Outline of Lit Review

1. Define family media, it’s influence, & establish that both adults and children are audience
1. I have yet to find a scholarly definition
2. Define children and adult or establish that it is a complex topic since it seems to be a fluid thing
1. Locke’s Philosophy- children do not possess the rights of adults
2. Valentine- There are three categories, children (6-16), youth (16-25), and adult (25+). However this can be skewed by a multitude of things such as responsibility, maturity, and behaviors. Therefore Valentine comes to the conclusion that the definition of child and adult are a lot more flexible and intertwined.
3. Luvmour- “Developing Together: Parents Meeting Children’s Developmental Imperatives”- a study that shows that children have significant effects of the maturation of an adult and can even help the adult deal with unresolved childhood issues. This could show that nurturing a child even helps finalize the “adult” stage of life.  
4. I’m still working on connecting all of these together. I think Valentine is helpful in understand the flexibility and complexity of the progression of age, however I find Luvmour’s ideas fascinating. I think they also serve to define the dynamic relationship between child and adult which could be reflected in characters in Disney films.
3. Disney is a prevalent and influential source of media for generations
1. Gillam- “Disney cinema, one of the most effective teaching tools America offers its children,..."
2. Disney produces multiple forms of media, so combined with media’s influence and the prevalence of Disney, one can see how influential Disney ideas are on viewers.
4. Current ways Disney has been studied
1. Gillam- Post-Princess New Male Model- This study looked at the wave of movies after the princess movies (late 1990s). In this analysis they found that all these movies had a central alpha male figure that then realized his flaws and came to a more “feminine” character.
2. Lawson- History of Pixar- Some attribute the changes in the movie concepts to aspects of the Disney and Pixar company. Disney and Pixar were separate then started collaborating, until Disney bought Pixar in 2006. However, Pixar has maintained their strong team of animators to develop a wide range of children’s movies.
3. Best- “The Disadvantage of a Good Reputation”- Again this deals more with Disney as a company, claiming that Disney has to maintain a good reputation by creating stories that do not offend or challenge certain social ideals to keep in touch with masses. However, Disney has been able to present social issues continually in their movies, and while some backlash, Disney continues to thrive.
4. Corliss- This analysis specifically looked at the portrayal of mothers in Disney movies. It comes to the conclusion that mothers are represented consistently with the role that they have in society at the time. For example, in early Disney movies, it was still common for mothers to die in childbirth, therefore the mothers were usually absent. However, the analysis lacked a well thought description for recent movies which shows that this is not the most fruitful way to view Disney movies in today’s society.
5. Jackson- “Diversity In Disney Films: Critical Essays On Race, Ethnicity, Gender, Sexuality, And Disability”- Covering a lot of topics, this film analysis covered a lot of the most common ways of deconstructing Disney Movies. This source was able to talk about societal implications such as how globalization has affected the representations of race in movies.
6. Metz analysis of Up & Wiley analysis of Inside Out- While these are recent films I am interested in studying, neither of these articles addressed the parts of the film that appeal to both adults and children, nor does it talk about the societal implications of the movies. They were both more superficial and similar in the way they compared the movies to other theories.
5. While these are part of the answer, it still does not address how Disney is able to capture both adults and children
6. Since I have done research and understand the development of children and adult, I have the authority to analyze family film in a different way (this was a point Dr. Helmers made in my meeting but I am not sure if I should explicitly state, or is it implied that I’m building my ethos?)
1. SÁNCHEZ-ESCALONILLA- “Verisimilitude and Film Story: The Link Between Screenwriter, Character, and Spectator”- Brings up the idea of Verisimilitude and emotional stake in films as a way to reach a wide audience. However, I want to go deeper and say that this is achieved through a specific archetype.
2. Does the presence of [archetype] bridge the gap between adult and children viewers in Disney films in the last ten years?