By Max Lark
With time flying by until the release of Alice Through the Looking Glass—May 27, to be exact—we got to thinking about how much we love that Alice is such a strong-willed and empowered heroine. So when we got some time to talk to director James Bobin—best known to Disney fans for directing The Muppets and Muppets Most Wanted—we asked him to reveal his five favorite feisty females from Disney films.
Mary Poppins—“She’s got that twinkle in her eye all the time, that all-knowing and all-seeing look. She’s understated and modest, the perfect nanny, magical but also firm and never indulgent with children. She’s just honest, and that’s what you want to see.”
Mulan—“She’s so strong, such a brilliant character. My daughter grew up loving Mulan maybe more than any other character. That’s because she’s brave, smart, and strong. Kind of like that girl from Underland.”
Miss Bianca, The Rescuers—“This was Eva Gabor’s character and the brains of the two main mice in the story. She was very cool, smart, and elegant. I love that she was clever in ways the other mice weren’t. My kids loved this mom and how she was always willing to take time to work things out.”
Rapunzel, Tangled—“She was another good example for young girls, like Mulan. Very modern and very confident, someone who could really take care of herself.”
Alice, Alice in Wonderland —“How can I not include her? Lewis Carroll’s great intention in creating Alice was to show that women had great potential. They had bravery and were the equal to men in every possible way. They weren’t going to just sit and watch the world go by their front window as they just sat there embroidering. They wanted to get out and take charge just like men.”
