Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid has been the talk of the cinematic ocean as far back as 2016 when word first got out that the studio planned to breathe new life into the animated classic (whether or not the public wanted it to). Since then the movie has been caught up in a tidal wave of controversial decisions, from casting R&B singer Halle Bailey as the first Black Ariel, to strategic and quietly poignant story changes that make for a more modern retelling — story changes, as a matter of fact, that Disney legend Jodi Benson wholeheartedly stands behind.
Benson is perhaps the most qualified to offer an opinion about the 2023 remake, given she is the voice of the original Ariel. 37 years after Ariel first offered up her voice in exchange for true love, Benson agreed in an interview with EW, that it’s time to reevaluate whether the same problematic themes, have a place in modern storytelling.
“We’re talking about starting our [voiceover] sessions in ’86 [for the original film]. It’s 2023, so we have to grow, we have to learn, we have to be aware of our surroundings.”
Indeed, a story about a girl who gives up her voice, her family — everything — for the sake of a boy is not the kind of love story that has a place in modern cinema. Nor should it. According to EW, Ariel and Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King) are more “kindred spirits” this time around, instead of solely star-crossed lovers.
Bailey alluded to these changes earlier this year when she confirmed that Ariel’s reasons for leaving the ocean have more to do with just a boy. “It’s way bigger than that,” she said at the time.
Benson completely stands by Disney’s decision to evolve with the times. Her belief — which she shares with this writer — is that stories of the ‘80s (love stories, in particular) are not relevant in the way they used to be. How many women would you applaud for giving up everything they are and everything they own to marry a man? That’s the premise of a horror story, not a love story.
“We’ve got to be aware of our growth as humans and what’s important now and what maybe isn’t as important. Things change. We’ve got to roll with that. I think that Rob and John have done a beautiful job of doing that, and still paying tribute and honor to our original film. But you’ve got to have growth. It’s very important to stay relevant with where we are, what’s going on around us. We need to be aware. So the adjustments and the fine-tuning that they needed to do, it was a must, but it was done in a beautiful way, and I’m very, very thrilled with it.”
The overarching love story isn’t the only change you’ll find in the live-action The Little Mermaid, however. “Kiss the Girl” and “Poor Unfortunate Souls” are two songs that sport new lyrics due to their predecessor’s prickly sign of the times (i.e. consent in the former, and the stereotype of “a girl who gossips is a bore” in the latter).
As someone who once watched The Little Mermaid on repeat so many times the VHS tape broke, I for one am not upset over these changes. Quite the opposite. I am looking forward to getting rid of the damsel in distress stereotype and replacing it with realistic themes that are actually relevant to a person’s (romantic) life. You don’t need me to reiterate the harmful damage Disney’s “happily ever after” trope has done for hopeless romantics around the world. No doubt there will still be romance in the live-action The Little Mermaid, but here’s hoping it’s padded by a three-dimensional princess actually worth idolizing by little kids.
The Little Mermaid swims into theaters on May 26.
