I went to Whole Food this morning after watching The Fox and The Hound this morning. We needed cheese and eggs so Jake could make breakfast sandwiches. The cashier asked what I had planned for the day and I said that I had just watched The Fox and The Hound and she asked if I cried. I said that I was fully prepared to but didn't and she told me about how she cried at Lion King 3D because Mufasa died so much closer to her.
As I walked the dog back home with groceries in tow, I thought a lot about the Disney moments that make us cry. Bambi's mom, the Beast on the top of the tower, Mufasa's plummet, Pinocchio face down in a puddle and of course the moment that the widow has to let Todd go in the forest. What is the purpose of the really sad Disney moments? The moments that reach out into you chest and just twist your heart? Catharsis instantly comes to mind but I think it goes beyond just having a good cry. In most instances it is causes you to intensely appreciate the important relationships in your life. To take your face and rub it in the lost of a love one and just make you sit in it for about 70 minutes. It really makes you remember what is important.
The Fox and The Hound is a layered story about found family. It is also about being lost and then found and lost and found. Maybe more importantly it is about being born into a role and having to live within it. The hound chases the fox. He doesn't befriend the fox.
I think this is why I like this movie so much for kids. It tells you that you don't have to be just what you are born to. That you can break your role. It also tells you that loss happens and shows how you can grow from it. It paints a perfect picture of the new family out of a group that doesn't fit together.
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