I like that they acknowledge that Hakuna Matata on it’s own isn’t bad advice. It’s not bad to not let the past drag you down and move on from it, but it is bad to do so to the extent that Simba goes where he dodges his responsibilities
Ultimately, he wasn't really letting go of the past or putting it behind him. He was burying it, running from it, and suppressing his pain because it was just too much for him to deal with in that moment. It was easier to just go "nah I'm good, to heck with it!" out loud.
Yeah, like Jono says, it (and Let It Go) is an essential step in Simba's (Elsa's) journey. For Simba, it's the first part of the Serenity Prayer - serenity to accept the things you cannot change, while Nala, Mufasa and Rafiki bring home the second part - courage to change the things you can. The final third - wisdom to know the difference - isn't really within the scope of Simba's journey in the movie. Meanwhile, Elsa's story is all about fear - and Let It Go is the first step in escaping her fear - it's her stopping fearing her powers for themselves. Of course, she's still partly driven by fear at that point - fear of what her powers might do to others, and of how others would react to her.
Simba got very good at compartmentalizing his trauma. The horror was always there playing like a rerun in the back of his mind. It's actually canon that he had frequent nightmares about it. The first opportunity he had to focus on something other than the nightmare he took it. It's not healthy, but as far as he knew he was alone in the world and chose the only coping mechanism available to him. The Lion King is actually a great example of childhood trauma and the grief/guilt associated with that trauma.
Sometimes you can’t deal with intense pain or trauma head on. It’s overwhelming how it affects you and how it changes you. I’ve learned it’s okay to take a step back and look after yourself, the pain will still be there later and you can be better at dealing with it.
"These are not the end of the story for either of these movies!" I laughed at that. So succinct and perfect. I never saw the blogs about "Let It Go," nor do I remember any pushback of "Hakuna Matata" but I'm sure it was there, if for no other reason than there are always people who will look for things that might be offensive. To those folks, no movie can ever have a redemption arc because the character's initial state will be irredeemable.
I always admired how open Mufasa was about his fear that something would happen to Simba, and that he was terrified of losing him. In a society which preaches "Men Don't Cry", it's really realistic to depict a male character openly showing vulnerability, and how it's a sign of strength, not weakness.
The Broadway version also has this amazing moment where the actor playing Mufasa removes the Lion head puppet from his head, and gracefully puts it down as if he’s removing his crown. And then he speaks to Simba. To show that he is letting all his walls down and speaking to his son not as the king, but as his father who was afraid he was going to lose him. And at the end of the sequence, Simba’s actor helps him put it back on. Both take place without a word being spoken, just Zimmer’s theme. It’s so important and it’s a moment that isn’t on the soundtrack or anything and it’s not in the movie because of it being a different medium. But it’s a genuine surprise and treat for those who see the musical.
That’s an excellent point. Mufasa sets a good example for men by being open about his fears and weaknesses, rather than trying to suppress them. Mr. Incredible does the same thing at the end of The Incredibles, admitting that he’s afraid of losing his family.
But I want to be brave like you I’m only brave when I have to be But you’re not scared of anything I was tonight. I was scared I might lose you I guess even kings get scared sometimes huh The dialogue in that scene is so well written. Its not drawn out, its concise, and in such a short seen we are given an idea of what their relationship is like. What mufasa is like as a father. Its this scene more than anything that made Mufasa’s death so devestating.
Here's a fun fact about Hans Zimmer: He wrote the music for the stampede scene (and the motifs that follow it) specifically as a requiem for his own father that he lost. The reason why the music around Mufasa is so powerful is likely due to Zimmer's own emotional connections with it.
At least aside from beating his patient over the head with a literal rod, yes, good therapy. I don't think Jonno could get away with abusing his clients, lol.
Rafiki whacking Simba with the staff reminds me of a story of when my hubby went to therapy as a teen. He had a lot of internalized anger at his biological father for being abusive and it manifested in unhealthy ways. His therapist took him outside and told him to vent his pent up frustration by taking a bat to a tree for a few minutes. Hubby wound up for one solid swing, the bat hit the tree, rebounded, and nailed him right in the back of the head. As he lay on the ground looking up at the sky, the therapist leaned over and said, "Well this wasn't the lesson I wanted you to learn today, but if you take away anything from it, just remember that entertaining all this rage will ultimately result in you hurting yourself."
I just started watching “Shrinking” on Apple TV and this story makes me think of Jason Segel’s character’s approach to therapy. Unconventional to say the least, but not necessarily ineffective.
My absolute favourite moment is when Timon tells Simba something to the effect of "If it's important to you, it's important to us." I think it's a great example of expression of love between friends.
Not to mention, Timon and Pumbaa put their own lives in danger for something that Timon felt wasn't even worth it ("We're gonna fight your uncle...for this?" "Talk about your fixer upper!") but still did it anyway because it was important to Simba.
@@PeninsulaPaintings exactly. They’re animals who moved to the oasis to be away from predators and live carefree lives without responsibility. But when their adoptive son is in trouble and needs help, they’re both ready and willing to lay down their lives for him. Even when he talks about what a dump the Pride Lands are, Timon still says they’re gonna fight Scar in the same breath.
The thing that I love most about Rafiki is that he never just shoves his opinion on Simba; he lets Simba come to him and make his own observations before offering his own (or smacking him on the head). Even after that amazing line about the past, Rafiki never says, "Now go fulfill your destiny!" He ASKS Simba what Simba will do next, giving Simba full power of agency.
Yes, exact, I really like it about Rafiki, and he doesn't force or push Simba to the right thing, and also the "smacking on the head" I think was like a metaphor for a change in the way of seeing things.. besides it wouldn't be authentic if Simba had returned only forced and no because he feels he must do it
Simba is a great character to relate to in terms of overcoming trauma and PTSD. When he reunites with Nala, she says (about being alive all of this time): “and your mother, what will she think?” Simba, in response, panics and deflects to “no one has to know.” I think that was a direct callback to when Scar said the same thing after Mufasa died “What will your mother think?” An excellent example of a PTSD flashback/response!
Oh my GOD I had wondered what Nala meant for YEARS. She was talking about Sarabi being excited that Simba her son is alive. Guess my mind like Simba went to "Oh God what would she think about me (Simba) being the one responsible for my father's death." Damn.
I also realized, that she said the same thing that Scar told him and he got super anxious, that she and everyone finds out.. because I suppose that when he left he thought that everyone already knew that he was responsible for the death of his father
What I really like is that "Simba's Pride" shows us that Simba still has nightmares about Mufasa's death after he became king and everything seemed fine. That proves that trauma doesn't just go away that easily.
I like the dialogue of: "I'm not who I used to be!" "Remember who you are, you are my son." Mufasa doesn't deny that Simba isn't the same as he had been, he doesn't say "Remember who you were", just affirms that whoever Simba is now, he is also Mufasa's son and that won't change.
My mom told me about my father's death while we were watching The Lion King. She said that even despite the death of his father, Simba had a bright life and a good ending. Of course, the death of a loved one left a scar on me, but I was relieved that the character from my favorite cartoon went through the same thing that I was going through I was 6 years old when my dad died. I'm 18 now and Lion King is still one of my favorite movies
Same here man, my dad died from cancer when I was 3 and to this day I still have deep rooted anxiety surrounding death and Simba is my comfort character and one day I want to be brave like him and be happy
When Mufasa says, "You are more than what you have become..." I always smile because while Simba is not a bad son or person/lion, Mufasa holds him to a higher standard without putting him down (good parenting).
@@skybluepainter But kinder. "You are something, but you can be more than this." is the implication of Mufasa's words, as opposed to "You aren't much of anything - actually less than anything." being the words often hidden behind the common phrase.
It's interesting that "Mufasa" tells Simba what he should do and not the truth surrounding his death even though it was very pertinent information that would make Simba's decision much easier. This is just my interpretation but I think it's because as Rafiki said Mufasa's memory still lived inside Simba, that is his teachings and guidance as a parent had become part of Simba's conscience. As such since Simba was at the time still unaware of the real facts surrounding his father's death "Mufasa" didn't have access to that information either but he still could give Simba sound advice on how to move forward.
