You've probably seen the movie Anastasia at least once. I think I've seen it at least twenty times... Maybe more. The 1997 Anastasia is probably one of my more favorite movies, but when I was a kid, I was convinced it was a Disney movie. It's actually not, but I'm not the only person I know who was confused. Here are a few reasons why:
1. It's based on another story.
Let's face it; most Disney movies are based on someone else's story. The classics like Cinderella, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, and Sleeping Beauty, are all based on fairy tales. Even The Lion King, which seems on the surface to be completely original, is basically Hamlet with large felines instead of humans. In this case, Anastasia is based off the real-life story of the last Russian Tsar, Nicholas II. He and his family were all executed, but their daughter Anastasia was rumored to have survived. In reality, her body was later discovered. In the film, the Romanovs were murdered by a man named Rasputin, who sold his soul in exchange for a magical reliquary that would help him exact vengeance on the Romanovs. Anastasia and her grandmother, the Dowager Empress Marie, escape, but Anastasia is left behind in Russia with no memories of her real family.
2. It's a musical.
There are seven songs in the film, including two chorus numbers, two singles by Anastasia, one small group number with the main character group (Anastasia, Demitri, and Vladimir) with a reprise later, a romantic number, and one single by the villain. This is pretty typical of a Disney movie: most of them open with a group number just like Anastasia's "Rumor in St. Petersburg".
3. Anastasia is a princess.
She wears the dress, she has the crown, and she even has the title "princess"–even through she's technically a duchess. Although this isn't a requirement of a Disney movie, quite a few of their movies do fit this bill.
4. The villain is surrounded by lime green.
If he/she isn't surrounded by lime green, the color certainly comes to play at some point during the film. Sometimes, it's both. In the case of Anastasia, the reliquary which is the source of Rasputin's powers (and all of the little beasties that come out of it) is lime green.
5. The villain gets an awesome song number that is extremely similar to "Be Prepared" from "The Lion King".
Rasputin is surrounded by a legion of animals who are basically his backup singers. They stand on cliffs as he gradually moves to higher heights throughout the song. Sounds familiar? Also, they both get surrounded by lime green at some point during the song.
6. It includes a talking animal.
Enter, Bartok. A talking bat who loves to poke fun at his master and admires Anastasia for her spunk and bravery. While not all Disney movies include animals–and those that are included in the films don't always talk–it's usually a pretty good marker of a Disney movie.
7. The villain's sidekick is a source of comic relief.
Bartok is hysterically funny. An endless source of sarcasm and wit, he still makes me laugh.
8. In the end, Anastasia not only defeats the villain, but also gets her man.
After killing Rasputin (by smashing his reliquary and bidding him farewell with the words "Da Svidanya"), she and Dimitri embrace and kiss. She actually ends up giving up her life as royalty so that she can be with Dimitri.
9. There's magic.
Magical reliquary, tiny bat-like creatures that like to wreak havoc, a man who comes back as a decomposing body. Any of that sound like magic to you? Yeah, me too.
10. It's a coming-of-age story.
Anastasia is all about Anastasia's journey to self-discovery. In the end, she realizes that she doesn't have to be with her family to know who she is.
11. Her parents are killed at the beginning of the movie.
Think about it. Mufasa's murder is central to the story. Aladdin never knew either parent. Tarzan's parents were brutally murdered by a cheetah in the very first scene. Most main characters in Disney movies have lost at least one parent.
12. The woman who voiced Grand Empress Marie also voiced a Disney character.
Six years before Angela Lansbury helped Anastasia realize her dreams, she brought the beloved Mrs. Potts to life. Subconsciously, hearing her voice will always remind me that Beauty and the Beast is a "tale as old as time."
In the end, Anastasia isn't really a Disney movie. But it's no surprise if people are confused.
