Disney's The Little Mermaid

Plot Ariel, a mermaid, is continously astounded by the world above the ocean and eventually falls

for a human, the handsome Prince Eric. One day, tragedy befalls the ship Eric is on and our little mermaid rescues the poor slob. She then resolves to join the world "up there" by trading her beautiful voice to an evil sea-witch Ursula in return for legs. Thus the mute mermaid must convince Prince Eric that she was the one who rescued him that night... without saying a word. Her faithful companions, Sebastian (a crab) and Flounder (a fish) help her to win the heart of her beloved. By the story's end, the witch  is defeated (so what else is new?) and Ariel and the Prince live happily ever after.

Impressions Although released way back in 1989, The Little Mermaid (TLM) is regarded by purists as the film that started it all and consequently, the film that breathed fresh life into the meandering Disney studios. This was probably due to the signing of famed Broadway producers: the deadly duo of lyricist Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken. Their visionary talent is evident as soon as the curtain raises -- a rousing song to begin the show, bringing back past glories not seen since The Rescuers in 1977.  Their opening song then breaks into a rousing score which brings

us into the undersea world of the mer-people. Marvellous stuff!

The film in itself (88 minutes) doesn't seem to meander too much, though a large number of bona-fide Little Mermaid fans (the ones who read the book by Hans-Christen Andersen first) were quite unhappy in the liberalized take of the TLM saga. The ending for one caused a minor dispute and was considered a cop-out by Hans-Christen fanatics. Fans of the Disney-ized movie (myself included!) beg to differ!

The storytelling is solid and the basic premise emerges clearly, thanks to Howard Ashman's economic lyrics and Menken's equally moving character themes. In one verse, Ashman sneaks in the concept of equal rights. "Betcha on land/they understand, that they don't reprimand their daughters," Ariel complains about her father and then says, "reckon women/sick of swimming/ are ready to stand".  Classic Howard Ashman!

Although revolutionary in its time, the animation seems to have suffered a little and looks dated when compared to more modern films, like the technically brilliant Lion King and smooth-flowing Hercules. This film was re-released in 1998 to counter the massive rival Anastasia (by Don Bluth) despite cat-calls by industry watchers who saw it as competetive fodder. Fans like yours truly though didn't mind one bit.

Unforgettable

Ariel hugging her father in the last scene (gasp!). Also, strictly for fans, the opening credits.

Trivia

... Ariel's treasure cave includes the painting "Magdalene With the Smoking Flame" by 17th-century artist Georges de La Tour.

... Jodi Benson (Ariel) was considered for the role of Belle in Beauty and the Beast. But Howard Ashman felt that Paige O'Hara (the eventual voice of Belle) had more depth and sounded more like a fairy tale character, while Benson sounded too young and too American.

... Rene Auberjonois (the voice of the hysterical Chef Louis) went on to play the stern shapeshifter Odo in the TV series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Sites

The Arielholics Anonymous Homepage. A top 10 site if you ask me! Steve Liu has outdone himself with the overall concept of an Arielholic and his design of the definitive Arieholics' shrine!

http://www.radix.net/~koalatek/tlm.html

NightOwll's Little Mermaid. A great site, especially for collectors of TLM memorabilia such as original movie posters, pins, cups, saucers and all the junk that Disney sells to a captive market -- TLM fans like us!

http://www.bomis.com/cgi-bin/ring.cgi?page=5&ring=thelittlemermaid&t=24121

John's Mostly Mermaid Page. A great site! Has everything a TLM fan would want (except Ariel herself!). A double wowzer for this site! Caution, it's not 100% Ariel (but it's mostly her of course)!

http://www.cyberramp.net/~jstarke/

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