I find it so beautiful and so interesting that when Simba is face to face with his father (in the storm cloud), Mufasa doesn't say anything about blaming Simba for his death. He doesn't even mention his death at all. That part isn't an issue for him. What matters to him is his son being true to himself and living a fulfilled life. Mufasa, you magnificent stud, you!
@@Izabela-ek5nh My favorite theory is that it would ruin part of the message - speech after speech about taking responsability and ultimatly what makes him go back is vengence? Not a very good start for a kingship. "Great, my evil and fraticidal uncle is dead and my father avenged... Now what the fuck do I do?" Going ready to do the bigger right and finding the truth out afterwards wasn't the easiest or less painful way, but was the one with better chances of an actually good outcome.
The “Oh so you haven’t told them you’re little secret” scene: What came to my mind is that, had Simba told his version of that day on his own terms, it would have become instantly clear to his family that he was not to blame. But as soon as Scar sees that Simba didnt share anything, Scar 💯 took his chance to leave out context and replace it with insinuation so that Simba’s experience would automatically be seen through a frame that Scar could control. It hit me that people who want to hurt people use secrets and the best way to combat their manipulations is to always tell our stories/truths
I don't think the lionesses actually bought that story. Neither did they not buy it. There was no time for it - their faces are still surprised and shocked, and their reactions do not go beyond the initial reactions anyone might have. Poor Sarabi, I think of how amazing of a story this could be told from her perspective. She just oozes "dedicated queen, wife, and mother" from every angle. And I don't think they would have bought it either - Scar was foolish for bringing it up. If he'd won, he'd have lost. The lionesses would have realized he knew Simba was alive and that he lied to try to keep his position. (What cub could have hurt a king, or even killed him?) But had he won without saying anything, they would have just had hopelessness and doubt. Defeating Simba would have been the nail into his reign.
@@vinnyl264 Sure, but there's still a big difference between "my actions directly lead to my father dying" (what Simba's words imply) and "my father died trying to save me from a dangerous situation I put myself in."
What you said about adults telling things to children and it getting internalized "in our identity DNA" really struck me. Mom told me that a teacher once told her, *to her face,* that she was stupid. She was in *grade school.* She believed it into *college* when she found out she has dyslexia. Even now, over 40 years later, she seems to have a hard time believing anyone who compliments her about *anything.*
Yes. My mom had a similar experience with her whole family, and to this day she still struggles with it. In my case I had a teacher who told me that I wasn't good at maths (I was really good though but she didn't know) but after that, I've been struggling with them. We really need to take care of what we say to kids. Even comparing them to someone they know you don't like or even someone you actually like, can be hurtful. In both cases is the same thing: I'm not good at being me. Luckily for me my parents did everything right the first 8 to 11 years of my life. Which gave me enough time to feel like I'm worthy of being here. But I've seen many people hiding themselves on their own skin because of traumas. I'm not saying I don't have trauma, because, life. But my parents were not that bad and even though we all have an had to work with our issues, they're awesome.
I had a teacher like that when I was about 8 years old who had very little patience with me, treated me like I was lazy and/or stupid, and had me believing there was something wrong with me. She had my mum taking me for all sorts of assessments for various learning difficulties, none of which ever found anything abnormal. I was a bit of a daydreamer, but none of my other teachers ever had a problem with me. But from my experiences with this one woman, the idea that there was something wrong with me really stuck. Until I went to university and began learning to be a teacher myself. I realised that this woman had broken some of the most important rules for good teachers. Students learn more when they feel confident and safe asking questions. Making a student feel stupid will not make them smarter (shocker!), and it certainly won't help them to learn anything constructive. It achieves the exact opposite. It doesn't take very much effort to cause a child to attach a negative attribute to their sense of identity, sometimes for life. I have managed to leave behind that belief there was something wrong with me (most of the time), and now find that one of the few things that gets me truly fired up is hearing someone being spoken to like my teacher spoke to me. That disdainful, dismissive impatient tone. I'm not usually very outspoken, but when I hear that tone, I will freely tell the speaker that they're being a**hole, and take the person being spoken to under my wing and try to build them up again. I feel kind of like I'm righting that wrong for others that I couldn't make right for myself when I was a child.
My father did that to me. I'll be 32 this May, and I still internalize all the cruel things he has ever said about me. The only thing that man has ever done that was good for my mental health was to make me so angry at him for hurting me, that I chose to be a better parent than he ever was or could be.
I had a similar experience. When I was in first grade, my teacher told me that I was too stupid to learn how to read. I ended up learning how to read and was reading at a highschool level by the time I was entering middle school. Writing is one of my favorite hobbies. I just needed that push that my mom did for teaching me to read that the teacher refused. But yeah, it has one of two outcomes, the child will forever believe it and internalize it or they will look at that, flip the bird and achieve out of spite.
"Awful people watch for moments to manipulate." Great way to phrase it, and a good thing to remember when judging someone's character, and if they really have your best interest at heart or are good/bad to be around.
When Jonathan said "When people ask me 'I don't know who I am' I always ask them 'who do you want to be.' It hit me like a truck I almost teared up lol. I did not need this paired with my morning coffee sir
Nope, I did cry and spent the whole episode in a limbo of trying to calm myself down and trying not to break down again when he said it in the episode proper.
What hurts is that some of who I want to be isn't possible. I want to be the funnest aunt ever to my niece, but my health sucks and I have Asperger's. Being in the same *house* as that adorable bundle of energy is exhausting. I try, but the noise and need to interact with another person in real time drains me pretty fast.
@brigidtheirish You’d be surprised how the seemingly little things will make a child adore you. You’re presence when she comes home from school. Your excitement when she tells you about her day. The movie nights. Playing dress up for a little bit. Drawing crazy pictures. She’ll remember moments like those when you cared and she’ll enjoy you as a person more and more as she grows. Especially when she’s older and learns how hard it was for you. She’ll definitely see you as the greatest, most fun aunt ever!
Reminds me of Hogarth from the Iron Giant, "You are who you choose to be." Somehow though, "I don't know who I am" followed up with "Who do you *want* to be?" hits so much harder
Scar really is a perfect example of the monologuing villain causing his own demise. All he had to do was let him fall and die, but he just HAD to give him that burst of righteous fury to turn the tables
Arrogance was Scar's greatest downfall. The thing that people might not cotton onto is that in both times, when he sinks his claws into Mufasa/Simba's claws, is that it's a move to hurt and damage. The pain was meant to further weaken his victims. Like taking a hammer to the hands of someone desperately holding on. Not only is there pain, but it potentially injures and weakens their grip and prevents them from grabbing anything else before the fall. It's a shock and pain factor. But here's the thing, Scar's arrogance made him miss something very important: Mufasa roared in pain, Simba did not. Scar hit correctly, and probably destroyed muscles in Mufasa's paws. Scar grabbed Simba and he DIDN'T roar in pain. I mean, sure, I'm sure it hurt, but Simba was still strong enough to use his front paws to haul himself forward when anger gave him the boost. Scar liked that final knife twist, but what was necessary was "causing harm to destroy," and Simba proved himself stronger than Mufasa, OR Scar either in that Scar made a mistake by failing to hit just right, that Simba took advantage of, OR that Scar's aging body wasn't able to do the strong stabbing attack necessary with his claws anymore.
@@Silverserri Totally. He could have pushed Mufasa or Simba and it would have achieved his ends, but he had to put in the extra knife twist of hurting them physically and letting them fully realize his cunning betrayal before letting go. I didn't consider that when he sinks his claws in he's actually causing more harm, I just assumed he wanted to hold them there for his final line. Very good catch of yours. Also, something that Scar seemed to fail to consider is that when it was Mufasa, not only was he likely successful in damaging Mufasa's muscles, but Mufasa was exhausted! He'd just battled through the stampede to save his son, then climbed the sheer cliff face. The betrayal was a shock as you can see the fear in his eyes before he falls (excellent job all around, animators). But with Simba, though he is weighed down emotionally by the guilt Scar has made him believe, he has taken steps to recover, and he's seen that Scar is not someone to trust by what he's done to the Pride Lands and to his own mother (I loved how regally defiant Sarabi is of both the hyenas and Scar, and Simba's rage breaking out for the first time when he sees Scar abuse her), and he's not injured OR exhausted. He's just been backed off the edge of Pride Rock, and then given the shock that Scar is actually the murderer and plotted everything and Mufasa's death wasn't an accident. You can see the pain and grief welling up in Simba's memory as he realizes how he and his father were cruelly manipulated and that turns into a rage that gives him the strength and motivation to pull himself up and tackle Scar. Scar also demonstrates not only his arrogance but how much of a coward he is.
