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The Quiet Reason Disney Animation Has Achieved a New Level Of Magic

Spoiler Alert: Spoilers included for both Frozen II and Encanto

My daughter spends her play time pretending to save people from peril, acting out impossible feats of strength and agility and making a lot of whooshing sounds. But she isn’t pretending to be Spider-man, Captain America or Iron Man. And she isn’t pretending to be Captain Marvel or Black Widow either. She is pretending to be Elsa — her idol and Disney’s most authentic, powerful superhero.

There’s something more that keeps us coming back again and again to some of the most recent Disney Animation films (notably: Frozen II and now Encanto), in my house. That “something” is a believable, compelling, women-centric story. This isn’t simply a product of evolving for the times…even within the Disney family, their other branches can’t seem to accomplish this (looking at you, Marvel). Looking closer and comparing to the offerings of prior Disney Animation work, Nickelodeon, and Dreamworks, you’ll start to realize that these new Disney Animation films are achieving something that’s never been done before.

There is one leader responsible for this exceptional version of Disney magic. Her name is Jennifer Lee and she is the Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios. She has been quickly and quietly smashing through barriers, breaking Disney’s traditions, and delivering a new kind of story. The kind of story that allows women and girls to really see themselves (as the Madrigals would say, “all of you”). The kind of story that prioritizes healthy relationships and adventure over romance. Especially with young, impressionable kids of my own, I am here for this Jennifer Lee age of Disney Animation.

Okay, so who is Jennifer Lee and why is her work so special?

She Knows Resilience And Bravery

• Jennifer Lee hasn’t had an easy road getting to where she is today. As a middle school child at a new school, Jennifer was bullied. The bullying was severe and physical at times, and it went on for years. She struggled with her weight, with her appearance, and naturally, with her self-confidence overall. Instead of giving in to the image that her bullies created, Jennifer Lee would watch Cinderella on VHS for inspiration and respite.

“It was watching her be bullied and her perseverance and that she’s going to escape it, just by being true to herself and being a good person.”

…that she said helped her get through it.

• At 30 years old, she dreamed of a film career. Practically everyone considers a career change in later years, but the majority don’t act on it. Jennifer bravely took the plunge, getting an MFA in film from Columbia University School of the Arts’ Film Program. On her way to this accomplishment, she also gave birth to her daughter. No big deal, right!? (When I was pregnant with my second child, just reading a 5-minute bedtime story to my toddler was an exhausting challenge.)
• Jennifer Lee didn’t start at Disney with an Executive title. She didn’t even start in a permanent position of any kind. She came to Disney as a temporary contractor to help write Wreck-It-Ralph. Once again betting on herself and her abilities, she moved across the country for an 8-week contracting position.

She Knows the Unique Challenges Of Women

• Jennifer’s mother raised her alone, exemplifying strength and independence on a daily basis. The classic tale of “princess finds all of her happiness and fulfillment through a prince” never resonated with Jennifer because it wasn’t her reality and it wasn’t what her role model looked like.
• When Jennifer took that 8-week gig at Disney, she was a single mother herself. She moved to California with her 7 year old daughter and convinced her mother to join them. Her ex-husband did eventually join them, but in those early days, Jennifer was on her own — not only trying to prove her worth through a contract gig, but pushing herself into a male-dominated work culture and parenting a young daughter in a completely new place.
• Jennifer Lee’s work on Wreck-it Ralph was noticed. Disney was so impressed with her abilities that she was invited to join the company’s story trust. Chris Buck then asked her to join him as Director for Frozen, after her work in improving the character of Anna. As Co-Director, she drastically changed the tone of Frozen, making it the fresh story and smash success we know and love. With Frozen, she became the first female director of a Walt Disney Animation Studios feature film. And clearly, stories directed by women like Jennifer Lee were long overdue — after Frozen’s release, she became the first female director of any feature film to earn more than $1 billion in gross box office revenue worldwide.
• She continued on as Writer and Director of Frozen II, partnered again with Chris Buck. It was during this time that she was also promoted to Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios. Another huge challenge to juggle (reminder: she still had a school-age daughter at this time too!), that she handled with optimism and grace.

It would be easy, understandable even, for Jennifer Lee to be bitter and jaded from her journey. Yet instead she remains a source of positivity and encouragement. She believes in talent, not titles…in connection, not competition. She welcomes difficult narratives and new perspectives in the creative process — something she has worked consciously to change at Disney. She is bringing in new, diverse talent from sometimes unexpected places and she’s forcing Disney to think about things differently. Not only is she filling up Disney Animation with unique talent, she makes a point of actually listening to each voice in the room:

“In Frozen, the debate was should Hans kiss Anna, or should he not kiss her? All the men were like, ‘Well, of course he’d go in for the kiss. He’d kiss her anyway.’ And all the women said, ‘No, because if he is truly evil, that slam of, You’re not even worth a kiss. Oh you have to do it that way.’ I think of it often, because for the first time, there was someone in the room that said, ‘What do the ladies think?’”

