The Princess and the Frog

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When Disney announced in 2006 that the studio was (finally) bringing a black princess to the big screen, the news was met with apprehension by some minority parents. After all, the animation/live-action hybrid Song of the South, the company’s last big-screen foray into black culture, was considered somewhat offensive even at the time of its release in 1946. Not surprisingly, the new production stirred controversy early on. Originally the protagonist was a maid called Maddy, but her occupation and name were changed after being deemed demeaning (echoes of Mammy). Critics also bemoaned the prince’s ambiguous racial background—he’s of color, but his ethnicity isn’t clear. What no one discussed was whether this "special" princess would really matter to kids.

In the late 1930s and early ’40s, the married team of African-American psychologists Kenneth and Mamie Clark famously studied children’s attitudes about race using black and white dolls. When black girls were asked which doll they preferred, they overwhelmingly chose the white one. In the 2006 film A Girl Like Me, Kiri Davis re-created the test and documented similarly disturbing results. And just recently, as Chris Rock was promoting Good Hair—his comical yet poignant look at the cultural significance of hair care among black women—he explained that he’d decided to take on the project after his daughter, then age five, asked why she didn’t have "good" hair.

The consensus among black families: The media still need to offer more protagonists of color for children to identify with. "Black women are often portrayed as sassy, hand-on-the-hip, jive-talking characters," says Kateria Cooke, an African-American mother of two teenage girls, who lives in Montclair, New Jersey. "But I think a lack of portrayal is more damaging than negative portrayals."

Happily, The Princess and the Frog is Disney at its sentimental and inspiring best. The story, about a young girl determined to achieve her big dreams, has all the markings of a fairy-tale classic. Anika Noni Rose (Dreamgirls) lends her beautiful speaking and singing voice to the plucky Tiana. The supporting cast includes stars like Oprah Winfrey as Tiana’s mother and Terrence Howard (Crash, Hustle & Flow) as her dad.

The father of three kids ages 13 to 16, Howard applauds the racial inroads the movie makes but believes the focus should be on its universal theme. "Even though it’s based on a fairy tale, it’s the work ethic that’s promoted. Yes, you need imagination and a dream and the freedom to follow them. But you need to put that sweat equity into it," he says. "When it’s a white princess in a Disney film, it’s not just little white girls watching it: All kids are getting a message from those films. It will be the same with this movie."

Sakina Brehon Williams, an African-American mom in Bedford-Stuyvesant, can’t wait to take her princess-obsessed five-year-old daughter, Madison, to see the film. "It’s refreshing to have a Disney character that my daughter can relate to," she says. "I hope Tiana enjoys the longevity and popularity of the other princesses." To ensure she does, Disney placed the project in the expert hands of Little Mermaid directors Ron Clements and John Musker. The film marks the studio’s return to its traditional 2-D animation roots, with music by Randy Newman, whose credits include Toy Story, Monsters, Inc. and A Bug’s Life.

Still, some parents remain skeptical. "I am interested in seeing the movie. Unfortunately, I’ll be more focused on their treatment of the characters, looking for flaws or problems instead of really enjoying the story," Cooke admits.

Howard adds his own cheeky note of caution to viewers of all ages: Bring tissues. "It will make you cry," he says. "I cried two times. The last Disney film that made me cry was The Little Mermaid. It’s really on that level."

The Princess and the Frog (rated G) opens Dec 11. However, you can attend special screenings of the film from Nov 25 on as part of The Princess and the Frog: The Ultimate Disney Experience, which includes games and special appearances by all nine Disney princesses.

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