@@margaretschaufele6502 I think crossing the whole desert could take his energy a bit down. :) or maybe it was a very small desert? Big enough to almost kill little Simba tho so maybe not that small...
@@Izabela-ek5nh it's hard to tell. But he had time to rest before the big show down. It's not immediate like with Mufasa. Disney did a good job of making Mufasa's death utterly tragic and heartbreaking that it still makes us cry decades later.
I’m so glad you guys also talked about how Nala’s approach to getting Simba to return was hurtful to him. It’s easy to see Disney characters as “all good” or “all bad”, and we sometimes tend to generally see rl people this way. I tend to communicate like Nala- extremely earnest and blunt (no sarcasm tho!), so eager to “fix” the situation that I can lose sight of the word-package I’m using. This was a good reminder that the “right thing” can be said in unhelpful ways. Thanks!
In Nala's defense, she's the equivalent of about 18 and doesn't yet have the experience and maturity to deal with this sort of thing. She's just a kid, really.
@@nb73950 practice makes perfect! But also, as Jonathan said, it's so very important to learn to acknowledge when you are wrong and apologize for it. We will never be perfect enough to avoid hurting others, but what makes the biggest difference is being humble about it.
@@robertmiller9735 yeah, and she's probably exhausted, hungry and desperate, and then she finds Simba just hanging around, not a care in the world... Honestly I can't fault her for not being able to summon the necessary level of patience.
when i was a kid, i never realized how fucked up and traumatizing it must’ve been for simba to hear his uncle blaming him for the death of his father. that’s just so scarring.
It's a small detail, but I love that, before Scar confesses, and Simba has already said the death was his fault, when Simba slips off that cliff, Nala calls out to him and still cares about him. It just... it fills me with warm and fuzzy feelings.
I always loved Simba and Mufasa's strong relationship, and how devastating his death was for both Simba and the audience. It was likely our first experience of death in the media, and James Earl Jones did a fantastic job of bringing this lovable, charismatic father character to life.
It was littlefoot's mother and bambi's mother before that. But I watched Bambi so much as a child that I became largely desensitized to her death from making me openly sad. But mufasa's impacted me just as much. Simba calling for help along that music in the background and getting no answer... Just realizing how alone he is and seeing him starting to cry made me cry, too. He watched his father fall. No amount of nudging or pulling at his ears was waking him up or making him react like it usually did. He didn't want to believe his father was gone, or maybe he was simply too young to realize.
@@ShadowSkyX ah yes I swear Bambi was the first movie I cried to as a child. It was the first saddest thing that I had ever watched. Then it was lion king and that made me cry so much
This is one of those movies that you watch as a kid and think “Hey, that’s cool.” Then you rewatch it when you’re older and say “Good lord, this is a work of art.”
I think stories about kids being hurt hit is harder as adults because when we are kids ourselves, we don’t realize how vulnerable kids are. As adults, we know.
And because we've finally gone through the pain that Simba experiences ourselves: when watching this as a kid, most of us haven't had to deal with any significant losses yet. As an adult, we have, and to imagine a child carrying the same pain that you carried as an adult, possible guilt and all, just breaks your heart
I’ve seen this movie enough times that I can quote it word for word, but hearing Simba yell for help and seeing him cuddle up to Mufasa’s dead body, still rips my soul apart 😭
The Mufasa's death always breaks my heart too: when Simba desperately tries and begs him to wake up, yells for help and his heartbreking crying while he lies under his paw , and when Scar says: "The King is dead, and if weren't for you, he'd still be alive" I did realize the how his eyes widened is because he still hadn'tfinished to understading what is the Death and had just witnessed that his father had died.. I always empathized with him: Simba, being a kid, was wracked with grief and filled with guilt and fear and is sad that he has to run away to unknow place far from his home. All that breaks me
On the subject of Healthy Masculinity, Mufasa is a very good example of that concept in Lion King. I personally would very much like to see an episode about him on your channel.
yes, I think so too, Mufasa and Simba have the healthiest father-son relationship in all the Disney movies, they love each other and Mufasa teaches Simba well.. And I am not saying this to idealize, that many of us would like to have a relationship that special.
Just a little addendum to the Rafiki scene, one thing I always loved about it is how directly and simply he challenges Simba's preconceptions. Gives him a solid whack, then when Simba asks for an explanation, Rafiki deflects the same way Simba would have.
@@nicolerouse3303 While I agree that you probably posted on the wrong thread, your comment when it makes sense anyway. Unless they show is specifically having actual patients and give them therapy, a show is not therapy. Just to go off of the most of Mended Light, since cinema therapy is definitely not an actual therapy channel, they talk about fictional characters, and obviously can't give actual therapy, they just talk about the concepts and the advice or journey; but Jono will talk about general situations and maybe even have real situations whether his own experiences or situations that clients have had that he's able to talk about and that can be very helpful and potentially therapeutic. That's not therapy though, it's advice from a therapist that's not directed at specific people, but in general. He does have a practice and does take on clients, but he and his team are very limited, they can only handle as many people as they can, a source like Better Help can handle as many people as they need to because they are in a situation where not only do they have so many therapists that can help others, and they get to a point where they're starting to hit capacity, they have the ability to continue hiring more and more qualified therapists that can take on the load.
I think why the death of Mufasa affects Jon more now than before is like what Alan said, he's a parent. As a kid, losing your parents/caregiver is a scary thought, but the idea of actually losing them doesn't seem as possible unless it's already happened to you. But as a parent the idea of dying and leaving your child behind is terrifying and is a very real possibility. I hope that made sense
Holy cow, it does. I lost my dad when I was 4 and I can tell you how horrible it was for me. I didn’t even know death was a thing until he died, so you can imagine the confusion and heartbreak I went through. There was a lot of guilt in his passing as I got older, particularly as I get closer to the age he was when he passed. My mom told me much later that he once said that he’s not afraid of death, but of leaving me behind. I never really considered Mufasa’s POV until now, since I relate to Simba so much. I don’t have any kids yet but I’m sure that when I do, this will come to mind.
I am grateful to have been raised by a father who is not afraid to be emotionally vulnerable, to cry in front of his children. But it gives me hope to consider just how many people have found your channel and witnessed two wonderful men to look up to as role models for their own health. I can only imagine how much healing you have influenced just in being yourselves. God bless you two! 🤍
I agree 100%! Both of my parents are not afraid to be blunt about how much and how hard they are fighting to get us kids to Heaven. And that's great to have parents who are strong on so many levels but are ready to be vulnerable.
I am shocked you guys haven't done The Princess Bride yet there are so many angles. Revenge, romance, how to treat kids and their ideas, problem solving, Billy Crystal, the list goes on. Would love to hear you guys talk about Andre and what went into making the movie
I’m 33, saw this at 4 years old the first time and made my parents take me 4 times to see the movie. I will never not cry during Mufasa’s death, and I’ll always sing all the songs. On an emotional note, when I lost my mom at 9, my grandmother was the one to tell me. She said she had no clue what to say but when she started talking she used Mufasa as her talking point. She told me that my mom was gone, like Simba’s daddy, but she would always be with me like Mufasa was with Simba. This truly helped me understand, and in some ways come to terms with my trauma. And for that I love this movie all the more. No other animated movie means as much to me.
Yall made me realize some of my issues with anxiety and loss were normal and that I couldn't just rely on myself to get through them. Since I found y'alls channel I've been able to identify and eliminate toxic friendships, and overall have become a better and happier person. I love you guys, keep up the great work and keep changing lives. Bless you and thank you
This is so true. I always saw myself as a good friend who would be there for my friends when they needed me. And after lots of reflection, I realized it was never reciprocated. “I miss you” really meant “I need something from you”. These guys really helped me see that.
