Fairy Tales do come true!

Since Lauren was a little girl, she always loved the Disney Movies. She can win any trivia game there is on them. When she was 2 years old, she sometimes would go into her little tantrums and when she did, it seemed like nothing or no one could get her out of them. Then we noticed one day that as soon as I turned on the Disney Movie Jungle Book, that she stopped crying, screaming, hitting or biting whoever or whatever... and began to dance and sing.
 My Mom finally got brave enough to tell me " Lynn, I can only watch her if you buy me my own copy of the Jungle Book...just in case she gets out of control" . She was a bit fiery to say the least! My Mom always said deep down she must be a Red Head :) Just kidding, we have redheads in our family and love them, but...Lauren from the time she was little had a mind of her own and kept us laughing and on our toes...all the time. We love her and are so excited that today she and her best friend Nik...got engaged. (Actually it was last night on St. Patrick's Day! ). How fun, Nik will never have to worry about having a dull moment again...in his life!!!
So I thought it was fitting today that another Disney Movie came out ...on the same day as our little Disney girl, announced her engagement.( Below is the writer Jason F. Wright's explanation why the movie had done so well. I agree!)
 Fairy Tales really do come true don't they!!!! Congrats Nik and Lauren! We love ya!
Good night dear friends!

• 
  

Last week, my family hosted a few good friends for dinner. At some point during the banter between pizza and brownies, one of our guests abruptly changed topics. “So, I’ve been meaning to ask, what’s all this fuss about 'Frozen'?”

These friends don’t have yet have children and, believe it or not, hadn't heard much besides hype about Disney’s megahit movie.

I smiled at my kids across the table and had them confess how many times they’d each seen it. By the time we got to my 15-year-old daughter, it began to feel like a support group.

"Hi, my name is Jadi, and I've seen Disney’s ‘Frozen’ seven times."

"Hi, Jadi," we answered in unison.

Her mother and I admitted it’s not just the kids with a hankering for the film. I've seen it four times and my wife has seen it three.

Even my mother has seen it, and the last movie she saw starred Charlie Chaplin.

Then it happened — our guests made a mistake that might haunt them forever.

They asked for a quick recap.

Taking turns and marching one major scene at a time, we offered a rundown of the story that would have made Walt himself proud. We even sang each song when we hit its respective spot in the plot.

I can’t be sure, but I think my gang was much more entertained than our pizza pals.

An hour later, we said our goodbyes and promised to do it again sometime soon, though after our little show it’s debatable whether they will accept another invitation.

Since that night, my wife and I have speculated on why we’ve made the film a family favorite.

And, clearly, why we’re not the only ones.

You probably know that "Frozen" has been a massive global hit, hauling in nearly $400 million domesticly and more than $1 billion worldwide, according toboxofficemojo.com. It's won two Academy Awards and spawned thousands of covers of its Oscar-winning lead track "Let It Go."

The production and its messages have also been sliced, diced and analyzed more than any movie since the Zapruder film.

Why do so many seem stuck on "Frozen"? Why after 16 weeks is the movie running in the top 10 and dominating so many playground and conference room conversations?

Could it be because it's clean, entertaining and inspirational?

In an industry that generates so much product not suitable for younger eyes, and many would argue for any audiences with eyeballs period, "Frozen" stands out for its purity.

While Disney has been making hefty deposits each Monday morning with this family-friendly film, the rest of Hollywood has been releasing a flood of R-rated films for adults. Perhaps the most ballyhooed is "The Wolf of Wall Street," with its graphic sex and 506 creative uses of the f-word.

The film was one of the most critically acclaimed of 2013 and has earned less than a third as much as "Frozen."

Sadly, even many children's movies these days are filled to the rim with potty jokes and, in some cases, even sexual innuendo. According to Screenit.com, a popular website offering movie reviews for parents, "Frozen" scores better in the categories of sex/nudity and profanity than any animated movie in more than two years.

Even if money trumps content, Hollywood might want to pay more attention.

In 2013, the highest grossing R-rated film was only the 15th highest grossing overall, according to Screenit.com. The all-time numbers favor family-friendly fare, too. Mel Gibson’s "Passion of The Christ" is the highest grossing R-rated film in history, and it’s only number 25 overall. You have to drop all the way to 61 to find another R-rated flick.

Isn’t it obvious that audiences are hungry for uplifting entertainment?

Now more than ever, in a weak and wary economy, with consumers carefully measuring their money, moviegoers seem to want films that are both high quality and entertaining for all ages. Sure, there are exceptions, like the "Hangover" movies or the occasional breakout slasher film, but the numbers don’t lie.

So, why is "Frozen" thawing hearts and wallets around the world? Maybe, just maybe, in our chaotic world where sex, profanity and bad news dominate reality, this 102-minute fantasy treasure lets us escape to an unapologetically hopeful place where talking snowmen are real and the jokes don’t require you to cover your children's eyes.

