Pocahontas 20th Anniversary

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DancingCrab
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Pocahontas 20th Anniversary

Post by DancingCrab »

In honor of the 20th Anniversary of Pocahontas today (June 23), Judy Kuhn gets goofy with Jeanine Tesori at the piano with different music "styles" for Colors of the Wind... super cute, and oh that voice is still a glorious thing (even when she's just having fun)

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/05/28/or ... ent-styles
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MeerkatKombat
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Re: Judy Kuhn celebrates Pocahontas 20th Anniversary

Post by MeerkatKombat »

Pocahontas was the first Disney film where I was old enough to get excited and notice all the merchandise and adverts on TV. It amazes me that 20 years has gone by already. I think Pocahontas has left an imprint on me in a way.
It kinda saddens me that I'll never get to live through that time again. Spending Sunday afternoons eating nestle cool creations Pocahontas cups.
It also saddens me that Disney have decided to ignore this film over the years (I love it despite its flaws) and it seems Disney have made no mention of the anniversary.
I was kinda hoping they would give us a new Pocahontas bluray this year with 'If I never Knew You' put back in but alas....
It also means the 10th anniversary edition DVD is 10 years old (obviously as that is how time works) and it seems like yesterday I brought it.
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DisneyFan09
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Re: Judy Kuhn celebrates Pocahontas 20th Anniversary

Post by DisneyFan09 »

Where's the video? I can't find any video on that page.

Either way, happy 20th Anniversary "Pocahontas". You'll always have a special place in my heart, 20 years afterwards.
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Re: Judy Kuhn celebrates Pocahontas 20th Anniversary

Post by Sotiris »

I love Pocahontas! It's such an underrated gem.

Here's an excellent article about the movie on occasion of its anniversary.

In Defense of Pocahontas: Disney's Most Radical Heroine
http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainmen ... as/396626/
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DisneyFan09
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Re: Judy Kuhn celebrates Pocahontas 20th Anniversary

Post by DisneyFan09 »

Sotiris wrote:I love Pocahontas! It's such an underrated gem.
You finally answered a question that I've asked you several times ;) But I'm glad you finally did.
DancingCrab
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Re: Judy Kuhn celebrates Pocahontas 20th Anniversary

Post by DancingCrab »

DisneyFan09 wrote:Where's the video? I can't find any video on that page.
The video is embedded in the article, but if it's not loading correctly for you, here is a link to the actual youtube video:

https://youtu.be/ktAdj8nqvv4
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Re: Judy Kuhn celebrates Pocahontas 20th Anniversary

Post by DisneyFan09 »

Oh, thanks :)

The article was a good one. And except some minor flaws, it's nice to see an article that values and credits the strenghts of not only the movie, but Pocahontas herself (since she is a heroine with admirable strenghts).

However, it's odd they claim "Pocahontas" for being the first Disney film to center around an adult female. According to an Jim Hill Media-article, Pocahontas is supposed to be eighteen years old, though she acts and looks older. What about Cinderella? I don't remember her age, but she acts like a grown woman, although I assume she's in her late teens.

The article also tarnishes Belle. While she's far from perfect, she's still not as naive and dimwitted.
DancingCrab
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Re: Judy Kuhn celebrates Pocahontas 20th Anniversary

Post by DancingCrab »

I think some people just assume Pocahontas is older because she is one of the rare heroines who is not drawn with giant toon eyes, thus making her less childlike compared to your typical Disney girl look. Off the top of my head, Snow White and Cinderella are the only princesses that were drawn equally with realistic anatomy, though Snow White does look and sound 14 or 15. Cinderella and Pocahontas come across the most as mature women in the Princess franchise.
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Re: Judy Kuhn celebrates Pocahontas 20th Anniversary

Post by Disney's Divinity »

Although I wouldn't say Pocahontas is one of my favorites, there are many things I love about the film. The art style, animation, music, and the protagonist herself (and Judy Kuhn, who voices her, one of my absolute favorite voices in Disney). I'm glad that it was made in spite of everything, regardless of how Disney feels towards it.