@@thefinalme same here. I was always loved when I had something to offer, but when I needed something they were "busy". Luckily my realization also helped me get closer to other friends who actually appreciated me
@@CaptainSoftboy501 thanks! I'm actually doing great now that I knew what my issues were and how to fix them, and funnily enough therapy wasn't needed for me. Alls I needed was a healthy environment and respectful relationships
If you guys aren't already planning on it, I'd love to see yall do a video for the sequel :) I was chatting with my sister about it as we watched this episode, and I think the sequel is a great example of how trauma can still linger after the initial source is gone, and the effects that trauma has on future relationships - especially with family. And something that made me think is the comment about Mufasa's advice being about Simba being the best person he can be instead of trying to be like Mufasa. In the second movie, when Kovu comes into the picture - even as a cub - Simba changes as a father and king because instead of seeing a lion being forced into his mother's revenge plans, he just sees Scar. And this point is really driven after the ambush that then leads to Kovu being exiled, the scratch on his face is all anyone in the kingdom (except Kiara) can focus on and they continue to treat him as a second Scar. And it isn't until Kiara puts herself between her father and Zira that he starts to see things more clearly as they are right now instead of reliving the past. On the one hand you sympathize with Simba because you know that he grew up without a father and is doing his best to raise his daughter. And while he has good intentions, his methods on top of his lingering trauma is having the opposite effect. It's a growing experience for both father and daughter :)
I agree with everything you said, but if you don't mind me adding a couple extra thoughts, there's even material to continue discussing Identity as well. Right after Simba exiles Kovu, Kiara challenges Simba on an emotional level, asking him to reconsider, attempting to share what she's seen of Kovu, insisting that Simba barely knows Kovu and had hardly given him a chance, then when Simba stands firm in his decision, stating that "I know he's following in Scar's pawprints, and I must follow in my father's" she challenges him once again by yelling, "You will NEVER BE Mufasa!" Which is not only true, but something that Simba needs to accept and move beyond, because he's losing sight of himself, trying so hard to fall into the role of "Mufasa" rather than being not only his own person, but his own version of kingship.
@@haleyheller3261 I agree 100%! That's actually a point I brought up to my sister, but it seems I forgot to type it in 🤣 So thank you for that addition lol
@@myladynaynay Awesome! I've actually gone on long winded rants on that one moment, hell that one line alone. It just really strikes a cord with me on so many levels. The fact that Kiara knows Simba better than he thinks she does, for one. Then of course the obvious reality that trying to be someone you're not isn't the answer, that even if they are a good role model you'll never be identical, and you shouldn't try to accomplish a goal like that. And then the slightly petty side of me is just kinda proud of the fact that she can turn sage advice into a painful mark of shame because she's too lost in her own anger and pain (both very justified emotions) to be kind to her father in that moment.
I love the sequel, and your comments really go into generational trauma. Things that happened to you or your ancestors will change your genetics. For example, a person who’s great-grandparent smoked means that person still has a higher likelihood of developing a smoking habit than someone who doesn’t have a smoking family member. Trauma reacts in the same way, it will effect a person’s genetics s well as their descendants. And there are a lot of things that can trigger a person’s trauma response; a phrase, a smell, a look… It takes a lot of work to overcome your own trauma and the trauma of your family. Many people are scared of continuing the trauma, but as long as we learn and grow that’s good enough. Do what you know until you know better. And of course, there’s the debate of nature v nurture. Kovu was not biologically related to Scar (or Zira to our knowledge) but became good. On the other hand, Vitani was Scar’s daughter and became good. And I love the addition of identity into the discussion. Not just of trying to be someone else, but also who we think we should be as opposed to who we actually are. We’re constantly changing, and the people we are now will be different than who we are tomorrow. Even in musicals, no one wants the actors to play the character the exact same way as the person before them. The show will become boring and stale. Each actor will put their own spin on the character, in fact each show is different due to the audience response. Likewise, if we try to become exactly like our role models or parents, we can become boring and stale. It won’t be our true self which will show through our act anyways. In my opinion, copying someone else may make us feel worse because it will feed into our imposter syndrome. “Oh, Joe is so good at X, and I’m trying to copy that but I’ll never be as good as he is.” Yeah, because you’ll never be the best Joe, you can only be the best you.
As an adult who lost a parent semi-recently (a couple yrs ago), the biggest part I cry now is Cloud Dad part. Mostly because I wish I could have that moment with my Mom (actually came up in therapy that I wanted a Cloud Mom for even 5 minutes). I definitely had to explain what that meant to her, but I cried while explaining it. That song yup makes me cry every time. I love that Lion King provides a way for me (and I'm sure many others) to conceptualize grief because I had loads of trouble explaining my feelings and grief. Also advice for people, DO NOT WATCH this while on lunch break. Co-workers were really concerned.
Oh, I totally agree, watching the lion king now having lost a parent hits harder than it did watching it as a child. I often wish to have a cloud dad moment to have some form of guidance because he always seemed to know what to say and do. I think we all strive to make our parents proud, whether it be our birth parents, adopted parents, whatever the case may be. That kind of loss is hard. I am sorry you have lost your mom, but think of it this way. You are your mother's legacy, and a part of her will always be around within you. Every day you wake up and face the day, you make her proud. Death is an unfortunate part of life, but it teaches us the value of what time we have left on this earth.
I never realized until Johnathan pointed out the similar messages to 'Hakuna Matata' and 'Let It Go' that Elsa and Simba have similar if not the same character arc. Both were raised to take over as rulers for their kingdom, but tragedy struck that pushed that pressure over the edge in different ways, but both came to the same idea; running away and never returning was in their, and everyone else's, best interests. Both of them being raised and taught to follow the rules and how to act to become good rulers, they had their moments of fun with friends (Elsa with Anna, Simba with Nala) but the two know when they're adults what's expected of them. Suddenly with the notion that no one would want to follow them as leaders (for Elsa, out of fear from her powers; for Simba, out of fear to the news he's the reason his father is dead) They both have songs that regard this new philosophy that having no responsibilities and a carefree lifestyle may not be so bad. They even love it for a time until they are confronted by someone important to them that they are the only one who can save their respective kingdoms. They even react the same way to receiving the message! At first being happy to see the messenger (Anna, Nala) then being apprehensive or even scared at the notion of going back. Trying to convince them that their new plan of never returning is what's best so they can avoid further hurting those they love, and finally snapping at the messenger causing them to leave. Once alone again, someone else comes along to bring them home, (though Hans forced Elsa back whereas Rafiki convinced Simba where Nala failed). At the end after saving their kingdom, I suppose you could say it's the distance that helped them since Elsa was able to learn more about her powers to help find herself and Simba lost himself for awhile but returning home to see how it's fallen apart emboldens him to fight back TLDR; Simba and Elsa are one and the same
That's why I guess Elsa and Simba are one of my fav characters, because of the character arc that they go through, because almost what they had to deal with the most was self-love also, right? Elsa saw herself as a monster who could hurt others by not being able to control her powers; just like Simba who he despised himself for the mistakes he made (more because he felt responsible for his father dying)
I wonder if the backlash against the "Let it Go" song has anything to do with gender. Jonothan and Alan put it down to Lion King being before the internet really took off, but our society puts a lot of responsibility on girls to be mature while accepting that "boys will be boys".
Scar's line about truth being in the eye of the beholder is actually really clever. It is something he uses several times and it works each time. He lies and manipulates the truth constantly. Also, this is true of everything in a way. There are countless scenarios where truth is different from person to person.
As I get older and calm myself down from my twenties, Twilight doesn't seem as bad as it did, or maybe I just mean it doesn't seem like as big a deal. I mean, at least it's not Girl Defined, you know? But there's still a lot of humor to be mined in Twilight reactions.
I'm so glad Alan mentioned the score!! I don't think people realize just how effective the score is (outside of the iconic songs). As an aspiring film score composer, our one goal is to reach the audience. To make the audience feel and emphasize those feelings and Hans did a phenomenal job fulfilling (over-achieving) that goal
Right?! I did a project on the vitaphone last year and talked about how essential film scores are to the modern age of film. I used The Lion King as an example because it is just so strong!