On March 18, "Frozen" will be released on DVD and you can bet the Wrights will be at the front of the line with plans for an evening viewing party.

Want to join us?

Read more of Jason's articles HERE:

Stop and think about it!

Read this commentary and actually that is exactly what I was thinking while watching the movie. I loved that the story didn't end like they almost always do and that true love was self sacrifice of a dear sister. Maybe you will say that is over thinking it but I really thought this guy made a good point. Another tough day. Good night dear friends!

Are We Missing the Point of Frozen’s ‘Let It Go’?

The bright spot in this insufferably cold winter has been the success of the movie, Frozen, considered one of the best Disney films in decades.
We took the family to see the film on Thanksgiving weekend, fully expecting the common, tired storyline of a princess being true to herself and finding salvation through romantic love. It is the Disney dogma, after all.
Suprisingly, the movie’s storyline takes us in the opposite direction. The princess who is “true to herself” wreaks havoc on the world and leaves shattered relationships in her wake. Her devoted sister pursues her, even at great personal cost. And when all seems to be lost and you hope a prince will save the day with romantic love, there is instead a stunning portrait of self-sacrifice, described as the only kind of love that can melt a frozen heart.
It’s not hard to see the redemptive sketches in this movie. If you believe that love is more than just a feeling, that true love is expressed in self-sacrifice (which flows ultimately from Christ’s willingness to give His life for the world), and that true change can only take place through redemption not self-discovery, then you will find this movie delightful. More importantly, you will find ways to connect this movie’s theme to the gospel. We loved it.
The Success of “Let It Go”
Four months later, we’re still talking about Frozen. It has earned close to a billion dollars at the box office, surpassing the studio’s all-time best moneymaker, The Lion King (in inflated dollars). For months, it has been in the top five, and the soundtrack has spent considerable time at the top of the Billboard charts.
“Let it Go” is the stand-out song on the soundtrack due to its beautiful melody and memorable lyric. The music video has been viewed more than 88 million times. But the success of this particular song leaves me scratching my head, especially when you consider its place in Frozen’s storyline.
If there ever was a song that summed up the Disney doctrine of “being true to yourself” and “following your feelings” no matter the consequences, it’s “Let it Go.” Take a look at some of the lyrics:

The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside.
Couldn’t keep it in, Heaven knows I tried.
Don’t let them in, don’t let them see.
Be the good girl you always have to be.
Conceal, don’t feel, don’t let them know.
Well, now they know!
Let it go, let it go!
Can’t hold it back any more.
Let it go, let it go!
Turn away and slam the door.
I don’t care what they’re going to say.
Let the storm rage on.
The cold never bothered me anyway.
It’s funny how some distance,
makes everything seem small.
And the fears that once controlled me, can’t get to me at all
It’s time to see what I can do,
to test the limits and break through.
No right, no wrong, no rules for me.
I’m free!

Thousands of little girls across the country are singing this song – a manifesto of sorts, a call to cast off restraint, rebel against unrealistic expectations and instead be true to whatever you feel most deeply inside. What’s ironic is that the movie’s storyline goes against the message of this song. When the princess decides to “let it go,” she brings terrible evil into the world. The fallout from her actions is devastating. “No right, no wrong, no rules for me” is the sin that isolates the princess and freezes her kingdom.
It’s only after sacrificial love saves her from the effects of the curse that the princess is free to redirect her passion and power – not in “turning away” and “slamming the door” and expressing herself – but in channeling her powers for the good of her people.
If there is a moral to Frozen, it’s that “letting it go” is self-centered and damaging. What’s needed is for our distinctive gifts to be stewarded and shaped by redemptive love.
Perhaps that’s why I’m flummoxed by the popularity of “Let It Go” (the song). Not from an artistic standpoint; it’s a gem. But I’m afraid its popularity drowns out the bigger and more beautiful point of the film.
Rebellion vs. Rule-keeping
A popular idea in our culture is that there are only two ways to live:

1. Through authenticity, expressed in rebellion against cultural constraints
2. Through an ordered life, expressed in rule-keeping

Many people see these as the only options. And sometimes, Christians are assumed to be lumped in with the second group – the rule-keepers of religion. To the stodgy, religious types, “Let It Go” is an anthem to the beauty of spontaneity and freedom.
But Christianity doesn’t see morality in either of these ways.
We don’t believe we are most true to ourselves when we embrace our deepest desires. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. We need deliverance from our deepest instincts, not celebration of them.
Neither does Christianity say we are most true to ourselves when we conceal our sin – as if by willpower, we can control our terrible tendencies. Some religious people may put forward the image of a rule-keeping, behavioral checklist. But that’s not true Christianity. The gospel frees us from the curse of the law.
The Glory of Self-Sacrifice
Christianity teaches explicitly what Frozen only hints at: salvation comes not through self-discovery or self-restraint, but through self-sacrifice.
All across the country, little girls are singing about self-discovery. Let’s make sure that after they see this wonderful film, they are given songs about self-sacrifice.
Found the article here: