Movie Monday: Mele Kalikimaka and Disney's Moana

Hawaii is not exactly the first thing I think of when I think of Christmas movies. But it’s that time of year when my family gets to tell Santa if we’ve been naughty or nice. Spokane has a terrific set up with Santa and one of the tallest tress around at River Park Square… that just happen to be downstairs from one of the most luxurious AMC theaters I’ve ever been too (reclining leather seats!) So I may have made a point of being there around the same time that Moana was playing.

I grew up in the time of musical Disney. I have vivid memory of correcting an adult on the lyrics to Part of Your World when I was about six years old. My dance teacher produced a ballet production of Disney’s Beauty & the Beast when I was ten. And I’m pretty sure I melted into a geeky puddle of childhood joy watching Julie Taymor’s production of The Lion King in London. 

What a fun movie. Moana is the story of a young girl in ancient Polynesia who feels the call of something more than her island. She is the daughter of the Chief which means she is next in line to lead her people. Though her heart longs for the ocean, she listens well to her father and does her best to be the sort of Chief he wants her to be. But after the natural resources of her home begin to run dry, she finds that the call of the ocean is not just a desire to explore but also her only hope to save her people.

The music from Tony award winning writer Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton) teaming up with Mark Mancina (August Rush) and Opetaia Foa’i (Te Vaka) was just inspiring with songs like “How Far I’ll Go” and “You’re Welcome”. It's a journey of discovery in a way that only three other princesses embrace. From the very first song Moana is on a journey to discover who she truly is, even if that means challenging tradition and finding her own wind to sail.

What’s really nice about it is that it doesn’t have a huge cast of characters, most of which are played by a mix of Hawaiian, Filipino and Maori actors. And for newcomer Auli'i Cravalho, it represents the first time an age appropriate actress played the title role for a Disney Princess.

I enjoyed this film, my hyper critical husband enjoyed this film. And my three year old sat through the entire thing without a single bathroom or temper break. Not to mention it's killer opening weekend Box Office over Thanksgiving. This movie is a win in my book.

Gorilla What?

How easy it is. We find something we feel passionate about and become the worst form of ourselves. Not the version you would find at a family gathering or an intimate evening with friends. No, the worst version of ourselves comes out when we find ourselves challenged and we disagree- but we have the safety of a computer screen. I am not immune to stupidity.

I found myself- in the midst of all the opinions about who was to blame for a child falling into a Gorilla exhibit at a zoo- in a crazy thread between myself and a friend on Facebook. We both hid behind our computer screens and typed/shouted at one another about a Gorilla and a child. I am not eloquent enough, or timely, to really express what I think. This mom did a pretty good job. 

That being said, I was not the best version of myself that day. I was self righteous that day, opinionated, and confident in my opinion. It wasn't a wrong opinion, but it wasn't right either. I demanded if the person I was speaking to enjoyed judging people- all the while judging her myself. It ended with us not being friends on Facebook anymore - as if that is a testament to weather or not we're really friends.

At first, I told my husband that I felt really terrible for blocking this person, and for saying the things I said, truthful as they may have been. But he said something profound to me. 

"Don't think about it as if it's losing a friend. Think about it like letting go of a person who doesn't help you be the best person you can be. If you are your worst version of yourself with them, then is it worth it to be like that; even online?"

Wow. Thanks husband for holding the mirror up to nature. It wasn't that she was terrible. It's that I was terrible responding to her. Whatever our disagreements, they are completely irrelevant. To be the best person, and the best mom I can be... before I judge any other mom or caretaker, I have to take a long hard look at myself and find my own short comings. Because my own fault doesn't justify me being cruel.

So for being cruel, I apologize. I apologize to you, dear reader, because she may never read this. And because I may have at some point been cruel to someone just like you. I didn't mean to be, but I was. We all have those days we need to atone for. I'm trying hard to be a better person, I don't always succeed. But today, almost a week after a poor kid fell into a Gorilla exhibit, lets be kind to one another and remember that we're all human.