Considering how great the score is and the awards that it won at the time, the fact that it took as long as what it did for a FULL score to be released was nearly criminal. For the longest time the only thing that was released was a couple songs from the score interspersed between the sing-a-long music soundtracks. Then the 03 score release for the special edition added nothing... I remember I was in high school and attempted to find something more of the score and had to resort to an unreleased version that I think was either a low quality rip, or hadnt been cleaned up in post or what... it took until 2014 for the entire score, or nearly the entire score to be released with the legacy collection. I still dont understand how that happened...
As someone who grew up with a manipulative father, whenever I see depictions of adults manipulating their kids my first reaction is to be infuriated to the point of crying because you know the struggle that kid will have to go through in order to reconcile how they were raised. Even just seeing the beginning scene where you see in Simba’s eyes the “reality” Scar presents to him sinking in for the first time. This movie doesn’t go into depth the process it takes to really unravel manipulative-based trauma, but it shows him overcoming it very well.
I'm sorry about what you went through with your dad. I still remember to this day what my dad told me years ago at the tail end of an argument with him. I don't even remember what we were arguing about. But he said to me along the lines of "You're gonna grow up into nothing.". I'm 35 years old now and I doubt he even remembers saying that to me... but I do. I still talk to him, and do love him, but I'm definitely not as close to him as I am with my mom. So very true with adults saying terrible things to kids, and that shit sticks with them for the rest of their lives. But I sincerely hope you are doing much better in your life as of right now .
@@TheMeloettaful My dad was *terrified* of doing something like that to me and my younger siblings. There was this one time, as a kid, I'd bought something with him for Mom. Something small and extremely fragile. I reached to pick it up after the cashier bagged it and Dad instantly stopped me. He then quickly told me that it wasn't that he didn't trust me to be careful, but that accidents happen and that if it broke, he'd rather be angry at himself than me. I heard him verbally beat himself up over every little personal failing and even things he was barely involved in. Sometimes Mom pointed out that do that to himself hurt the rest of us and sounded manipulative, which just sent him spiraling more. None of us knew until he was almost 60 that he has PTSD, Asperger's, and several other mental health problems.
@@brigidtheirish I often suspect that my dad is autistic (including myself), and that would explain a lot of his actions in the past & now (doesn't excuse them, but still). But he isn't officially diagnosed, and I'm not either. He probably wouldn't take to kindly to me even bringing this up. I would like to get diagnosed myself, but really don't know how to go about it. Anyway with so much awareness on mental health etc it's helped me somewhat come to terms with my dad. Don't know about my dad on his end (probably nothing). But it does help me understand him if only a little bit. But it's great your dad was truly making an effort for you growing up. I'm sorry he went through most of his life not getting help with his own mental health issues until late in his life 😔. I hope he is doing much better now 🙏.
@@TheMeloettaful Getting diagnosed is tough. Mine is sort of unofficially official because I pretty much check all the boxes but the mental health clinic I initially went to didn't "have the facilities to make that diagnosis," whatever the hell that means. Understanding helps a lot. With my dad, we bonded in large part over trying to figure out our own brains together. I felt a little less like a total freak knowing Dad's brain worked a lot like mine. Thanks. He's doing better. Honestly, he's kinda glad he didn't get a diagnosis early in life because of how *bad* psychiatric care was back then. He remembers the tail end of when lobotomizing "embarrassing" family members was popular among the "right sort" and had a couple bad experiences of his own. Including some hypnotherapy for test anxiety that worked *too* well. Even now, he's more than a bit resistant to letting anyone "under the hood." Having names for what's going on helps a lot, as do anti-depressants and ADD meds so he "doesn't have to fight the machinery."
It's interesting that Tymon and Pumba came into Simbas life when he's a child, which allowed him, as a traumatized child, to still have a childhood. When Nalla came in, he was ready, or at least was taught by raffekee.
Exact, yeah is interesting, Timon and Pumba arrives in the moment when he was traumatized and devastated, giving him love, protection, company and lives his childhood, which is wholesome, until the time comes that he is ready and able to learn and assume his responsibility
Every traumatized child should have people like Timon and Pumbaa in their life, at least for a transitional period. In the movie they're mostly there for comedic effect, but the people who volunteer as support structure for other families (or step up further as foster parents) really are heroes. I don't think I could do that kind of thing. I'm so very weepy as soon as anything emotional happens that I'd probably make the situation even more depressing.
@@helenanilsson5666 yeah, I think yes, 'cause that's Timon and Pumba did it, I also feel like they weren't there just like "comic relief", really with that joy and cheer that they wanted to give him, they really were also Simba's heroes at that time, so it was good to include them
How have I never noticed that Simba turned to his uncle for comfort before running away! That moment when he went from grief and the hug to guilt was…😭!
As a child, that broke my heart even more: how Scar, after Simba cries hugging him and needing to be comforted, in the most striking way blames him just in a second.. he destroyed him more, he's the worst uncle and the most evil
We watched this when my wife was pregnant, and she started crying 15 minutes before Mufasa died, and then continued full-on ugly-crying for over 30 minutes. That will always be my clearest Lion King memory.
Yes absolutely! Also kinda hoping that the main couple is an E2L that will finally get their seal of approval shsibdjdkf (look I love me a particular trope okay, it pains me that some people write it off as toxic so often).
I absolutely love that the sequel reveals that Simba still struggles with PTSD and other issues despite “beating” Scar. It’s a good lesson to learn as a kid that your mental health can take a bad hit and take a while to recover
The Lion King has always been deep even as a child But I think I understand it on a much deeper level as an adult now Kinda painful, extremely beautiful and a 100% worth it Can't wait to see your take on this you guys! Sending love to whoever is reading this ❤
So true!! It's interesting to me how, as a child, I could just skip over the bit where Mufasa dies (that one was always too emotional for me) and be fine and enjoy the rest of the movie, while as an adult, actually grasping just the magnitude and gravity of the grief, guilt, identity crisis that Simba felt... I could just cry through at least halt of the movie😅
Thank you for mentioning Hans Zimmer and his immense impact on the emotionality of this movie (and all of the other masterpieces he has been a part of). Movie scores make moments so much more powerful. I feel blessed to live in the same era as John Williams and Hans Zimmer.
Not 40 seconds in & I hear Jonathan say "when people ask me, "I don't know who I am" my answer is always, "who do you want to be?"" and I'm already crying lmao I'm working with a trauma therapist right now, really delving into those childhood.... foundational issues & internal voices that have carried over into my adulthood, and trying to figure out who I am and who I want to be. SOOOOOOOO this one really hit hard today 😅❤
This is therapy amd I am glad that you, along with us in the comments section have understood that we need therapy and to put the past behind us and Let it Go. ❤️💯👍🏽
Watching the "he lives inside you" part here out of the movie context i realize that this probably had a large impact on how i see death now as an adult. People that die never fully disappear, they live on in the memories and actions of those that they met and influenced everyone that that person then meets and influences. We are the result of all the people that came before us.
That's why heartbreaks hurt. You can argue the "he/she lives inside you" even though he/she is still alive and now you have to accept the fact that he/she is dead in your life.
When you two spoke about parents having said things in a moment of frustration that they wish they could take back, it made me think of Del Toro's Pinnochio. I would highly recommend covering it on this channel! There's Geppeto's grief, Pinnochio not wanting to be a burden, Candlewick wanting to make his father proud, and Death herself talking about mortality and immortality.
18:50 I have been questioning myself for almost half my life:"What kind of person am I?, Who am I?", like its something to figure out for me. Your gentle, Dad like answer: "Well, who do you want to be ?" knocked me out. The thought that I can steer the direction of my own development is incredibly liberating. (Lots of baggage behind this) Thank you! You rock!
Same, so simple but really powerful. I think the answer to who you want to be also holds a bit of who you are already because it shows what you truly value.
one of my favorite animes ever once sayd "you don´t have to discover yourself. You have to choose yourself" and it hits me hard. Anime is Shirokuma Cafe and this kind of insight is not the focus of the anime at all, but its wellcomed.
