Written by Lara Rosales
In a time and age when we want to make it clear that families come in all sizes and shapes, Spellbound (Jenson, 2024) is the perfect representation of that. It’s not because the parents are monsters, although that might have made certain parents less angry, but because it talks about divorce. Children of divorced parents deserve an animated movie sharing a story like theirs. If we can see parents die time and time again, why can’t divorce be displayed?
Like most animated movies about princesses in recent decades, Spellbound has a beautiful soundtrack that brings the pieces of the puzzle together. Each song tells a story that allows the viewers to understand the characters better. With each musical number, we dive deeper into the psyche of these characters, bringing the story to life without simply telling us what happened. The singing and choreography of each song make this a musical masterpiece. Even though the songs may not be as enjoyable outside the movie as other animated musicals, they make perfect sense within the story.
There is so much in Spellbound that makes it a memorable and enjoyable film. The fact that women are treated as equals, seen in Coronel Cardona being a woman leading the kingdom’s entire army, is a movie highlight. Funny moments like when Nazara asks herself how Bolinar makes more money than her are certainly a wink to the grownups watching. Those little details pointing towards a more feminist world are discreet and not too in-the-face, showing there are ways to share the message of equality without being labeled as a man-hating production.
Luno (Nathan Lane) and Sunny’s (Tituss Burgess) queerness is perfectly written into the movie without audibly pointing out they are gay. One must pay close attention to Luno joking about Sunny inviting his mother over again to conclude that they are, in fact, a couple. That is exactly how the existence of homosexual characters should be treated in any movie, but particularly in animated films. The characters should simply exist in the universe you are creating without making a big fuss about it. No one is shocked that they are together, travel, and live together because it’s the norm. Everything these characters do is normalized, and that is what children should see.
Everything is normalized except the presence of two monsters. This seems weird, given the fact that characters travel inside the mouths of gigantic frogs and fly on what looks like a cat and a dragon mix. But of course, the King (Javier Bardem) and Queen (Nicole Kidman) turning into monsters is a terrifying event…until they learn how to speak and remember who they truly are. This bit of the movie makes sense when one looks at the bigger picture and realizes that the fear of them being monsters leads Ellian (Rachel Zegler) through the journey of a lifetime.
The explanation behind why the Princess’s parents turned into monsters is actually a beautiful one. Showcasing that when one lets the darkness win, they lose the light perfectly explains how we deal with our emotions. It might seem simple, but there’s much more behind it. The light isn’t just the happiness in our lives but how we handle our feelings, face challenges, and build the relationships around us. The darkness is anger, sadness, frustration, disappointment, and all those negative emotions we let build up when we don’t express ourselves.
As Ellian spends more time with her monster-parents on her journey, viewers begin to realize that all they do is fight each other. Back in the castle, when they were being kept a secret, their interactions seemed monster-like behavior. But as the journey continues and they begin to talk, we realize it’s just them constantly fighting. What Ellian remembered as perfect days with her parents, they can only recall by the fighting they did. Even though the arguing seems to stop to save their daughter at one point, it comes back until they figure out how to deal with those emotions.
The movie marvelously portrays how children feel in those situations. Ellian almost falls completely into the darkness when her parents go back to fighting. She is stuck in an impossible situation in which she is supposed to choose between one parent or the other, believing she no longer matters and they don’t love her. Many children of divorced parents go through that exact situation.
Ultimately, they all return to the light when they are able to accept their new fate. Ellian and her parents will be happier because they are no longer together. What is so beautiful about this moment is that she can hug her inner child to reassure herself that it will be okay. It is normal for her to miss what used to be, but she knows having her parents with her outside of that monster-transforming darkness is for the best.
Like every famous princess we know, Ellian has a sidekick. The greatness of this sidekick comes to life when Bolinar occupies its body, making the sidekick the trusted mentor and advisor. His commentary throughout the journey adds value to everything our favorite girl is going through. He is also able to change his mind about the monsters as he learns more about them and what happened. Even though other animal sidekicks don’t usually speak in their movies, this one needed to talk for Ellian to reach her full potential.
Princess Ellian talking to the camera is another way for children in her situation to feel connected to the story. Her fear and worry of the beginning change into joy and happiness in the end, expressed directly in what she says to the camera. She reassures the viewer that they are leaving the kingdom of Lumbria a better place than when we first entered the story.
The beautiful animation of Spellbound allows children of divorced parents to feel seen and have a story they can claim as their own. This isn’t a way of normalizing divorce or telling children that all parents will split up but of creating a world in which those who already have divorced parents feel safe and seen. After all, isn’t that what children’s movies should do?
Photo credits to Rotten Tomatoes, IMDb, Mubi, and The Direct.
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