My friend and I started talking one day about a character that wasn’t very appreciated. That Character was Charlotte La Bouff from Princess and the Frog. We talked about all the positive things she had to offer the audience. She was beautiful, rich, wanted to be a princess, and yet she stood by her best friend who wasn’t anywhere near rich and didn’t desire to be a princess. Tiana was very motivated and hard-working (which most people thought she was crazy for), but Charolette never made fun of her, never tried to make Tiana change her goals, and never left her side. All that being said, I’ve made a list (yes ANOTHER list!) on a few characters I think we should all look up to and strive to be like. Be warned: there are a few spoilers.
1. Charlotte La Bouff – Princess and the Frog (Jennifer Cody)
I saw a picture that helped me express my thoughts better that said, “She always looked out for her. From helping her clean up the party to kissing a frog so Tiana could have her happily ever after. She didn’t even resent Tiana for ‘stealing her crown,’ but rather she was crying and smiling as her best friend walked down the aisle with the man she loves” -Anonymous.
I think they should make a second movie or a spin-off and focus on Charlotte. She’s not just a regular spoiled rotten rich kid. Charlotte shows that friendship is worth more than any materials or people in this world. I believe we need to try to stop being so selfish and do things for others; we need to go out of our way more often for the ones we love because what’s the point of loving someone if you aren’t willing to be there for them or you don’t show them how much you care?
Russel is a loud, determined kid who just wants to complete all of his Wilderness Explorer Patches. He can only do that by getting his Assisting the Elderly Badge. I know he’s one of the main characters of this movie, but he has a lot to give to the audience. He probably never imagined how his day would turn out when he knocked on Mr. Fredricksen’s door. He was turned down a lot by this one old man. He could’ve just went to another house to take the easy way out, but he stuck by Mr. Fredricksen. Even after they went to Niagra Falls (sure he was tired and his feet hurt [but]), he still stayed with him. Russell has a lot of disadvantages from being a kid to being too weak to climb, he continued to step out in other ways such as bravery when he went to save Kevin (the bird), he overcomes his weakness by showing strength in finally being able to climb, and (my favorite part) at the end of the movie he’s beaming with joy that he got his Assisting the Elderly Badge by Carl Fredricksen himself instead of being disappointed and angry that his father didn’t show up. In conclusion, the most important thing Russell did was he brought back joy and fulfillment into Mr. Fredricksen’s life when there were none.
I used to watch The Middle a LOT. The characters were so funny and went through real-life family problems. Despite all the bad things that happened to Sue, she was always positive. She always had a smile on her face and had a heart full of joy. Granted, some of the things about her are different. For one, she goes to college with clothes that still looked like they belonged to a twelve-year-old. I’m not putting her down for that, though. I kind of liked the way she didn’t worry about how people saw her. I think we all need to be a little less self-centered and a little more optimistic and happy like Sue Heck.
Pascal is a small character/pet/sidekick to Rapunzel in the movie Tangled. He reminds me of the movie Beverly Hills Chihuahuas when they say “tiny, but mighty.” Just because he can’t do much doesn’t mean he still doesn’t try. He’s there for Rapunzel as a friend in many ways. He helps keep her entertained when she’s bored (she’s locked in a tower for 18 years for crying out loud), he didn’t put her down for her dreams or tell her that it would never happen, he saw the gentleness in her and reflected it through their friendship, he stays with her on her journey to make sure she stays safe, and when harm comes her way he puts himself at the forefront of it. Granted, it didn’t do much, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t appreciated and heart-felt. We all should strive to be there for our friends and stick up for them even if we seem too “small” to help them through their circumstances.
Again- Bianca is a small character, like Pascal, but she has a big heart. The Rescuers is an old cartoon movie where a little orphaned girl is adopted by a mean lady and the Rescue Aid Society (an international mouse society dedicated to helping abduction victims worldwide). Bianca always looks on the bright side and wants to help others. She seems like a very rich and prissy mouse at first- almost like she wouldn’t want to get her hands dirty, but she was the first to volunteer to help the latest victim, Penny. She wasn’t afraid or too prideful to go out of her way, get in the swamps, or be chased by alligators, and [the scariest situation to some cats is that] she was brave enough to talk to a cat to help someone. Bianca never failed to share a smile with someone or show them kindness. We all need to stop being selfish in our daily lives and habits and go out of our way to help someone see the brighter side of things even when it seems impossible.
Tony Stark is also the main character, I know. But I don’t think people give him enough credit. Too many people are into Captain America or The Hulk because of their storylines or what have you, but let me tell you – Tony Stark is completely human. He’s sort of like Batman (which is in a different universe), but Tony is wealthy because of his brains and his brains alone. He can build an entire suit of armor out of pure scraps. I think that’s pretty remarkable engineering right there. In my opinion, not only is he one of the smartest men alive, but he cares more than most. He doesn’t always show it, but you can see through his sarcastic facade if you try. Tony’s funny, down-to-earth, and has the most character growth of any other marvel superhero I’ve seen. Lastly, the best thing about this character is that he ultimately sacrificed his life for the entire planet (and everyone in it might I add). This might not have been the best article I’ve ever written because I feel like my thoughts were all over the place, but I just wanted to get my opinion out there no matter how badly written it is. As long as you understand it a little bit, that’s all that matters. Thanks for reading my thoughts! Let me know if you have any comments or questions and I’ll be happy to have a conversation with you.