Last night I had one of the worst fights with my family I think I'll ever have, and someone finally admitted all the wrong doing that was pinned on me. I sadly lost a huge part of my family last night. And this episode could not have come at a more perfect time. Thank you both so much.
in defense of nala's 'packaging', the point at which she's begging simba for help is a point at which she and nearly everyone she cares about are, as she explains, on the brink of starvation. i.e.: she's in survival mode. it's so hard to be magnanimous and patient when yours and your loved ones' lives are on the line. objectively, of course, these are all perfect points about how - ideally - the conversation could have gone. i'm just not sure most of us could've pulled that off, in nala's shoes (paws?).
It's been so long since I've seen this movie and as a kid Rafiki's stick metaphor definitely would've flown over my head. Seeing it again now it has to be one of the best ways for a movie to deliver a message I've ever seen. They don't even comment on it, it doesn't even last 30 seconds, yet the impact it has on Simba is evident. It's incredible!
Agreen. There is a lot to learn warching this as an adult. Even though I watched it a thousand times as a small child I never understood the guilt trip Scar placed on Simba as extra insurance until I watched it again as an adult
Honestly, this advice is exactly what I needed right now. After being emotionally abused as a kid, I've been trying to figure out navigating a relationship with the abusive parent. Frankly it's hard for me to not be tense all the time around them, because I want to be the better person but I'm scared of messing up and making mistakes in my process of trying to set boundaries. So, I'm still very submissive and only quietly setting boundaries with tons of fear every time, because I worry I will make mistakes and that they will have more ammunition against me. However, I think that it's important for me to recognize that I'm doing the best I can, and that my worth is not tied to this parent's opinion of me, or because I'm learning from the failures as I figure out how to stand up for myself and set boundaries.
heck yeah! I see myself and a lot of other people have left similar comments. I have found that my parent/abuser will not understand why and I set boundaries when I do, but they'll accept them when I refuse to allow them to needle me about it. It's become easier the older I get thankfully.
I also come from an abusive family and completely relate to the fear of making mistakes concerning communication. I’ve always had the belief that I had to communicate in a calm and positive way in order to be the bigger person and instill positive change in the family climate. And they were definitely using against me the times when I lost my temper (even tough they were always mean themselves...). And so the guilt kept me in “my place”. I’ve had so much insecurity about being able to communicate... But then, I understood 2 things. For one, it’s not fair or reasonable to be expected to be calm and patient in one’s communication style, in an environment that is basically chaos and thrives on your pain. I’ve found that when I can retreat into a peaceful, safe space and retrieve my wellbeing (BEFORE I even answer to their demands), I then naturally can speak calmly and it’s very impactful... And the second thing is, when I realized that speaking with force, even saying difficult (always true) things SHAMELESSLY, on pure instinct, holds incredible power for positive change. That’s it you overcome the guilt that makes your positioning shaky. I personally think Nala was right to confront Simba here in the way that she did. Sure... he needed to unwind and connect to something spiritual afterwards to digest it all. But she was, in my opinion, a perfectly necessary step to his awakening.
My favourite childhood film! One of the things about being autistic is that in childhood you can get obsessed with certain things and I was obsessed with the lion king. I would watch it over and over again as an infant and as a child. I was always happy watching it… my dad on the other hand has never let me forget the torture I put him through on a daily basis with this film. 😂❤
Aldkgkakkd I'm not diagnosed anything either (just strongly suspected) and I too had a phase in kindergarten where I only watched The Lion King 24/7 for several months, until I damaged the tape
I watched so many times that I can still recite the entire movie word-for-word. 😊 I would watch it and act it out as it was playing. Watched it two-and-a-half times one day before my mom finally said we needed to watch something else. 😅
Disney/Pixar films are still my go-to safe place when I’m too stressed, whether it’s from sensory overload, relationships, post-meltdown, whatever. Even the newer movies make me feel a childlike comfort, and the life lessons they tell often help me sort through my emotions in similar irl situations.
I was born in 94' so I've watched this movie literally my entire life. It is my fav animated movie because I can relate to Simba in a deeper way and I'm happy you both tall about grief and guilt and how he doesn't know who he is until the right moment comes. I cannot express how much I love this movie and how Mufasa is one character I'll never forget since he reminds me of my own dad. I love the friendship between Simba and Nala, Timon and Pumbaa. Rafiki gives the best advice but ultimately, they all have a powerful teaching in Simba's journey to become king. And Alan is right. Thanks to Hans Zimmer for creating one hell of a soundtrack. I cannot listen to it without weeping. Even now, 29 y/o, i still cry in the same way when I was a kid.
yeah, I also think it, not only Rafiki was who advised him, also it was his friends Nala, Timon and Pumbaa, who also had a powerful teaching in Simba's journey to become king
That moment about children internalizing what their parents say into adulthood: you described me and my situation to the letter. I'm 29 now, trying to get a better job, live on my own and maintain a healthy relationship with my amazing boyfriend. The amount of time and effort he puts into trying to reverse what my father has convinced me of is heartbreaking, and I want nothing more than to replace his voice with my dad's as the internal monologue that drives me to act instead of keep me immobilized only seeing my failures. Its hard, but I try to be a little better every day.
Something that I just realized- Simba didn’t just internalize grief and guilt. The last thing Scar told him when he was a kid was “Run away.” Simba did that literally, but also internalized it as ‘run away from my problems/responsibilities’. I know this might seem obvious but I never thought about it like that before till just now.
I agree 1000% with Jono that things involving kids hit me harder as an adult and especially as a parent of a young child. I think it's because I see firsthand, every single day, that children's love for their attachment figures is so big, pure, and sincere. And in the case of Simba, his uncle Scar is taking advantage of that love to be manipulative af. He even straight up wants Simba to die, which Simba never could've fathomed before he was adult because he loves Scar and sees him as the fun uncle
I will say, looking back at The Lion King as an adult the part that always gets me is when Rafiki tells Simba to look closer at the water and says "He lives in you...". I lost my father before my senior year of high school and I remember going to his wake, one of his friends got up to speak about how she had not seen him in years. She turned to me, looked kindly into my eyes, and said "I haven't seen that smile of his until I met his son today". I cried a lot that day but that phrase always stuck with me because it made me feel like in some small way he was still with me, that I carried a part of him. Just like Rafiki said. Always appreciate the videos, and I still strongly advocate for doing a Cinema Therapy video on the animated movie Belle! I think there are a lot of parallels in it with The Lion Kind, and the music is amazing.
8:50 It made perfect sense for Elsa to be sick of rules and having to be responsible 24/7, she was expected to act like an adult since she was a child and carried so much guilt, self hate and disgust into her adulthood she HAD to snap eventually. It wasn't healthy and she wasn't happy despite being the queen. It wasn't a random person deciding they want to be a free spirit, it was someone who was miserable for their entire life finally letting themselves do something that made them happy
3:42 "Why does stuff involving kids hit me harder now?" "Because you're a parent now." 100% this. Ever since having kids myself, any sad scene involving kids, whether it be parent dying or kid dying, breaks me down into a blubbering mess without fail. Even positive emotional scenes such as Guardians 3 when Drax gets told he was "not born to be a destroyer, he was born to be a dad" brings the waterworks.
I love the “everyone is learning” and “worth ties” message. As someone in my late 20s, I’ve been on my own for a while as an adult, but am still learning. But then I see friends and my fiancé knowing so much more than me about how “adulting” works (i.e. finances, insurance, buying a house, etc.), and I feel so behind, like I should know everything about it already. But with my ADHD, I don’t think to learn it until it’s right in front of me. That helps in the not worrying about it too much aspect, but then when it comes time to do some of these things, if there was supposed to be any sort of prep, I sometimes get a lecture of how I should have started the process months ago. Especially for long term stuff. It feels like I’m constantly playing catch up with other people my age and is frustrating…
The reason the scene of Mufasa in the clouds really gets to me, isn't Hanz Zimmer or Mufasa's words, but Rafiki's before it; "He lives in you". Mufasa's love for Simba never faltered, and wouldn't even if Simba caused his death. Timon and Pumba are great friends, but that kind of deep, intimate love has been lost for Simba for some time, and not only is he reminded of it in this scene, he's reminded of the responsibility Mufasa gave him, of the things he learned from his father, and the trust and faith put in him. "He lives in you" is the same sort of comfort as Luke's "no one's ever really gone", but also a reminder that Simba accepted and wanted the responsibility of becoming the future King, a role Mufasa entrusted him with. While I think there's something to say about the whole "you must inherit the family business" shindig, it works in The Lion King because deep down, Simba wants to be, and is worthy of, being King.