Her perspective and creative approach clearly shape stories she creates. Here are a few of the key things Jennifer is getting right where so many others fail:

Women Roles — Strong Ones. And Lots Of Them.

Since my childhood, I’ve been watching hero-type shows and films saturated with male characters and a token female character (or two) thrown in. They will most likely be wearing pink. They will fall into danger more frequently than their male counterparts and need rescuing. They will not have much of a personality. But Jennifer’s stories create a brand new mold.

• In Frozen II we get to know Queen Iduna, Queen Elsa, Princess/Queen Anna and Yelana — Leader of the Northuldra. We also see a female Arendellian solder amongst the troops trapped in the forest. It’s refreshing just to see so many women in positions of power, and it’s more difficult than it may seem to make this feel so natural.
• Not only are women represented, but they act virtuously and with bravery. Elsa gets to “let it go” and come into the action-adventure warrior she truly is — fighting a tornado, a forest fire, and the Dark Sea itself. Anna sacrifices her own safety for the sake of her kingdom, thinking of others even after a crushing loss. Yelana doesn’t make emotionally-driven decisions based on Kristoff’s love quandary or Elsa’s anxiety — she concerns herself first and foremost with her people and their safety. As a child, Queen Iduna chooses to save someone she’s been taught not to trust — giving up her family, her way of life, her home — in return.
• In Encanto, we gain a deeper perspective of the sacrifice and emotional toll that can come with leadership through Abuela Alma. In a matter of moments, she becomes a single mother — losing her husband and home — and yet she finds the resilience to raise a multi-generational family and a thriving community. (She made mistakes, yes, but if we’re going to get critical, King Agnarr did a worse job on Elsa and Anna and I don’t see you all vilifying him.)

Healthy Masculinity

A huge difference in the success of Jennifer Lee’s work is actually in the male characters. Instead of overpowering, trying to steal the spotlight, or “mischievously” questioning authority, the male characters trust and respect their female leaders and/or love interests.

In Frozen II, we see many examples of something extremely rare in movies: Men listening to women.

• When Kristoff saves Anna from being trampled by a giant, he says, “I’m here, what do you need?”. No sweeping heroics, monologue or comedic quip. He plays the necessary role of a reliable side character supporting the lead hero.
• Then when Lieutenant Matisse prepares to defend the dam from destruction, he first confronts Anna, asking, “What are you doing?”. He listens to her explanation and puts his trust in her (the effective ruler of Arendelle) without another word.
• Earlier when Queen Iduna says, “I have to tell you about my past, and where I’m from.” King Agnarr says, “I’m listening.”.

In Encanto, we see men (and boys) support the women in their lives, and even openly need them.

• Antonio feels no embarrassment for wanting help — he tells Mirabel that he needs her and holds her hand in front of everyone in town. This isn’t how boys were taught to act when I was a kid.
• Félix gets blatantly called out for overtaking Pepa’s story and instead of gaslighting her, he apologizes.
• Camilo helps his community by gently caring for a newborn — letting the baby’s mother take a break. He’s kind to the younger kids, making them laugh. And we get to see him sweetly calming his own mother after the disastrous dinner.
• Agustín gives Julieta all the credit for Mirabel’s strength, and constantly showers his wife and girls with support.

Women as Real Humans, With a Full Set Of Emotions

My favorite part of these stories that the women act like real people. They have successes and failures. They lose sight of the bigger picture in favor of their emotions, and they make mistakes.

• In Frozen II, Elsa breaks her promise to Anna stick together multiple times when she moves forward in her journey without her. When Anna loses both Elsa and Olaf, she is broken from the grief. We see Anna going through something truly tragic and not glossing over it. When she comes out of the cave and into the light, it’s still not okay. She is not fine. But she keeps going, one step at a time.
• Earlier in Frozen II, Elsa clearly exhibits self-conscious behaviors. She may be idolized in the real world as the beautiful and powerful Queen of Arendelle, but Sven still has to yank a pillow out of her clinging grasp so that she can nervously attempt to act out charades.
• Encanto takes this theme to the next level. The film is layered in different perspectives and emotions, most notably from Mirabel and her sisters, and her Abuela. We get to see women experiencing more than one emotion simultaneously — Mirabel feeling both joy and jealousy at Antonio’s gift ceremony, Abuela feeling both loss and triumph at the river.
• And I really enjoy seeing anger, frustration, anxiety, jealousy — feelings historically reserved for villains — on full display from the Madrigal women.

I am so grateful that my kids are at the perfect ages to grow up during Jennifer Lee’s reign. Like Cinderella was to her, they will turn to her movies when they look for themselves on-screen and in toy stores, when they daydream and when they need to muster up resilience.

Despite all the new challenges the pandemic has brought to the world of filmmaking, I have faith that Jennifer Lee is just the person we need to keep delivering stories that resonate and help us grow. As she said to those who questioned her ability to handle it all after becoming CCO: “Guys, I got it. I’m a mom.”