Of course, that theme is present in almost every Disney film. The death of the main characters’ parents ostensibly allows that character to grow and develop, which is a valuable lesson that Disney should be teaching. But is it necessary to do so at the expense of a parent’s life? Clearly, Disney views mothers and fathers as vehicles for cash, marginalizing their roles in their movies lest they get in the way of the story. A little creative thinking from the writers might have figured out a way to include parents in the plots, but instead they took the easy way out and killed them off. Again, the thinking is obvious: parents are viewed as functional but not necessary. (more…)