It's always important to remember that our past is a lesson and not a destination to stay in. You can only hakuna matata for so long until you realize just how important your responsibilities are for others. There's definitely an epic scope that I absolutely love about this retelling of Hamlet in Disney fashion. Plus the score always gives me chills and Scar remains one of the greatest villains from Disney.
I would say that Hakuna Matata isn't only bad for things you can do something about and good for when you can't. People in our society tend to give the Hakuna Matata advice (though with other words) so much that it makes you think you're *supposed* to be able to just let stuff go and move on; so when the scars are too deep to just do that, you end up suppressing the pain instead, which isn't healthy in the long run
For myself, Simba's walk up Pride Rock and the roar has never been the moment he turned king, but rather, for me, it symbolized the moment that the pride showed their loyalty to him
I always saw the message as you need to find the middle ground between Hakuna Matata and full on responsibility. As Jono said, you have to take accountability and responsibility where you can and chill when you’ve done everything you can. 😊
I think there's more going on in this movie, but as far as what you mentioned is concerned, you can basically sum it up in the serenity prayer, it's first sentence especially, but the rest of it explains more thoroughly. "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardship as a pathway to peace; taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that You will make all things right if I surrender to Your will; so that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with You forever in the next."
Right at the beginning of the video when Johnathan said about how those messages from your loved ones carry on through into adulthood, I choked up immediately. I grew up in an emotionally, mentally, and physically abusive household and the things that I was told growing up and also being a survivor of bullying and sexual assaults from others outside the house, still sticks with me today. I’m almost 40 and been in therapy for years because I STILL can’t shake those messages away from me. I still think they’re true 😞
Hi. I can't speak to the details of your story because I don't know them. But something about your comment touchd me, so I hope you'll take this with love from one human to another. 1. As a human being you have worth and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. You are not responsible for what others have done to you. It's not your fault. 2. The fact that you survived means that you chose not to give up. There is a strength in you that maybe you don't even recognize. 3. That you know to call what was done to you "abuse" shows me that you are able to recognize the truth and you're seeking it still. And those who seek will find. 4. The fact that you are still in therapy shows determination and resilience. You're not someone who gives up easily, even when the road gets rough. As I said above, you are not responsible for what was done to you. True, you have to decide what to do about it. But (from the little I can see) it seems to me you're on the right path. I pray God blesses you on your journey to healing. May you get a little stronger and a little more whole each day. God give you peace.
Your childhood sounds so much like mine own. I needed to tell you this. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. I am 49 and I have learnt so many things about myself through serious therapy. to trust and love myself took decades of peeling layers of suffocating behaviours that I myself perpetuated. It will come to you because you deserve it and are working towards it. I am still triggered, but I know how to deal with this. I protect myself because I have value. You have value. More than you know. ❤❤❤
I love how you said "still think they're true" not "I KNOW they are true". Because it means you know they are not, and that it is something you have been taught that was untrue and you are now unlearning them. To me it means you are almost there. No more living the lies. It is hard to let go of something drilled in so deep, but you can do it! Sometimes it just needs a little bit more time, to completely heal (like removing a splinter that has gone infected...remove the object first, then heal for a bit.) You are doing it!
It took being divorced after 28 years and going to therapy for that, and realizing that I had married my mentally ill mother, in male form, and nothing in my head had changed all that time. It was like a slap in the face and explained so much. Doing better now, little by little.
"Every parent has said something they're not proud of, but it's the ones who let it hang there..." Oh my God, you just described my mom. Don't get me wrong, I love her and we have a great relationship, but never once in her life have we had a fight after which she'd apologize to me. It would always be me feeling extremely guilty and her going "wait what fight? Oh that, I already forgot about it", like she always gave me the feeling I was the one blowing things out of proportion or being too sensitive. And to this very day I don't know how to argue with people, I get almost physically ill at the thought of someone being mad at me, and I'll put other people's needs in front of my own because as long as I do that they have less reason to be mad at me and hate me. Fuck. I need to go lie down for a moment after this little revelation :')
The "don't let your message get lost in the packaging" conversation is something I really needed right now. Helped me realize why all my conversations with my Dad aren't really going anywhere productive. Thank you for that.
I keep noticing how people say that Simba asked for this when he sang "I just can't wait to be king", but... It is clear to me that he only wanted to get Zazu off his back and was too young and naive to understand the unfortunate implications of that song. And yeah, it is only as an adult that I truly get the horror of Simba watching his father fall to his death and not being able to wake him up and being told that it was his fault. 😳
People say toddlers and small children don't understand death. I was almost four when my parents took me to the movie theater for the first time and we watched this movie. I am told I cried so hard at Mufasa's death, we had to leave. I didn't like this movie all throughout my childhood because I found it hard to deal with what Simba went through. As an adult, I love this movie to bits. Its helped me through really rough times. Its taught me how to see things I couldnt get past in a different light. And its become one of my favorite Disney movies; one of three I will forever own a copy of in some form.
I remember my first exposure to death was at 5 when my paternal grandmother died in 2000. When my father told me that my grandmother “passed away” on our way over to his father’s house, (the exact words he said to me) I remember him also saying “you won’t see her anymore.” I also remember him crying, the first time I ever remember seeing my father cry. At 5, even though I didn’t see her often and not having many memories of her (just a few vague memories) I just didn’t comprehend that I wouldn’t get to see her again. For months, I kept telling myself she would eventually be at my grandfather’s house sometime when we went over. But eventually after a few months, I knew deep down she was truly gone forever.
i grew up watching lion king, and without realising i ended up with a very similar personality to timone - jaded, sarcastic, and seemingly carefree. the phrase “hakuna matata” stuck with me right up until adulthood. it was only in 2020 that i realised that having “no worries” is part of the problem. you have to learn to confront your issues in order to move past them and learn from them, which is exactly what rafiki says later on in the movie. it shows that you interpret movies differently as you get older, and now lion king is even more precious to me. also, great video guys! i love this movie and you gave it all the love and attention it deserves ❤️
I'm not a parent and don't ever want to be. But I still have that genetically embedded "children are to be protected, always and no matter what" message encoded in me.
Rafiki is the most underrated character in TLK, imo. He's got the funniest moment and one of the best bits of wisdom for Simba. And let's be honest, he was going SO easy on those hyenas. I don't know what a baboon/mandrill hybrid is like in real life, but mandrills can be utterly terrifying, and baboons aren't exactly Labrador puppies themselves. You should consider doing a reaction to Avatar: The Last Airbender. You'd probably have to choose a selection of episodes, but the three I'd love to hear your thoughts on are Zuko Alone, Sokka's Master and all of Sozin's Comet. The Storm and the Southern Raiders are two more backstory and character arc focused episodes that people love to analyze the heck out of.
Pointing out the detail of Simba taking ownership of his responsibility at the end, by stepping forward, standing tall, and looking up - wow, I'd never really thought about it that deeply. Thanks for bringing that to my attention. This mastepiece of a film just got a little bit better.
Rafiki has and always will be my favourite from anything Disney. So much so that he's even be profile picture of Disney+. Dude's like the best friend who gives you actually meaningful advice, and hypes you up afterwards. I'm ecstatic you guys thought the best advice Simba gets in the movie is "you can either run from the past or learn from it." It's been my favourite Disney thing to quote for years now, lol.
Something I explained to my kids is that you can only work with the information you have at the time. When your understanding changes, what you said in the past wasn’t a lie, it just wasn’t correct. I think I heard that from the mended light channel actually 😊
Hans Zimmer actrually lost his father at a young age just like simba and he said in a few interveiws that he didn't just compose it just for the movie but for himself and his father and it'll always be special to him.
