Today is 11.12.13, a day that only happens once every hundred years. It's also supposedly a good day to get married. I should know, my personal e-mail has been flooded with such messages from astrology websites. Reading each friendly e-mail only reminds me that where I'm concerned, it's not really about finding a day to say 'I do'. It's more of finding Mr. Right For Me, a gargantuan task that no man has survived. A miracle that well-meaning (and admittedly, nosey) friends and relatives are hoping to witness in this lifetime.
But then again, isn't Christmas a season of miracles? Perhaps. That's the only plausible explanation for me to have watched Disney's Frozen last night. My sister was thoroughly gobsmacked to discover that for the first time in our lives, I've actually watched an animated movie before her! She went further to pronounce that the world must be coming to an end. Well okay, that's not a miracle we're hoping for in the near future. Yet, I can't say I regretted my impromptu choice. And given that I don't really do well around kids (my sisters call it as 'natural aversion'), the fact that I enjoyed the movie very much despite a jam-packed hall of kids are miracles worth mentioning.
Frozen is Disney's fantastic take on Hans Christian Andersen's 'The Snow Queen'. After scaring generations of children with tales of the wicked Queen, the world finally learns this Christmas that behind the icy walls and beyond wintery chills, the Queen was just a terrified elder sister. One who is blessed or cursed with the gift of creating ice, frost & snow by the touch of her hands. She almost accidentally killed her younger sister when they were younger and in a bid to protect her loved ones, chose to isolate herself. There was the Disney brand of romance, of course, but the main highlight of the movie remained outstandingly the bond between Elsa & Anna. While Elsa was forced to remain distant and over time, became used to the idea of living alone, Anna can't fathom the sudden estrangement and attempts to reach out to her sister with the help of Kristoff, Sven the reindeer and Olaf, the snowman. Consciously aware that this is a Disney animation after all, I didn't think there would be emotional attachment to the characters. Somehow, my heart didn't think so and aggravated by the moving songs throughout the movie (it's just so good, I don't have a favourite. I liked them all!), the eyes did become watery at times. My only relief was that a young mother seated next to me had it worst. The suppressed sniffles were definitely not flu-related!
Although Kristoff was necessary as the sort-of Prince Charming who rescues Anna and Prince Hans was the charmingly insidious villain, the (snow)man of the hour has to be Olaf! His lines were just a pure mixture of innocent fun and rib-tickling sarcasm, with some even downright cheesy. If a human guy says that 'some people are worth melting for' to my face, I would probably raise both eyebrows and walk away. When Olaf said those words as he comforted Anna by the fireplace, I couldn't help but feel endeared. The cheesiness became a true reflection of how much he was prepared to sacrifice, only for him to add in a matter of seconds (and him desperately clinging to his melting face) that just ... maybe not right this second. So how can anyone not love Olaf??? I know I'm in love.
Watch Frozen if you've not done so. It's a fitting welcome for Christmas and if some of us have not the experience of building a snowman before, I can tell you this. It zaps your energy and takes up time for a snowman to appear. And when it does, at that precise magical moment, you'll forget the tiredness and will always remember the snowman, even when it melts as spring beckons. Like family, it'll remain in a special corner of your heart, as one of the fondest memories. So, do you want to build a snowman?
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