Pixar Will Finally Make Girl Story

Pixar’s making a movie about a girl! The animation company announced its schedule through 2012 and not one, but two of their films will feature females. Harping on Pixar for not having made a movie with a female heroine sooner, especially when I’m still high on Up! (just as Meghan is), feels a little like ragging on Jackson Pollack for not painting straight lines. Still, it’s exciting news.

The first film, Newt, out in 2011, imagines “What happens when the last remaining male and female blue-footed newts on the planet are forced together by science to save the species, and they can’t stand each other?” This sounds like the animated version of It Happened One Night (plus a few action sequences), so, you know, sign me up. The second film, The Bear and The Bow, will be even more girlcentric, telling the tale of “the impetuous, tangle-haired Merida, [who] though a daughter of royalty, would prefer to make her mark as a great archer.” It’s also set to come out 2011 and will be voiced by Reese Witherspoon.

Not to harsh on Pixar too harshly, especially since I have all the faith in the world that The Bear and The Bow will be fantastic, but it's slightly puzzling that Merida, their first female protagonist, is a princess. As Linda Holmes at NPR puts it, “I have nothing against princesses. I have nothing against movies with princesses. But don't the Disney princesses pretty much have us covered? [Pixar parent company Disney even has two more princess films, the controversial The Princess and The Frog and Rapunzel, coming out in the next year] If we had to wait for your thirteenth movie for you to make one with a girl at the center, couldn't you have chosen something for her to be that could compete with plucky robots and adventurous space toys?” In other words, little girls already have lots of role models who wear tiaras and shiny pink dresses. Hopefully the new Pixar movies will show them a heroine who does other things. too.

Comments

If we had to wait for your

By: led_zepp | Wed, 12/16/2009 - 07:07

If we had to wait for your thirteenth movie for you to make one with a girl at the center
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I have nothing against movies

By: deff_lepp | Sat, 12/12/2009 - 11:34

I have nothing against movies with princesses. But don't the Disney princesses pretty much have us covered?

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I'm sure, the movie will be

By: ms-mer | Mon, 09/21/2009 - 02:57

I'm sure, the movie will be successfull. Pixar rules.
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better late than never

By: andyesham | Wed, 08/26/2009 - 09:01

better late than never right?
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Pixar Animation Studios is a

By: hommerock | Thu, 08/13/2009 - 05:47

Pixar Animation Studios is a CGI animation production company based in Emeryville, California, United States.

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Pixar Animation Studios is a

By: hommerock | Wed, 08/12/2009 - 07:42

Pixar Animation Studios is a CGI animation production company based in Emeryville, California, United States.

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pixar makes the best movies

By: jimb12345 | Fri, 08/07/2009 - 11:31

pixar makes the best movies in the world. I enjoy taking my kids to all pixar movies. They are definitely very entertaining. This movies like the bear and the bow sounds so good. I will be taking my kids to this.
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Wow, finally, they took their

By: Marlet | Fri, 08/07/2009 - 09:54

Wow, finally, they took their time man
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I wouldn't mind a female

By: rashoodollison | Tue, 07/28/2009 - 03:05

I wouldn't mind a female protagonist. I'm a 20 year old male and still enjoy the occasional animated movie. There have been other companies, this year in fact, to release animated movies with female leads. I enjoyed Coraline and thought Monsters Vs. Aliens was decent. I had not really given thought before to this notion. I suppose half the answer is an executives view of box office draw. Young boys are continually seen as the biggest source of cash at cinema. Of course, if Hollywood made some actually good films for other groups they would see this is not so. But it will continue to be so as long as films are so expensively made in this vicious marketing cycle.

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I woudn't mind it if a Pixar

By: rashoodollison | Tue, 07/28/2009 - 03:04

I woudn't mind it if a Pixar film starred a female. On the other hand, discounting her out of hand just because she is a princess is a bit harsh. She could very well be the most empowering heir apparent yet! I mean, I'm not trying to say "hey, shut up, you're getting at least that!" Just that disqualification on grounds of being part of a Monarchical Dynasty seems unfair so early in the process.

That said, the letter could have expanded better. Coraline follows a female and the things that happen to her. SO does Resident Evil and Daisy of Love. I guess what I'm trying to say is that WHAT happens(and what doesn't) to the girl is roughly as important as the fact that she be a girl. I would still not like Cars that much if it featured a girl, after all.

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