There’s No Place Like Home

I have noticed recurring theme in children’s films I haven’t really thought about until recently. I’ve always noticed, as I’m sure you have, that you’d be hard-pressed to find a children’s movie with a female lead that doesn’t involve a wedding. Or one with a female lead that doesn’t need saving from a man. Or one with a female lead who isn’t being abused or dominated at the start of the story. But some films star a little girl who’s too young to get married! She’s usually pretty bored with her ordinary life, and finds herself embarking on an exciting journey. One that usually leads young girls to the same conclusion. An underlying theme with the old moral : There’s no place like home.

In Coraline , the title’s character finds a new world through a tiny door in her boring new house. Everything is better there. The food, the parents, the garden… it’s all very exciting. Until things happen, and she has to fight to get home. And ultimately comes to the conclusion that she never realized how much she loved her boring house, inattentive parents and generally un-exciting life.

In Alice in Wonderland , Alice takes a tumble into a strange new place. Finds herself in a world of trouble, and just like Coraline, struggles to get back to simplicity.

The same goes for Wendy in Peter Pan. In the midst of her taking on the Mother role, she also is convinced that everyone needs to go home and grow up. And, of course Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz , the mother of all children’s films. She tells us from the beginning that she’s not happy with her life, and wants nothing more than to move on to bigger and better things. That is, until she learns her lesson.

All of these little women aren’t satisfied with their life as it is, and want more for themselves. Each one of them gets smacked-down in their efforts to improve life, and through their plight show bravery and intelligence. But, for some reason, they all wind up right back where they started, and are thankful for it.

In all the films I can think of which star little boys, there’s
usually a journey and an obstacle, but none of them seem to wind up
back home. There’s always some accomplishment or transformation.
Something in their life changes for the better.

Movies like Pinocchio, James and the Giant Peach, The Lion King, and Finding Nemo
all feature a young boy whose life is unsatisfactory. Our little hero
goes out in search of something better, and he finds it. Pinocchio
triumphs through adversity and becomes a real boy. James makes it to
New York and becomes famous. Simba goes home and becomes King. And,
Nemo escapes the dentist and finds his Dad. Even Bambi gets through it
all, and gets his girl.

Why is this? I can’t help but get the feeling that someone believes
little girls belong at home, and in their place. Like young women need
to believe that mediocrity is the best a gal can get, so they should
just stay where they belong.

I’m sure there are a few movies out there that don’t fit this
analysis. I can’t think of any, but they must exist. And not to say
that any kid should just run off and get into trouble when they’re
having a tough time at home. But, if little boys can better their
lives, become strong young men and live happily ever after, why are
young girls stuck with what they have?

I plan to go deeper into analysis of the first four films I
mentioned and their lead characters. But for now the conclusion I’ve
come to is that finding maturity for boys = overcoming adversity and
improving life. And for girls finding maturity = overcoming the idea
that there’s more for her out there.