. This meant that once Disney had thrown off the last vestiges of the “dark years” (that vestige would be called The Rescuers Down Under, of course), they had a built-in audience that would only grow and grow, culminating in the most successful modern day animated film, The Lion King.* Until the dawn of the Pixar era, The Little Mermaid would be the template not only for Disney, but all their followers. (See The Road to El Dorado, etc.) More importantly, it saved Disney animation. Sure, they got stuck in another rut eventually from which they have still not really rescued themselves, but they can always say they got back to greatness once after losing it, so they can do it again.
*You want to make an argument for Shrek 2? Check out the ticket sales, video sales and soundtrack sales and then get back to me. … Got the numbers? Okay, then. You’re forgiven.