Pocahontas parents guide

Pocahontas Parent Guide

Don't watch Pocahontas expecting a biography. Instead, enjoy this visually beautiful movie and its Academy Award winning soundtrack for the messages it teaches.

Overall A-

Adding their own mythical trappings to the tale, Disney presents the story of the ledendary Pocahontas , an India princess who attempted to make peace between her people and the Europeans exploring the shores of the New World.

Release date June 23, 1995

Violence B+
Sexual Content A-
Profanity A
Substance Use A-

Why is Pocahontas rated G? The MPAA rated Pocahontas G

Run Time: 81 minutes

Parent Movie Review

After years of perfecting the art of fairytale princesses, Mouse House animators tackled their first real-life figure, Pocahontas. And perhaps she was the ideal choice because the facts about this legendary daughter of a Powhatan Indian Chief were so sketchy there was ample room for imagination.

Painting a picture of a girl worthy of a nickname that translates into Little Mischief, Disney’s Pocahontas (voiced by Irene Bedard) is a spirited young woman questioning convention and seeking to find her own path. In her wanderings, she accidentally discovers a group of pale-faced sailors, just setting ashore. Curious, she follows one of them until their tracks cross and they accidentally come face-to-face.

Adventurous Englishman John Smith (voiced by Mel Gibson) has plenty of past experience exploring “New Worlds.” Still, his cocky confidence is shaken when he meets the beautiful Indian princess. Obviously not what he was expecting to find, their shared conversation (they conveniently speak the same language) teaches him things “he never knew, he never knew.”

However, the rest of the Virginia Company doesn’t share his new perspective of the “savages.” Nor do the other Indians understand Pocahontas’ soft spot for the white settlers. With tensions between the Europeans and the natives growing as fast as the young couple’s love for each other, the two will have to use all the courage they possess to prevent the factions from going to war. (The conflict between the groups results in some name-calling, racial slurs, and arrow/gunshot exchanges. An injury and death are depicted - no blood is shown.)

While historians debate the details, and whether or not Pocahontas tried to save John Smith’s life, there is enough evidence to conclude she did positively influence the peace process.

But such arguments are of little consequence to the creators of this film. Diving headlong into the folklore, they surfaced with a tale as timeless as Romeo and Juliet, paying tribute to the civility of Aboriginal culture and acknowledging the exploitive motives of some of the earliest Americans. Saving authenticity for such things as renderings of the Susan Constance ship, they simply rely on artistic licence for everything else, like the shoulder and midriff-baring costumes drawn on the female characters, and the whimsical personalities of sidekicks Meeko (John Kassir) and Flit (Frank Welker).

Viewers would also be wise to adopt a similar attitude. Don’t watch Pocahontas expecting a biography. Instead, enjoy this visually beautiful movie and its Academy Award winning soundtrack (“Best Original Score” and “Best Song” for Colors of the Wind) for the messages it teaches: Respecting those who are different, seeking to solve conflict through non-violent means, and realizing the power for good one person can have when they are brave enough to stand up for their convictions.

Directed by Mike Gabriel, Eric Goldberg. Starring Mel Gibson, Linda Hunt, Christian Bale, Irene Bedard, David Ogden Stiers. Running time: 81 minutes. Theatrical release June 23, 1995. Updated

Pocahontas Parents' Guide

Looking at Disney animations over the years is an interesting way of examining our culture’s evolving definition of what constitutes a beautiful female body. What differences do you see between heroines such as Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, and more resent figures like Ariel, Jasmine, and Pocahontas.

When Pocahontas released in 1995, it stirred up some controversy about how this historical figure was portrayed. For a sampling of opinions and some of the facts behind the movies’ namesake, you might want to check out the following sites: Four portraits of Pocahontas and some of her life’s details are found here: http://www.co.henrico.va.us/manager/pokeypix.htm
A descendant of Pocahontas compares her story to the Disney film here: http://www.geocities.com/Broadway/1001/poca.html
The late chief of the Powhatan tribe responds to the movie here: http://www.powhatan.org/pocc.html

Home Video

The most recent home video release of Pocahontas movie is August 20, 2012. Here are some details…

Blu-ray Notes: Pocahontas 1 and 2 Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack

Release Date: 21 August 2012

Disney’s Pocahontas 1 and 2  release together as a Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack. Bonus extras include:

- Drawing Inspiration: The Lost Story Of Hiawatha

- “Little Hiawatha” Cartoon Short

- Deleted Song

- The Music Of Pocahontas

- Deleted Scenes

- Audio Commentary

Pocahontas: 10th Anniversary Edition
Release Date: May 3, 2005

Ever wanted to see just around the river bend of this Walt Disney picture? Then whet your curiosity with Pocahontas: 10th Anniversary Edition. The two-disc set is loaded with bonus materials like a making-of documentary, 3 production featurettes, 9 deleted scenes, music videos for the Colors of the Wind and If I Never Knew You, games, trailers, commentaries and more. But the biggest splash this edition provides are two versions of the movie; the one released to theatres in 1995, and another that includes the song If I Never Knew You (performed by Mel Gibson and Judy Kuhn-the singing voice of Pocahontas) seamlessly animated into the story where the movie creators originally intended it to be.

Apparently, when Pocahontas went through its test screening, young viewers became restless during the rendition of this musical number. So the decision was made to cut the scene. Much to the delight of the storytellers and songwriters, the public (who have hopefully matured enough over the last ten years to sit quietly and be appreciative) can now enjoy this beautiful love song. It is also your call which version is the best, and whether or not you think they made the right choice a decade ago. Either way, fans will be pleased with this fully restored and remastered movie, which has been enhanced for 16x9 televisions, and offers Dolby Digital 5.1 audio tracks in English, French, and Spanish.

Related home video titles:

A direct-to-home-video sequel titled, Pocahontas II: Journey to the New World followed this movie. The Indian way of life and the world of nature cross paths in Brother Bear, another Disney animation. Smoke Signals, also staring Irene Bedard (the voice of Pocahontas), is a film about life on an Indian reservation and some of the challenges facing modern Native Americans.

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