#honestly though- Nora is peak Foster Mom and we should all be taking notes

[brunhielda]

Here we are again with another analysis/rant/watch through:

Let’s talk OG Pete’s Dragon.

I loved this movie as a kid, and it is so easy to see why. This movie is amazing. Like, not for the time amazing, just in general some great stuff.

Let’s start with the fact that one of the main villains (there are two) are just an abusive family that “adopted” a kid to work him to death. Which is then juxtaposed with the later family (less conventional family, and old man and his adult daughter) who take him in to give him love. They ALSO work a hard job, and he helps, but they all work TOGETHER to build a life.

The Gogans are cartoonish in thier evil, but the things they say and believe and do off screen and anything but. The main character- Pete- is TERRIFIED of them. The portrayal of the main character as an abused kid is very real. He is scared of adults being too close, he takes punishment for things he didn’t do so as not to upset people, and as soon as someone shows him kindness he leaps at getting any kind of affection, being extremely helpful and useful.

Nora is the woman who takes him in- this woman is a study in how to approach scared kids. She always says “if you like” or “if you want” and “we were thinking we might try,” always giving him choices. The one time she puts her foot down is about going to school and explains to him why it is important instead of ordering him about. She is caring and kind, and often reaches out to help him with something or offer affection, but if he shows ANY hesitance, she backs off and acts like it is normal and nothing and moves on to the next thing.

She also takes everything he says seriously. Does she believe the dragon exists? No. But she understands it as an important coping mechanism for a traumatized boy, and behaves as if Elliot, the dragon, is a real being. She defends the dragon in front of other adults, and makes sure the dragon is comfortable out in the cave.

The MOMENT his abusive family shows up she stands between him and them and says “You can’t have him, you don’t love him. Look out, or I’ll take you apart.” Doesn’t matter that legally the boy “belongs” to them, she won’t let him go with them. I love her so damn much.

She is also tied in some of the themes of this movie. Impressive themes for a movie in the 70s. Acceptance for all and letting people live- she sings “There’s room for everyone” a song about being kind to the dragon but honestly about being nice to the new kid. Being a place of safety and hope for those who are struggling- she sings “Candle on the Water.” She is singing it about her fiancé lost at sea, but demonstrated every lyric in her interactions with a lost hurt kid she found wandering the beach. And then of course her methods of interacting with Pete wildly differ from both the Gogans and the local school teacher, highlighting an anti physical discipline theme I was NOT expecting in a 70s film.

Then we have the dragon, Elliot, himself.

Elliot is big, clumsy, and does NOT understand human societies rules- which makes him very relatable for kids watching the film. He often gets himself and Pete into trouble, and yet, he is seen as GOOD, which emphasizes that even kiddos who get in trouble can be good people who do heroic things. Elliot is Kind, Protective, and is always looking to help everyone he meets (even if he doesn’t do it very well 😅). Moreover, his childlike qualities are balanced with a keen understanding of people and thier emotions, making him a great friend to a scared little kid who needs fun and distraction. He is also incredibly unselfish- he spends this entire film trying to find the best life for Pete with good humans, even though it means he will have to say goodbye at the end. Then he has just a touch of dragon magic to help him find just the right thing and be there at just the right time (which is quite the handy plot device).

All of that, honestly, is enough to love this film, but THEN- they added in some of the best comedy actors of the time. 😂

First you have Mickey Rooney as Lampie, who in turns is an over the top cowardly drunk, and an insightful hardworking lighthouse keeper. Honestly, Mickey Rooney is worth watching in anything he is in but he really shines in this flick.

Then we have the comedic duo of Jim Dale as the villainous Dr. Terminus, and Red Buttons as his assistant Hoagy. You would know Dale from the voice on the American audio book of Harry Potter (however you feel about the author, we will not deny his voice work convinced most of us to give reading a shot), and Red Buttons from multiple films with John Wayne (he played the classic comedic best friend).

Dr. Terminus is a mustache twirling, cape wearing con man, and Hoagy his over worked assistant who actually makes it all work. The two of them make up the other villain plot in this film and it is classic vaudville at its finest. I would pay considerable money to have seen those two perform something, anything, live, and this is as good as we can come to it. Their villain song- “Money by the Pound” is all the best of over the top capitalist evils, and lives in my head rent free. I think my sisters and I started to sing this song anytime we found extra change in our pockets. 😂

Of course this means they have at least one scene with Mickey Rooney as Lampie, and for real? Would watch this film just for the scene in which Buttons and Rooney act out drunk adventurers off to look for the Dragon in the scary cave.

What I mean to say is if the sweet and progressive themes weren’t enough to make you watch this film, it also is comedy gold, and you should watch it just for that alone.

From a historical standpoint, the technical aspects of this film are amazing. Elliot the dragon is animated, and much like the chalk world of Mary Poppins, that makes him a wonder. More than interacting with the environment, Pete RIDES him, and Elliot often hauls people about by the scruff of thier neck, employing some impressive wire work. I’m sure that there are tech people out there who can explain better why the techniques here are so freaking impressive, but I know it looks cool, and we can’t replicate it now. The one thing I can appreciate is the way they incorporated the safest position of wire work into how Pete rode on Elliot- at a time when it wasn’t always true, I can tell they were looking out for thier child actor.

My mother told me that this film barely made a blip at the theaters and then mostly faded into obscurity, which is an absolute shame. I honestly think it’s some of Disney’s best work.