Jim on Film
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Repertoire of Actors B (showing improvement)
I love watching Annette Funicello, Dean Jones, Hayley Mills, Tommy Kirk, James MacArthur, Janet Munro, and other actors who made regular appearances in the Disney movies throughout the early portion of the studio’s live-action history. Every time I pop in one of those movies, I feel as if I’m watching old friends, and it must have been a joy for filmgoers of the time to see these friendly faces over and over again in the Disney films.

In recent years, the studio has hired many talented actors who have appeared in one film and then were never seen in a Disney film again. If the studio were to continue to develop a repertoire of stars, they would slowly create a built-in audience for its movies. For example, Lindsay Lohan appeared in Freaky Friday after her success in the remake of The Parent Trap, and because of that, she became part of the draw of that film. Then, building on her success in Freaky Friday, she was able to take the lead in Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen. As a result of this building of her name recognition (aided by two television films for Disney), Lohan has also begun selling records for the studio, singing in her latter two films.

In the mid-90s, Disney cast Jonathon Taylor Thomas in several films (albeit bad ones, but at least it was a start) as well as talented actor Doug E. Doug and funny man Tim Allen (who is still connected with Disney, though not nearly doing as much as he should be doing for the studio since he seems to mesh well with the Disney name). In recent years, the studio has used Lindsay Lohan, Spencer Breslin, and Dennis Quaid on multiple occasions, but the studio is not taking care to fully develop the careers of people who have worked for the studio. Anne Hathaway is a prime example. A versatile actress who can not only act but sing and dance as well, the studio has only called on her to do a sequel to The Princess Diaries. They should be creating film roles for her (and Lohan as well) because she is ripe for stardom. Cuba Gooding, Jr. was the highlight of Snow Dogs, and because Hollywood still struggles with creating and giving roles to African-American actors, Gooding would be a prime star for the studio (provided they give him better material). Similarly, Jamie Lee Curtis is a very talented actor who doesn’t seem to fit the typical Hollywood leading lady (she’s not paper-doll thin and under twenty-five), but she was a perfect pairing for the studio in Freaky Friday.

In the past, the studio has used Reese Witherspoon, Paul Walker, and Charlize Theron, among others, but they all slipped through their grasp. Lohan, Hathaway, as well as Heather Matarazzo, Orlando Bloom, and Alexis Bledel are all rising stars who have appeared in Disney movies and would be ideal stars for the studio, provided the material rises to their talents and potential.

Music B (showing improvement, keep up the good effort)
I love in the old Disney movies when there was a chance for new songs to be incorporated into the movie, whether it be songs over opening credits (such as in The Moon-Spinners), mini-production numbers (as in Those Calloways), or songs heard performed in the film (like in The Parent Trap). First of all, who doesn’t love to hear a good song? For years and years, Hollywood tried telling us that we didn’t want to see music in our movies, unless it was strictly heard in montage form, as underscoring, or over the credits. But with singing/dancing growing increasingly popular, such as in My Best Friend’s Wedding, Legally Blonde, and the upcoming Ella Enchanted, it is apparent that there is still a place for original songs in Disney movies.

It’s great that not only is there an inclusion of music but an inclusion of original music as well. For the studio, this is good because it can make more money from soundtracks with new songs and from those songs being played on the radio, and for the Disney fan, it’s a delight to get an opportunity to hear them. Even if it was sugary teen pop, the song at the end of The Lizzie McGuire Movie was still a lot of fun, as was the music in Freaky Friday. This is something fairly new for the post-Eisner studio. While Iron Will and the remake of That Darn Cat had original songs, it is only recently that this has emerged as a regular occurrence. One of the highlights of the sequel to The Princess Diaries is that not only is there a new song written for the movie, but it was be performed by Julie Andrews. The soundtrack will probably sell far more copies than it otherwise would have.

Quantity B (strive for extra credit; see note below)
While 1997 was a good year for the number of films released under the Disney name (a total of seven, though in that case, quality was in short supply), the number of films released by the studio decreased until in recent years. In 2002 and 2003, there were five live-action films released (up from two in 2001).

Quality A+
Most important of all, the level of quality in films has set a higher standard. Just when it looked like we’d forever be in the trenches of Flubber, Meet the Deedles, and I’ll Be Home for Christmas, we started getting Disney’s The Kid, Remember the Titans, The Princess Diaries, The Rookie, Tuck Everlasting, The Santa Clause 2, Holes, The Lizzie McGuire Movie, Pirates of the Caribbean, Freaky Friday, and Miracle. Not only are each of these films among the best the studio has ever released, but they show the spark and spirit of Walt Disney himself.

But of course, even a strong report card can have areas for improvement, and Disney’s Live-Action report card is no different.