Disney Teaches Importance of Contracts

(Walt Disney Pictures Logo)

We have all watched a Disney film at one point or another in our lives. Some of us might even have have "grown up" during childhood with a Disney Channel of one kind or another. If we ever really pay any attention to their films beyond the immediate entertainment and perhaps "questionable" messages hidden in some of their films such as the erect phallus presented on the front cover of The Little Mermaid, then we begin to understand the level of importance Disney films bear on contract agreements in our children's movies. Why are contracts so important? Contracts are the foundation for the energies of our universe. They are the "vessels" of beneficial exchanges of energy and, in our universe, "energy is never created nor destroyed; only transformed" -- Albert Einstein.

In the film The Little Mermaid, 16-year old mermaid, Arielle, makes an agreement with Ursula, the Sea Witch, that if Arielle can receive from Prince Eric the "kiss of true love" before sunset on the third day, then Arielle can stay human forever. If not, Arielle remains under Ursula's command as a mermaid. In the end, while Ursula does everything in her power to keep Arielle from success, Arielle's father, King Triton, first attempts to destroy the contract between Arielle and Ursula, but is "legally binding" and cannot be destroyed by his trident. King Triton then volunteers to take Arielle's place, which allows Ursula to be Queen of the Sea. Prince Eric rams a ship into Ursula, which kills her and sovereignty returns to King Triton and his kingdom. King Triton reinstates Arielle's "humanity" and she marries Prince Eric.

(Lilo's Right of Ownership Contract)

In Lilo and Stitch, Stitch is an exiled alien experiment that randomly lands on planet Earth. Lilo purchases the rights to Stitch from a local dog shelter. The Grand Councilwoman of the Galactic Federation ultimately sends three other aliens to retrieve Stitch from Earth to his rightful place of exile, however; all three fail their missions. In the end, Stitch is detained by the authority of the Grand Councilwoman on a beach, but Lilo finds her stamped $2.00 right of ownership contract from the dog shelter on Stitch and tells the Grand Councilwoman that if they take Stitch, they are stealing from her. Former CIA agent, Cobra, then chimes in, "Aliens are all about rules." The Grand Councilwoman thusly declares Stitch to be exiled on Earth as a ward of his human family.

In 1994, Tim Allen plays the succeeding Santa in The Santa Clause after mistakenly contributing to his predecessor's death in startling him and his slipping off the roof of his two-story home. The North Pole's Head Elf, Bernard, explains to the new Santa that there is a difference between the Santa Claus who wears the suit and the Santa Clause on the card found in the suit, hence The Santa ClausE on the film's movie cover. The Santa Clause is assumed by Allen after he wears the suit upon reading the obvious print on the card found in his predecessor's suit pocket. The Santa Clause 2: The Mrs. Clause and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause are also premised on the underlying elements of contracts.