STACK #185 Mar 2020

FEATURE FILM

DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE UNKNOWN

Things get grittier for the main characters in Frozen II , and while the film’s themes might be perceived as being a little dark for younger audiences, co-director Jennifer Lee argues that this is nothing new. “Sometimes we forget, but when we go back to old traditional fairy tales, they always have a moment that gets a little scary. And that’s part of what fairy tales are for, so that a child can experience things while being safely in their seat. And I think it helps cope with life. We grew up on those fairy tales and we didn’t want to be afraid of it,” she explains. A mother of two daughters, Kristen Bell, who voices Anna, agrees that sometimes being a little scared is a good thing. “We don’t give kids enough credit because they are projections of us and we want them to be happy and of course we want ourselves to be happy all the time. So we don’t give them enough credit for their ability to digest complex situations and trauma and struggle and I think that’s why the first one hit because these characters identified in kids: what do you do when you feel two different things; like when you feel shy and vulnerable or incredibly powerful? “And I think in this second one, you don’t have to tell them that the world is a scary place, even though it really is. Instead you can let them see a story that has a resolution. It’s kind of like when toddlers have tantrums – and the things that I’ve read is that they’re trying on all these emotions that don’t yet fit because they’re

...I think a lot of these songs are going to be earworms

practicing – so they know how to handle it when they’re older. So I actually think it’s great for kids to be a little bit on the edge of their seats because it’s a safe environment to try on those emotions,” adds Bell.

lullaby is beautiful and I love it because it leaves such an impression on her daughters. You can see why Anna and Elsa love to sing so much. And although she left them too soon, she’s still very much present in their hearts and in their spirits. I think she’s still there to guide them,” says Wood, who practiced the song at bedtime with her own son Jack. Josh Gad, reprising his

• Frozen II is out on March 4

role as snowman Olaf, also has own song, When I Am Older . “I want to apologise ahead of time because I think a lot of these songs are going to be earworms,” he laughs. “I’ve played them in my own household and my kids will not stop signing them.”

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F U R T H E R V I E W I N G . . .

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