The day before I traveled back home for winter break my roommate and I decided to go watch the new film Frozen. All we had heard were amazing reviews and with the price of a ticket being 5 dollars (plus a Yogurtland being less than a block away), it was a win-win situation. We paid for our tickets while surrounded with swarms of children, apparently they had also heard about the 5 dollar deal too! I was expecting the movie to be okay, but instead I sat and watched one of the best films I had seen all year.
Frozen was absolutely amazing, and while I love Princess Ariel, the lessons from this film definitely beat running away from home at sixteen to chase after a boy you’ve never officially met. The storyline was excellent, the writing was hilarious and I laughed until my stomach hurt during the snowman’s song.
If I for some reason accidentally got pregnant (because who really plans a pregnancy at 21), this is the film I’d sit my child in front of the television to watch while I ironed. (I don’t know why I’m ironing in this scenario, in real life I iron my clothes with a flat iron if at all.) For this week’s Midweek Study Break I decided to take the movie I and everyone else couldn’t get enough this past holiday season and outline the 10 life lessons I took from Disney’s Frozen.
1. Any guy that comes on too strong is a major red flag.
The entire time Anna and Hans were “falling in love” I was just thinking, “nope, nope, this guy is a creep.” The second he said, “I love crazy,” I knew he was the crazy one. Any guy that is just too interested in you from the get go wants something from you, whether it’s to take control of your kingdom or your Netflix account. (We all have different things to offer.)
While most guys don’t play games, they also shouldn’t be singing under the moonlight and proposing marriage after only a few hours (or weeks) of meeting you. I dated a guy for two years and the best he gave me was an iPod! Say ‘goodbye’ to anyone who says ‘hello’ a bit too strongly.
2. We chase after love for a reason.
Anna in the film was so incredibly relatable. (At least if you’re a lonely 20 year old with no date prospects.) She was just a princess who wanted to see the world, talked to inanimate objects and from time to time got gassy. (Her words not mine.) She fell in love with Hans (or at least the idea of him) the day they met and as a hopeless romantic was blinded by her own happiness.
All I could think about while I watched her story progress through the film was that she was chasing after the love of Prince Hans because she wanted to fill the void her sister, Elsa, had left in her. We chase after relationships to fill the hole others have left in us, whether that hole was made by a boy who broke our heart or a sister who woke up one day and wanted nothing do to with us.
3. Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.
Anna fell in love with Prince Hans at first sight because he was dressed perfectly, well groomed and was a prince. (Obviously.) On the other hand she judged Kristoff as no more than a weird guy that could help her get to the top of the mountain and hung out with reindeer. Turns out Kristoff was just a “fixer upper,” while Hans was a total sleaze bag.
Do yourself a favor and look behind someone’s cover before making a commitment to date them, maybe take a look at their Facebook page, beyond their profile pictures! Do some research, because running off with “Mr. I Just Met Him Right Now” is crazy. Sadly we’re not princesses so we won’t have an entire kingdom looking for us when we mysteriously disappear.
4. Ignorance is bliss.
Kelly Clarkson had it right in her song Never Again, ignorance is bliss. Olaf was hands down the best character in the entire movie. He was just so optimistic about everything, including how gorgeously tanned he would look in summer. (Me and him both.) Sometimes you’re just better off not knowing some things.
I live in happy ignorance about what my current exes are doing, what my mom chooses to share on her Facebook and just exactly how much I weigh. There are certain things that just aren’t necessary to know, like whatever snow does in summer.
5. You don’t need no man to be a queen!
Hands down the best part of this movie is the fact that Elsa became queen purely because it was her birth right. She didn’t have to marry some gross prince from some ally country to gain her title, she just put on her awesome coronation outfit and gained control of the crown. Not once in the movie was she looking for her prince charming or someone to save her, she actually was striving for the opposite.
I can totally relate to wanting to just close my door and be left alone. (Just not for 12 years, that would get boring.) I was pleasantly surprised when the movie ended with her making up with her sister, taking control over her country again, and living the single life happily ever after.
6. True love isn’t all about being swept off your feet.
Sometimes true love is about finding someone who finishes your sandwiches! The best relationships I’ve been in were the ones where they knew exactly how I liked my food, what days my favorite shows were on, and exactly which gifs they had a responsibility to forward to me. (Anything cats.)
Not every couples needs to sing a power ballad underneath a waterfall while the moonlight shines on your skin, some people rather feel the light of the television screen on their skin.
7. Let it go.
I’ll admit it, I went home and immediately downloaded this song onto my iPod. And I then proceeded to listen to it the entire eight hour car ride home, and I am not ashamed! Besides this song being amazing, it has so many Tumblr worthy lines. (Am I the only person who ranks things by how famous they could make me on Tumblr?)
Elsa couldn’t gain full control of her powers and feel truly happy until she left go of all the restrictions she had put on herself. If she would have never just let herself freak out she would have never realized the extent to her magical powers. By letting her fears melt away she gained control of her life again. (Plus she made the actual snow melt away too.)
With it being the new year and all, maybe we should all just let go of all the thoughts that are holding us back from realizing our full potential.
8. Indulge your inner child once in a while.
Winter is finally here, and if you’re lucky enough to live somewhere where it actually snows, have you gone out to build a snowman!?! It doesn’t have to be a snowman. Besides this movie surpassing all expectations I had, it was just nice to do something just for the sake of having fun.
While my roommate and I constantly watch television at home, it just feels more special to watch a film in a theater. Do something at least once a month that is completely embarrassing and childish like walking into a children’s movie with no kids or going to the arcade just for the hell of it. (All Chuck E Cheese arcade games are only one token to play. Don’t ask me how I know that.)
Just do something fun, believe me, there’s no possible way you’ll regret it.
9. There’s power in a good dress.
For anyone who has seen the movie you’ll know what I’m talking about. Did anyone else notice that as soon as Elsa switched into that icy blue dress she became a total bad ass. That smirk, the Beyonce-esque walk through her ice palace, the way she said, “The cold never bothered me anyway.” (So. Much. Sass.)
If Frozen taught me anything it was was that a good dress can make you feel and act like a queen.
10. Love Doesn’t Have One Source
Frozen had a plot twist right at the end of the film, the act of true love that saved Anna was between Anna and Elsa, not Anna and some prince. Maybe I’m reading into it too much (most likely since this movie was written for children), but I think the writers at Disney are trying to secretly push the idea that love can be felt from everyone around us, not just significant others.
With the holidays having just passed and Valentine’s Day coming up it can be easy to fall into a slump of loneliness, but just remember that there are plenty of people who care about you regardless of your relationship status.