Friday, March 8, 2013

Project Disney-Peter Pan





Project Disney: The plan is to tackle all of the Disney films, re-reading the classic stories and tales that inspired many of them and to look at how the changes the filmmakers made, the new elements they introduced and the essential elements they kept. We will, of course, be talking about the films as movies as well, saying why we enjoy them and what some of our favorite moments are, but our focus will be on looking at them as adaptations. For the films that are not drawn from any one work we’ll be looking at some of the possible literary influences that we see in the stories.  Inspired by Project Disney by Picture Me Reading. 




This weeks discussion is Peter Pan! I have a confession... Peter Pan was never my favorite Disney movie when I was young.  I just didn't really like it. The more I watch it now that I am older the more I love it. Also, surprisingly I had never read the book Peter Pan and Wendy by J.M. Barrie.  I read this book in one sitting!   The book was a little confusing to me at times... I had to re-read some parts.  At first Captain Hook was called black and I thought that was describing his race and then I think he was being called evil?   There is murder and scalping!  I will admit too that I didn't really like the view of women in this book.  It's like they were just meant to serve men, which is what Wendy is supposed to do for Peter Pan.  I also found it was interesting in the book that Wendy, Michael, and John's parents were really deciding if they were going to keep them or not after they were born!

Also for those of you who think Tinker Bell is a sweet heart think again!  She is a DIVA!  She actually causes Wendy to be shot by an arrow in the heart. But of course the Disney franchise has really made an amazing story out of her.  She is very popular right now and has her own movies and her own group of friends now.  I have watched the new Tinker Bell movies and I think they are really done well.  I love all the different movies about Peter Pan.  I loved the movie Hook with Robin Williams.  Very well done!  If you haven't seen it... really you should watch it.  It's all about when Peter Pan has grown up.  If you have followed my other Disney Projects you know I love the artist who draws these evil pictures of the Disney characters!  Here is Tinker Bell!

Captain Hook is interesting in the book compared to the Disney movie.  He comes off a little bit troubled to me in the book.  Like he's not all mentally there.  In the movie he is just always scared.  Hook was a school teacher before he ended up at Neverland.  Though we never really find out how the pirates or Indians end up in Neverland.  The Indians barely have a story either.  Tiger Lily is in the book for a brief time.  And the mermaids are also in it a brief time and the lagoon isn't as neat as it is in the movie.

For those of you who are really interested in Peter Pan stories there is an AMAZING book series by Dave Berry and Ridley Pearson called Peter and the Starcatchers.  There are 4 books in the series This series explains where Peter came from, where he got his powers, why are he and Captain Hook enemies, and what is going on with his crazy shadow.  These books do not really follow J.M. Barrie's books at all so expect something totally different.



And here again for you Disney fans out there... if you have not checked out Annie Leibovitz photos for the Disney campaign you must do!!  There are typically new ones every year.  Here is the one for Peter Pan!   They all have hollywood stars in them and I really think it's clever. 




In this case.. I like the Disney movie better then the J.M. Barrie book.  Personally I think the movie has a more magical feeling.  These are a few quotes I love from Peter Pan...
"All children, except one, grow up."
"Every time a child says, 'I don't believe in fairies,' there is a fairy somewhere that falls down dead."
"Second star to the right, and straight on till morning."

My other Project Disney:
Cinderella
Snow White
Treasure Planet
Sleeping Beauty
The Great Mouse Detective 
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Princess and the Frog
Pinocchio  
Fantasia 
Beauty and the Beast
Lady and the Tramp
Alice in Wonderland
The Rescuers
The Rescuers Down Under
Tangled
Oliver and Company
Mulan
The Little Mermaid
Bambi
101 Dalmatians
Frozen
Fantasia 2000
The Jungle Book
The Emperor's New Groove
The Sword in the Stone
Aladdin
Atlantis
The Aristocats 
The Lion King
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Winnie the Pooh (2011)
Robin Hood
Hercules
Pocahontas
Dumbo
The Black Cauldron 
Mary Poppins 
Lilo and Stitch 
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
Make Mine Music
Tarzan
Fox and the Hound
Melody Time
Check out the host Picture Me Reading's post on Peter Pan.  I am serious their trading cards are to die for!!

Just found this evil Wendy and had to add it!

