Disney is notorious for vilifying parents.
This idea is neither original to me, nor is it uniquely insightful. It’s the same premise in nearly every Disney movie. The protagonist has a dream. The parents of the protagonist are an obstacle. And the audience is always led to believe that the child knows best.
This is the premise in even some of the most biblically informed Disney movies. Moana’s parents won’t let her go beyond the reef. And Miguel’s family won’t allow him to pursue his passion for music. It’s the reason why many Christian parents won’t let their children watch Disney. They believe (and maybe rightfully so) that our minds are being conditioned to view our parents as our enemies.
And yet, the movie Tangled breaks this mold (however, this might only be because the story of Rapunzel is not original to Disney). Gothel is the villain. Rapunzel is actually oppressed. And her parents are the heroes. It is her parent’s love that casts out Rapunzel’s fear.
Mother knows best
Biblically speaking, this is true: mother knows best. In Proverbs, chapter 1, a child is instructed to: “forsake not your mother’s teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head.” And continually throughout the Proverbs, we read the parental wisdom of how to stay safe, and how to avoid those who would do us harm.
And on the surface, the song, Mother Knows Best, is nothing more than the Proverbs set to a Mary Poppins like rhythm. Close your eyes and listen to the song. It will sound like a caring mother giving her child wisdom on how “to [be kept] safe and sound”. Or how to not “get mugged and left for dead”. Gothel’s instructions are good, and even biblical. She even finishes the song by telling Rapunzel: “I love you very much…I love you most.”
And yet, Gothel could not be any more evil and selfish. Her character epitomizes the authority that sin has over an unbeliever. Gothel has instilled fear into Rapunzel. She says that she loves Rapunzel. And yet, the entire relationship is driven by fear. And we see this in both Rapunzel’s bondage as well as her freedom. In her bondage, we see her manipulated to believe Gothel’s lies and live in fear; she never leaves the tower. And even in her freedom, we see the crushing guilt that Gothel’s tight grip has had on her. She has sentiments of being a horrible daughter, and wanting to go back. Or feeling like a despicable human being. Gothel has so indoctrinated Rapunzel with a spirit of fear that she always has the weight of guilt on her conscience. But there is a remedy. In 1 John 4:18, we are told that “perfect love casts out all fear.”
I See the Light
This song is by far the best track in the film. Not only does it have the most beautiful melody, but it is also the most pivotal point in the movie. As the song comes to a close, Rapunzel looks into Flynn Rider’s eyes and says: “All at once, everything is different now that I see you.” And because of this, our minds are drawn to believe that everything has changed because Rapunzel sees some self-centered thief who has a really nice “smolder”.
But if you take a step back, and consider what sparked the song, you will see a scene of loving parents missing their daughter, crying, and lighting a lantern. This lantern is the light that Rapunzel saw, and it was the catalyst for everything. For years, she had been in the tower. She could barely make out what she was seeing. But “at last [she] sees the light. And it’s like the fog has lifted…all at once, everything is different” because she sees her parents’ love. She sees a love that would send light into the world. She sees a love that is steadfast and faithful. She sees a love that reminds her of who she truly is– a child of the king. And it is this love that casts out all fear.
There were a variety of themes throughout the movie. There was certainly something to Flynn sacrificing his life, and cutting Rapunzel’s hair. And yet, I think that this theme of parental love casting out fear is what differentiates this movie from most of the other Disney movies.