Tangled (2010)

Rewatched this on a whim, because I wanted to know what it was about this film that really spoke to me. I first watched this movie in 2013, basically right after Frozen became a global hit. I remember loving it so much that I made my mom watch it with me months later. I also remember loving Eugene so much that none of the Disney main male characters ever left an impression after him. 

Why did I want to watch this with my mom? I remember feeling so uncomfortable watching the scene with her when Eugene tells Rapunzel that it's a rite of passage for kids to rebel and break their parent's heart, when i knew that scene was going to be there. If it was just because I wanted to send her a message about my own rebellion, why is it speaking to me even now?

Why was I so obsessed with Eugene? He is flirty and mischievous, which may be a bit novel at the time for Disney movies, but sure has become a whole archetype for male characters in every genre of storytelling. 

I don't really have answers even after today, but I think I got a little bit closer. I adore the sensitivity of Rapunzel's innocence and the strength she finds in herself to confront her abuser, and I yearn for the reliability of Eugene's love and how he shows affection in a way that allievates Repunzel's deepest insecurities. It relieves me that 12 years later the magic of this film has not dulled. That lantern scene moved me as ardently as ever. With this rewatch Tangled has solidified its place as my personal favorite Disney film of all time.