As a kid, Disney animations always felt 'special' and my eyes would light up whenever I would see a big stack of the VHS copies in someone's house, though I was always too shy and polite to ask to watch one. We were very poor, and I remember feeling embarrassed at school for only having seen a couple of them.
Watching 'The Lion King' as an adult was a funny thing because I
dearly wished to see it when I was a kid - it felt like 'my favourite movie' that I'd never seen - it felt like a weird spiritual achievement. We had the VHS of Aladdin and The Jungle Book, and The Lion King was trailed on one of those so I saw a lot of snippets of scenes - watching the real thing as an adult, therefore, was like stepping into a childhood dream. I felt 'undeserving' of the experience (because I wasn't 'allowed' it as a child), and unworthy that my adult eyes could see the technicality of its production, rather than the pure magic a child might experience.
So yeah, my choices are constrained by what I actually saw and my list is built almost entirely from the bones of the sentimental and nostalgic.
1. The Jungle Book
We had this on VHS from when I was very little because it held sentimental value for my mum. She'd seen the original release in cinemas with her aunties (she had 5 aunts and 2 uncles) and had a great time. I think it was re-released when I was little and they all went back and had another lovely time recreating the experience. It was a film she wanted me to see, and I did,
a lot. Watching it together when I was very very small, she would dance with me to the songs and sing to me. It feels very 'elemental' and 'pure' for those reasons, emblematic of a mother's love. The songs are great - maybe the best.
Baloo puts a massive grin on my face even now
2. The Lion King
Only saw this as an adult on TV, as I explained above. It was as good as I thought it would be, and a great symbolic piece.
3. Aladdin
This was probably my most watched movie as a kid, since my mum got it for me on VHS one Christmas and I played the fuck out of it. I remember most of all Aladdin's bravery, but looking at clips now it's actually very pretty (the colour palette is very well chosen).
He was poor, like me, coming up against a world of wealth which didn't give a fuck about him, so I just used to really cheer him on and root for him. Go Aladdin!
4. The Sword in the Stone
This is a funny one because it used to come on the TV occasionally and I'd catch it half way through thinking
'what is this!?'. It looked so magical and mysterious and encapsulated the sense of boy's destiny that we all had - a mentor telling you you had potential to grow up and be
brave and good. However, mostly I remember the tidy-up scene
I wish I'd have seen it in full, and now I look back I have a sense that maybe that's the kind of thing a father would have done - record some movies off the TV for his kids. The 'man's/father's touch' in a household is rarely talked about and always ridiculed, but there's something to it and it's missed when it isn't there.
5. Wreck-It-Ralph
Just a great movie with a good message.
Bonus:
Tangled - I watched this one Christmas through gritted teeth and wide-eyes while I was deep into an existential crisis; trying everything to stave it off and distract myself from the yawning void. It didn't work and now this movie creeps the fuck out of me
Watching the utter meaninglessness of existence in a story about that girl's hair was a pretty wild experience I gotta tell you.
P.S. I am absolutely laughing my ass off at Baloo in that video there (the 02:46 entrance)
Thanks for the thread
@BritNi!! Love it!! <3 <3 <3