Day 28: Another post about Disney

The first movie experience I remember was in 1989 at the Broadway Twin Theater in Yreka, CA. I know you must be thinking, "but there were so many fabulous movies released in 1989, which one did you see?!" Please keep in mind that I was 4 years old in 1989, therefore my movie selection was limited.

I could not go see Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, nor could I see Back to the Future Part II, Lethal Weapon II, When Harry Met Sally, or Batman. Pretty much the only options available to me as a 4 year old were The Little Mermaid and All Dogs Go To Heaven. I'm assuming my mother had the foresight to NOT send me to a movie about dogs and heaven and therefore took me to see The Little Mermaid.

It is safe to say I loved every minute of that movie! Except 1 minute. Or maybe it was closer to 2 or 3 minutes. Maybe even 4 minutes. Yes, folks, I was the scaredy-cat kid in the theater, freaking out because Ursula turned into a big ol' monster, was stabbed with the mast of a ship, and then got electrocuted. SERIOUSLY, DISNEY!? What part of that scene did you deem appropriate for 4 year old girls? Because, obviously, that was to whom the movie was marketed.

Lucky for me, I was not alone in this movie adventure. I had my mother, my dear friend Hallie Brown, and her mother. Somehow, I think it's safe to guess that when the movie was released on VHS, both sets of parents immediately regretted their decision to take us to the movies. Hallie and I watched The Little Mermaid EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. For months. Maybe even years. We had the whole thing memorized, choreographed, and when we weren't actually watching the movie, we were acting it out in my bedroom. We were those kids.

For the record, I still love The Little Mermaid and I still believe it is one of the best Disney movies ever made. And instead of watching it every day, I watch it about once a year...to remind myself of how it feels to be young.