17 comments:

  1. I love your posts! They are so awesome! Seriously I felt EXACTLY the same way about the obsession with Wendy being domestic and motherly..it made me cringe when I was reading. I do prefer the adaptations because of that! I likewise have come to like the movie more now that I am older!

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    1. ughh yes.. Wendy bothered me in the book. Sewing pockets and what not. I mean yeesh!

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  2. I can't wait to read Peter and the starcatchers. I have had this series on my reading list for a while now. I did like Peter Pan, but after reading Tiger Lily I can't look at it the same way :p I love the photos from the Disney campaign. Great post!

    Mel@thedailyprophecy.

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    1. Thank you!! Peter and the Starcatchers is really amazing.. bump it up on your TBR pile!

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  3. I'm not a fan of the movie, and movie version of the story for some reason. And I've never read the book, and now, I think I'll never read the book.

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    1. Yea... it's not my favorite Disney story either. And the book was confusing!!

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  4. I loved the book and I loved your post. I'm planning on reading Tiger Lily soon, but I will also need to read Peter and the star catchers since I'm obsessed with Peter Pan right now.

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    1. Peter and the Star Catchers is a great read. I just learned that there is another book that came out in 2011 that I didn't read. Not sure though if I will go back and read it since it's been so long since I've read the series.

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  5. I love those quotes! Anyways, so the choir I'm in did a Peter Pan set last year before I was in it and it was super amazing! I made it a resolution to read the book eventually, but I haven't yet. I don't think I'll mind if it's not very good, I just want to read it. I love those cool pictures with the people in them and Tinker Bell drawing! I totally prefer diva Tinker Bell! It gives her an edginess instead of that sweet, Disney princess disposition. I want to see the movie again though because it's been a while.... I've read the Kingdom Keepers Disney villain-themed series by Ridley Pearson, but I've never read Peter and the Starcatchers, though I've seen it around. I'll probably read that after I read Peter Pan.

    Marie @ Marie's Bookworm Blog
    http://www.mariesbookwormblog.blogspot.com

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    1. Those pictures with the people in them are actually a Disney campaign that promotes Disney Parks. The pictures will feature a famous person and they are taken by Annie Leibovitz. I have been interesting in reading the Kingdom Keepers. I think they look good.

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  6. I adore Peter Pan. When I was younger, I enjoyed it but now as a teenager it's one of my recent favorites in the Disney franchise. I recently downloaded Peter and Wendy. After reading this post, I can't wait to delve into more Peter stories!

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    1. I didn't love Peter Pan when I was young but as I have become older I enjoy it more and more. Perhaps it's because now that I am an adult I would love to go to Neverland and be a child again. When I was a kid that didn't really make sense to me why someone would want to do that.

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  7. Thanks for the link to this post! I've gotten to the part where the parents debated whether or not to keep their children which was really weird. You don't mention Nana! ~ I love that dog who apparently has very adult/human thoughts. I remember Tinker Bell being a diva in the movie. I love the new movies with her where she still can get angry but is relatively calm and interesting. Mae Whitman voicing her is pure genius. I like the human version of the movie where it's not animated. I'm planning to read Peter and the Starcatchers right after I read Peter Pan so I'm glad you like them.

    Question: I've heard that Peter Pan could be a bit... prejudice sounding with the song it has when introducing the Indians on the island. Do you agree?

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    1. Yes I do believe that Peter Pan in a little racist twords Indians. I don't think we would see that today in Disney movies. In the song.. it is explained that the reason Indians are red is because they turned that color from kissing a girl. So there is an excuse as to why they aren't white. I don't know.. maybe people are looking too much into the song.

      Nana bothers me. I don't know why she should be responsible to take care of a bunch of kids. Then gets locked outside and then starts to float in the air while be stuck on the leash while the kids fly away. Nana always bothered me even as a kid. I felt bad for her.

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  8. I've loved reading your Project Disney posts. The comparisons with the original stories are really interesting.


    Have you seen the 2003 Peter Pan with Jason Isaacs as Hook? It's by Universal so it doesn't really fit into a Project Disney post but it's closer to the book and really, really good :)

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  9. Oh yes!! I loved that Peter Pan. One thing about Project Disney and reading the source material is that it has made me appreciate all of the movies even more. I can't believe that I am almost getting to the end of Project Disney. I have almost watched all the films!!

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  10. that's so cool. I think Project Disney is such a fun idea. You could almost write like a college course around it or something :)

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