Disney Movies Your Friends Probably Don’t Know About

Every time I meet up with my old friends from high school, we would always reminisce about the good old days where we listened to cassette tapes and remembered Lindsay Lohan in her prime as a young star in Parent Trap. Yet, there was one topic we loved to talk about no matter how many times it crossed our lips- Disney movies. Seriously, it’s like we all had retrograde amnesia because it didn’t matter if we talked about the songs in Mulan dozens of times. It felt like we were talking about it, with the same giddiness we felt right after watching the movies in the theatre for the first time. Truly, Disney movies like Mulan, Pocahontas, Beauty & The Beast, and the like are forever etched into our hearts and memories as one of the pop cultural influences that has continued to define the childhood of many.

We all had our favorite moments from these films. One friend would talk about how she loved the scene where Aladdin and Jasmine sung “A Whole New World,” while one would rave about how Timon and Pumbaa from Lion King are their favorite Disney characters of all time.  Then when it came my turn, I began to share how this one scene from the Fox & The Hound where the old lady leaves her fox in the middle of the forest was completely heart-wrenching for me. Yet, there was no chorus of “awws” and “OMG, I know!” from my friends. Instead, they asked me with honest curiosity and bewilderment: “What’s Fox & The Hound?”and I was surprised to find out that my self-proclaimed Disney aficionado friends had no idea what this movie was or that this was even a Disney production.

Consequently, I began to ask them about the other animated Disney movies I cherished growing up. Still no dice and every time I met someone who knew about these films, it felt like meeting a human being among a world of aliens (not that I know how that literally feels). So for everyone reading, if you’re like me and have been searching for a common soul… you’ve come to the right place! If not, I’ve listed some of these films here in this article.

1.) Oliver & Company

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-M6UYwaYRqw&feature=related

Okay, if this fabulous musical piece by the awesome Bette Midler can’t convince you, then I don’t know what else to do.

Oliver & Company is loosely based on the classic tale Oliver Twist, only it’s set in modern New York City with dogs and cats as the protagonists. Growing up, I became enamoured with New York City partly because of this film. I felt that the animation in this film brought life to the Big Apple. Among the characters, my favorites were Georgette and Dodger who were played by Bette Midler and Billy Joel respectively. Yet despite having favorites, I loved all the characters in this film.

Aside from the song above, I have other favorites like “Good Company” and “Why Should I Worry?” where the latter was nominated for a Golden Globe.

2.) The Fox and the Hound

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UIc6o5Z8SU

I kind of shed a tear while watching this video before posting it here. I don’t know why I posted it here because it wouldn’t be as painful if you knew this was going to happen.

The Fox and the Hound is a story of an unlikely and forbidden friendship between well.. you guessed it a fox and a hound. The story tugs your heart strings because it shows you the bitter reality of having a best friend and losing them in the process. From the video, it’s clear that our fox friend would encounter more than one heart break in his life. When I was younger, I found a best friend and vowed never to leave each other’s side. Sadly, she had to move away and since we were kids, it never occurred to us to ask for each other’s address and phone number. I guess this film touches on the friendships we built when we were kids, and the challenges of facing the realities of it as we grow older.

There are a lot of sad moments in this animated film but it’s definitely a classic in my book.

3.) Aristocats

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMcsXJGf2ho

This animated film revolves around a family of aristocratic cats, hence the title, who is aided by an alley cat after the family was kidnapped by the family butler in an attempt to steal the mistress’ fortune which was meant to go to her cats. As a fan of jazz and blues, I loved the music in this film and even if I hated cats… the characters grew on me especially the alley cat named Thomas O’Malley. For a while, I grew up singing “Everybody Wants To Be A Cat” as my anthem.

Watching this film brings back the nostalgic memories of how the music and animation of Disney once was. This goes for the past two films I listed here in this article so if you haven’t watched any of these, I urge to you to do so when you have the free time.