Looking back, I wasn't too fond of this as a child, but it was my sister's favorite along with Sleeping Beauty. I only remember being drawn to Grandmother Willow, because I seem to have been drawn most strongly to older female characters when I was young (B&tB is another one I didn't really "get" as a child, but I loved Mrs. Potts. :P ). I guess because a child looks for imitations of their own life and family circumstances in what they watch, and my grandmother was a big part of my life. Actually, most of my memories are of playing the Sega Genesis game based on the film repeatedly. It was fairly easy, but I thought it was creative, too. At least I could finish it, something I was never able to do with the TLK, TJB and Aladdin Sega games. :lol: I hope it eventually appears in Kingdom Hearts, too.

Incidentally, oming soon this year are the Pocahontas Legacy Collection soundtrack and Funko Pop version of the title character (at least), both of which I'll be getting. :)
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jazzflower92
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Re: Judy Kuhn celebrates Pocahontas 20th Anniversary

Post by jazzflower92 »

It also shows a time where Mel Gibson was sane and not saying hateful stuff.

Also does anyone remember the Animaniacs parody of the movie.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJrud9uW_wI
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Re: Judy Kuhn celebrates Pocahontas 20th Anniversary

Post by DisneyFan09 »

DancingCrab wrote:Cinderella and Pocahontas come across the most as mature women in the Princess franchise.
Belle as well.
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Re: Pocahontas Blu-ray (2012)

Post by blackcauldron85 »

19 things you didn't know about Disney's Pocahontas
http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/entertain ... idnt-know/
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Re: Judy Kuhn celebrates Pocahontas 20th Anniversary

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http://news.sky.com/video/digi-180717tu ... v-11025696

Found this and thought it was interesting how both of these women are connected to Pocahontas yet have such drastically different views on the current political administration. It is quite obvious, at least to me, who the real Pocahontas/Disney Pocahontas would agree with. I find it interesting that the woman who voiced Pocahontas is more able to accurately channel her spirit than Pocahontas' own descendant. I guess it proves that sharing blood doesn't have to mean anything.
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Re: Judy Kuhn celebrates Pocahontas 20th Anniversary

Post by Sotiris »

I find it so tacky when people project their own views, political or otherwise, onto people who have passed away. There's no way anyone could possibly know what the historical Pocahontas would have believed today so why even go there? Besides, it doesn't matter. The vast majority of Native-Americans are ardently against the Trump administration so maybe we should listen to them since their lives are on the line instead of trying to figure out what Pocahontas would have wanted.
JeanGreyForever wrote:I guess it proves that sharing blood doesn't have to mean anything.
Of course, it doesn't. The biological descendant of Pocahontas is obviously wealthy and ignorant so it's no wonder she supports Trump. The difference between her and Irene could have not been clearer.
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Re: Judy Kuhn celebrates Pocahontas 20th Anniversary

Post by JeanGreyForever »

Sotiris wrote:I find it so tacky when people project their own views, political or otherwise, onto people who have passed away. There's no way anyone could possibly know what the historical Pocahontas would have believed today so why even go there? Besides, it doesn't matter. The vast majority of Native-Americans are ardently against the Trump administration so maybe we should listen to them since their lives are on the line instead of trying to figure out what Pocahontas would have wanted.
JeanGreyForever wrote:I guess it proves that sharing blood doesn't have to mean anything.
Of course, it doesn't. The biological descendant of Pocahontas is obviously wealthy and ignorant so it's no wonder she supports Trump. The difference between her and Irene could have not been clearer.
I don't think it would be very difficult to figure out who the real Pocahontas would have supported. Considering her whole life story (admittedly short) was about trying to help two different populations co-exist, I can't see her for deporting immigrants or blacklisting immigrants from selected countries. Obviously though, I don't know her personally, and I can see the hesitation in imagining what real life people would do in contexts so completely different from their own. Especially since in the case of Pocahontas, so much about her real life is ambiguous. When some native tribes believe that she was poisoned by the Europeans after a year of captivity where she was repeatedly raped, became pregnant, and then forced to marry John Rolfe, while another believes that Pocahontas really did have a romance with John Smith, it becomes difficult to articulate the truth. Especially when different tribes all lay some claim on her and have their own narrative of her life.

The Pocahontas narrative is relevant to the topic anyway considering how many times Trump has name-called her as a slur. So I don't think it's uncalled for to bring her in.

