Would you want your family to see the Hunchback of N.D.?

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The Disney version.

While if you’re good at analytical thinking, you would realize what the point of the story is; but your bare impression might be that it’s a criticism of the Catholic Church and religion in general. What do you think?
 
I remember watching this movie when I was younger (I’m 21 now), and it did not leave me with any negative impressions of the Church. Perhaps the scary images of the priest might frighten small children, but I think kids over the age of 6 or 7 are mature enough to watch it. Although the film may include some negative aspects, it does present good messages about the faith. Esmeralda seeks refuge in the church as does Quasimodo. I also remember the song “God Help the Outcasts” which presents a positive view of the marginalized in society. Overall I would say it’s a thumbs up movie.
 
It’s just not my fav Disney (that would be Aladdin for this genre). I saw nothing wrong with Hunchback.

I also did not like Pocahontas, but I did not see words in the clouds that sent out messages as others did. It was just not a riveting flick for me.
 
I remember seeing Disney’s movie and just being outraged at how it is COMPLETELY different from Hugo’s novel. They turned Everybody Dies into a cute happy ending?!! 🤷
 
os_justi said:
I remember seeing Disney’s movie and just being outraged at how it is COMPLETELY different from Hugo’s novel. They turned Everybody Dies into a cute happy ending?!! 🤷
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It’s a DIsney movie. It has to be softened for kids. All Disney animated films have happy .
 
well my answer was going to refer to the 30s version with Charles Laughton and Maureen O’Hara, which I just watched again. I think there are several scenes to scary for kids esp. in that black and white version, I don’t know why they are scarier, but they are.

at one time the book was on the forbidden Index, but the sad fact is there were characters in France who did behave in that way, you don’t have revolutions for nothing. like any other great novel set in a historical context you need some knowledge of that context to properly interpret a lot of it. The movie also deviated somewhat from the complex plot, or it would have been hours long.

The Disney version of just about any tale is so wide of the original that comparison is barely possible. Think I saw it with grandkids this summer and don’t remember anything objectionable, I think message they got was that because someone appears different, even grotesque, you can’t judge their personality or soul on that basis. Maybe because of too much TV and video exposure too early (IMO) those kids don’t scare easy.

There are a lot of Disney’s esp. the classics like Snow White that IMO should not be seen by preschoolers. I think Dumbo scared me for life, as did the forest fire scene from Bambi–don’t think I could ever watch the rest of the movie.
 
I’ve only seen the film once, and wasn’t that impressed by it overall, but I loved the music. A number of pieces include bits of liturgical music in with the usual Disney fare.

I love the part when the nasty priest is singing about how it’s not his fault that he can’t control his desire for the gypsy - set against a chorus singing the Confiteor. Very cool:thumbsup:
 
I don’t think kids would understand the bias against the church in the movie, but I was really bothered by it when I watched it as an adult. The scene with the priest (I forget if he was a bishop or cardinal) was on the verge of making him not just bad, but evil.

As far as disney movies go, it’s my least favorite along with Aladdin and Pocahontas. I mainly don’t let my kids watch these in particular because they are bad representations of the real story.
 
os_justi said:
I remember seeing Disney’s movie and just being outraged at how it is COMPLETELY different from Hugo’s novel. They turned Everybody Dies into a cute happy ending?!! 🤷
Click to expand...
That was my biggest complaint. I thought the animation was just beautiful (the rose window, the images of Paris, etc.), but that only goes so far.
 
I hadn’t seen it until just a few weeks ago.

My children didn’t like it very much, because it was somewhat violent. (they were a little scared)

I don’t remember the book extremely well, but wasn’t Esmeralda a villain, who took advantage of Quasimodo’s kindness towards her? I hope someone will let me know.

But it isn’t my favorite Disney movie. My favorite (and my children’s) is Cinderella, and while technically not Disney per se, Pixar films are really good.
 
I like pretty much anything Disney, and worked for them at one time so I’m probably biased.

However, in the Disney Hunchback movie the archdeacon of Norte Dame actually stop Judge Frollo from killing Quaismodo in the beginning. Disney made Frollo’s character a secular judge instead of a priest (as in the novel), to avoid any implications of making a priest evil.

I generally liked the movie, but found it interesting that the picked such a sad story to try and Disneyize. Adapting the end of Cinderella is one thing, but trying to give Hunchback a happy ending was a huge stretch. I really did not care for the talking gargoyles they were silly in my mind. I loved the music from it and the question of “What makes a monster and what makes a man” I think any story can be turned into a positive or negative expierence for a child to learn from depending on how the parents handle the subject matter.
 
I never read the book, but from what I have heard, Phoebes was actually more evil in the book than Frollo was.
 
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