In 1998, Disney gave the world the most perfect trick-or-treat prize ever. If you didn't fantasize about living in "Halloweentown," I feel very sorry for you and your lost childhood. Nearly two decades later, I still find myself checking the Disney Channel schedule, weeks in advance, so I can mark this movie on my calendar. "Halloweentown" will be forever cemented in the hearts of our generation as the best Disney Channel original movie, ever. True '90s kids still love "Halloweentown" for the following reasons:
1. Aggie Cromwell is the best grandmother in the history of fictional grandmothers.
She wasn't your run of the mill, cookie-baking grandma. She bought Marnie her first broom, let them do whatever their mom said they couldn't, and also fought against an evil villain by herself before the kids came to help her. Aggie Cromwell would not be intimidated and didn't stand by and let her friends vanish. She also never forgot about her grand-kids (still in the mortal world). She visited them every chance she got, even though her daughter wasn't exactly welcoming. We bow down to you, Debbie Reynolds.
2. We all wanted Aggie's magical bag...
It piqued our curiosity from the get-go. What did Grandma Aggie have in there? Is that a bag of her own invention, or can you buy them at the "Halloweentown" Macy's? So many questions.
3. ..And a flying lesson
4. It had just the right amount of spooky-scary moments.
5. Marnie is the best protagonist to ever protagonize.
Okay, so maybe protagonize isn't a real word, but Kimberly J. Brown was my hero as Marnie. She was the girl we all aspired to be. She was smart, confident, not to mention an awesomely powerful witch! Marnie also underwent some great character development throughout the film and ended up saving all of "Halloweentown." Not bad for a thirteen year-old.
6. Sophie was the little witch that could.
While Marnie sometimes thought too much when trying to access her powers, Sophie had a much simpler approach that worked extremely well. Whether it was unlocking Aggie's gate, helping light the talisman. or getting a cookie before dinner- Sophie embodied her grandmother's message about magic.
7. And nobody can forget about Dylan, our favorite cynic.
Ah, Dylan. He was the non-believer that gave us some great comedic relief, not to mention little-known facts. Even though Dylan was snarky and cynical, he still used his massive intelligence to help save "Halloweentown." Dylan rounded out the trio of the Cromwell kids perfectly by helping to keep Marnie's ego in check and by taking a practical approach to their magical problems.
8. Benny's taxi was better than any real-world cab.
Before he became possessed by Kalabar's dark magic, Benny was one of the first friendly faces to greet the Cromwell kids when they hopped off the bus in "Halloweentown." He cracked some hilarious jokes and made the kids feel at ease on the way to Aggie's house. He also didn't charge them for the cab ride. If only real-life cabs were this cool.
9. Everyone wanted to take the bus to Halloweentown.
The idea of the Halloweentown bus has always fascinated me as well. How did it work? Did you need a ticket? If so, how did Marnie, Sophie, and Dylan sneak on? Have any humans ever accidentally gotten on it before? How does it travel between worlds like that? Where are all of its stops? Between all of my questions there's one thing I know for sure: I definitely want to ride that bus.
10. The residents of Halloweentown were beyond intriguing.
Goblins, ghouls, ghosts, werewolves, vampires, witches, and warlocks, oh my. Once the Cromwell kids got off the bus, they were met by a diverse cast of inviting characters that usually haunt our nightmares. With so much to see and so many people to meet, you can't deny you'd love to just walk down Halloweentown's main street to monster-watch.
11. The awesome lesson there is to be learned from all those monsters.
Once they were all saved from the Kalabar's dark magic, those scary, smelly, slimy creatures were the kindest and most welcoming monsters you could ever meet. It really drives home the message that appearance has no correlation to personality or worth. Isn't it funny how the suave, attractive guy with nice teeth turned out to be the bad guy? Looks can be deceiving, people.
12. That plot twist, though.
It was an embarrassingly long time ago, but, the first time I watched "Halloweentown" I was shocked when I found out that the nice and charming Mayor Kalabar was the bad guy. Granted I was probably about five years old, but still, did anyone else really see that coming? Kalabar went from the friendly and helpful mayor trying to get with the kids' mom to the evil warlock possessing Halloweentown citizens on his quest for world domination. What a plot twist. It also started my mistrust in sweet-talking politicians early in life, so there's another life lesson. Life tip: don't eat candy a stranger just pulls out of his ear.
13. Finally, the best lesson of them all.
Although Aggie, Marnie, Sophie, Gwen, and Dylan were all great witches (and he was a great warlock), they are most powerful when united. In the beginning of the film the family is divided: Gwen argues with Marnie and Aggie. This drives a wedge between mothers and daughters. Along the way, they learn to put aside their differences for the greater good and saveHalloweentown (and probably the entire world, too). "Halloweentown" helps drive home the message that family is our greatest strength, which is probably the reason we all love it and its sequels so much- even though nothing will ever top the original.