I found the staging of the descendant in the video so hilarious to be honest. The opulent home and the way she was dressed was a stark contrast to the more everyday and relatable Irene Bedard. Of course, this woman would side with Trump. It almost felt like a bad parody while I was watching it.
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Re: Judy Kuhn celebrates Pocahontas 20th Anniversary

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I had a history teacher in high school that just HATED this film. He's main issue was that very little of it was actually any kind of historically accurate. I however, didn't have an issue with the film becuase it wasn't trying to be historically accurate, it was trying to capture the mythology of the real life story, which it did. So far the real story goes, the film (and a lovely article in Disney Adventures Magazine) actually inspired me to learn about the real story, which I did. I doubt I'm the only kid from that time who did so and if presented in the appropriate context, I think it could be used to teach a lot more kids the real history.
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Re: Judy Kuhn celebrates Pocahontas 20th Anniversary

Post by JeanGreyForever »

Pocahontas remains in the news and now the Trump spawn are dragging Disney into the conversation.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nationa ... -1.3662528
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Re: Pocahontas 20th Anniversary

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In the early 1990’s, Butch Hartman did some acting on the side in a few soap operas and sitcoms, including Days of our Lives and Growing Pains. One day he got a call for an audition as a live-action reference model for Disney, which was perfect because he knew exactly what animators would be looking for. He was cast as Kocoum, but the actor providing reference for John Smith had to leave the project early and Butch filled in for the remainder of the shoot. The best part was that many of the animators working on the film were former CalArts classmates, who would come in and egg him on while he was working.
Source: https://www.laughingplace.com/w/article ... urs-event/
Her work on shorts was occasionally interrupted to help on features. “They also pulled me off to work six-months on Pocahontas.” Disney has cut some pretty famous songs from their animated films, such as ‘If I Never Knew You” from Pocahontas. “The songs that we cut actually felt like they needed to be cut. It was unfortunate because there were some great songs.” She shared that the song was cut because test audiences laughed at it. Pocahontas had arrived to try to save John Smith and then they stopped to sing a duet.
Source: https://www.laughingplace.com/w/article ... ter-hours/
“I’ve got to sing for a lot of people and Pocahontas was one of my favorites. It was interesting because Alan Menken was directing me from singing too well. I said I’ve never been accused of singing too well, so this will be easy.” Jim Cummings also recalled a funny anecdote about recording a demo for the song “Savages” from the film. “They didn’t have all the words down, so they were calling it ‘Sandwiches, Sandwiches, I’m not Randy Newman.’”
Source: https://www.laughingplace.com/w/article ... ter-hours/
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Re: Pocahontas 20th Anniversary

Post by JeanGreyForever »

Happy 25th Anniversary to this beautiful film!

'Pocahontas' at 25: Irene Bedard revisits the Disney favorite's most controversial song 'Savages'
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/poc ... 11807.html
“It’s very relevant at this time,” Bedard says of “Savages.” Nevertheless, she confesses that the song initially struck a wrong chord with her when Pocahontas was released on June 16, 1995. “When I first saw it, I was like, ‘Why did we have to go there?’” the Alaska-born actress, who is of Inuit and French Canadian Cree heritage, continues. “Why do we have to go that far, that deep into it? It’s so fraught, that word ‘savages.’ So my first instinct was to go, ‘Oh no.’”
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Re: Pocahontas 20th Anniversary

Post by UmbrellaFish »

Thank you for sharing that article! It’s wonderful to hear from Irene Bedard, I feel like she is one of the Princesses whom we hear from the least.

Pocahontas has always been one of my favorite Disney films. Growing up close to the Tennessee state border with Virginia, I used to imagine that the historical Pocahontas might have passed through the creeks and woods of my home. Of course, as an adult I realize that was never the case, but even to this day, Disney’s Pocahontas feels personal to me in ways other Disney movies do not.

As an adult, I totally get everything “problematic” and “cringe” about the movie and its messages but I always try to tell critics, the mythologizing of Pocahontas began long before Disney came on the scene. The story of Pocahontas will probably always have appeal in America, but hopefully future storytellers approach the history with more truth and honesty, unafraid to face the ugliest aspects of the history.
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