15:57 Like when Stoic said to Hiccup: " You're not my son. " (and as soon as he realized what he just said he had a look of shock and shame on his face, but he had to go lead his people into battle so he didn't have time to go back and apologize)
Rafiki's words truly impacted a whole generation of kids. In fact the whole lion king movie did. there is a lot we can learn from this movie all the while enjoying the amazing story being shown to us.
19:32 how did I never notice that one frame where they forgot to color simba's eye yellow lol That whole scene his eyes go back and forth from white to yellow which ???? but there it happens in a single shot oops "I don't know who I am" "Well, who do you want to be?" I think that just turned a lightbulb on in my head; thank you Jonathan I really wish I could legitimately have you as a therapist; I've had enough bad experiences with therapy that I haven't been able to bring myself to try again, but watching your show gives me some hope that the right person is out there
Thank you so much for this! Love the part about philosophies that only get you part of the way. I firmly believe Timon and Pumbaa would have been able to help Simba better and earlier had they been told what had happened. They’re going off of the assumption that Simba’s story is a lot like theirs, that he’s been outcasted for some unfair reason he can’t change. I like that Pumbaa offers to help with Simba’s problem from day one and that they both pull through as soon as they know what’s up.
15:16 Johnathan, a long time ago I was told an analogy that hits me hard until now, which kind of explains why heavy criticism during childhood seems to carve itself into the personality: children are like a blank book, in which parenting and life experiences gets written into it
Simba: I think you are confused. Raffiki: I am not the one who is confused. You don't even know who you are! Simba: Oh! And I suppose you do. Raffiki: Sure do. You're Mufassa's boy. Raffiki's lines are so memorable I can quote all of them without even trying. 🥺
The first time I watched The Lion King at age 26 at the student's union cinema, I received several missed calls from my sister who trying to reached me (I was abroad). I called her back and she told me our dad just passed away. The irony.....7 years later, still not getting over the grieving
Your comment about Simba really taking on the mantle of king when he takes full and true responsibility for what has happened is so paradigm shifting and just great! This is why I come here!
Thank you all for the likes and the heart on my comment! One of my favorite quotes from this movie is this one from Rafiki : “Yes the past can hurt. But the way I see it, is either you run from it or learn from it.” 🦁🐵
7:49 re: hakuna matata, I think this was a wonderful lesson for a youth coming from where he was. He had already been instilled with such a heavy weight of responsibility, first in preparation for kingship, then his uncles gaslighting. He needed permission to be a kid.
well yes I think, it was what he needed for now at that moment: to live his childhood, because Simba was just a kid when all this happened. And Timon and Pumba gave him that
This video breaking down Simba’s confession scene at the end is the first time I’ve noticed that the part right after with Scar keeping Simba spinning while he calls him a murderer *perfectly* captures what it’s like to be spun in a manipulator’s web of lies. It’s impossible to get a clear perspective or ground yourself in reality because abusers like him are masters of keeping you disoriented so that their lies don’t fall apart. As someone who was emotionally abused by a master manipulator for years as a teenager, that really hit me deep. I’m so thankful to have that visual to help me explain to people why it can be so hard to expose your abuser even when the things they say are demonstrably false.
I like that they acknowledge that Hakuna Matata on it’s own isn’t bad advice. It’s not bad to not let the past drag you down and move on from it, but it is bad to do so to the extent that Simba goes where he dodges his responsibilities
Ultimately, he wasn't really letting go of the past or putting it behind him. He was burying it, running from it, and suppressing his pain because it was just too much for him to deal with in that moment. It was easier to just go "nah I'm good, to heck with it!" out loud.
Yeah, like Jono says, it (and Let It Go) is an essential step in Simba's (Elsa's) journey. For Simba, it's the first part of the Serenity Prayer - serenity to accept the things you cannot change, while Nala, Mufasa and Rafiki bring home the second part - courage to change the things you can. The final third - wisdom to know the difference - isn't really within the scope of Simba's journey in the movie.
Meanwhile, Elsa's story is all about fear - and Let It Go is the first step in escaping her fear - it's her stopping fearing her powers for themselves. Of course, she's still partly driven by fear at that point - fear of what her powers might do to others, and of how others would react to her.
Simba got very good at compartmentalizing his trauma. The horror was always there playing like a rerun in the back of his mind. It's actually canon that he had frequent nightmares about it. The first opportunity he had to focus on something other than the nightmare he took it. It's not healthy, but as far as he knew he was alone in the world and chose the only coping mechanism available to him. The Lion King is actually a great example of childhood trauma and the grief/guilt associated with that trauma.
Sometimes you can’t deal with intense pain or trauma head on. It’s overwhelming how it affects you and how it changes you.
I’ve learned it’s okay to take a step back and look after yourself, the pain will still be there later and you can be better at dealing with it.
"These are not the end of the story for either of these movies!" I laughed at that. So succinct and perfect.
I never saw the blogs about "Let It Go," nor do I remember any pushback of "Hakuna Matata" but I'm sure it was there, if for no other reason than there are always people who will look for things that might be offensive. To those folks, no movie can ever have a redemption arc because the character's initial state will be irredeemable.
I always admired how open Mufasa was about his fear that something would happen to Simba, and that he was terrified of losing him. In a society which preaches "Men Don't Cry", it's really realistic to depict a male character openly showing vulnerability, and how it's a sign of strength, not weakness.
The Broadway version also has this amazing moment where the actor playing Mufasa removes the Lion head puppet from his head, and gracefully puts it down as if he’s removing his crown. And then he speaks to Simba. To show that he is letting all his walls down and speaking to his son not as the king, but as his father who was afraid he was going to lose him. And at the end of the sequence, Simba’s actor helps him put it back on. Both take place without a word being spoken, just Zimmer’s theme.
It’s so important and it’s a moment that isn’t on the soundtrack or anything and it’s not in the movie because of it being a different medium. But it’s a genuine surprise and treat for those who see the musical.
That’s an excellent point. Mufasa sets a good example for men by being open about his fears and weaknesses, rather than trying to suppress them. Mr. Incredible does the same thing at the end of The Incredibles, admitting that he’s afraid of losing his family.
But I want to be brave like you
I’m only brave when I have to be
But you’re not scared of anything
I was tonight. I was scared I might lose you
I guess even kings get scared sometimes huh
The dialogue in that scene is so well written. Its not drawn out, its concise, and in such a short seen we are given an idea of what their relationship is like. What mufasa is like as a father. Its this scene more than anything that made Mufasa’s death so devestating.
"I guess even kings get scared, huh?"
Dude it doesn't matter whether I'm 4 years old or 40 I'm still going to bawl my eyes out when Mufasa dies
Here's a fun fact about Hans Zimmer:
He wrote the music for the stampede scene (and the motifs that follow it) specifically as a requiem for his own father that he lost. The reason why the music around Mufasa is so powerful is likely due to Zimmer's own emotional connections with it.
Woah
So that's why the score hits so hard... holy shit!
This is one of the reasons this movie is so high on my list of great Disney movies.
Damn you got a great point. Hans definitely put himself into this music and it shows. Thanks for that fact I never knew that one
I have goosebumps listening to this score. You can just feel the emotion.
Raffiki tells him what he needs to know, not what he needs to hear. He lets simba come into himself and doesn’t push. He’s the best therapist ❤
Yeah even in Kingdom Hearts 2 he was also like that and in the remake idk I don't want talk about that
I think I could benefit from being struck in the head with a stick by my therapist.
Not too shabby at beating up hyenas, either.
@@hebbycakes 😂😂😂 we all need a bonk on the head once in a while
At least aside from beating his patient over the head with a literal rod, yes, good therapy. I don't think Jonno could get away with abusing his clients, lol.
Rafiki whacking Simba with the staff reminds me of a story of when my hubby went to therapy as a teen. He had a lot of internalized anger at his biological father for being abusive and it manifested in unhealthy ways. His therapist took him outside and told him to vent his pent up frustration by taking a bat to a tree for a few minutes. Hubby wound up for one solid swing, the bat hit the tree, rebounded, and nailed him right in the back of the head.
As he lay on the ground looking up at the sky, the therapist leaned over and said, "Well this wasn't the lesson I wanted you to learn today, but if you take away anything from it, just remember that entertaining all this rage will ultimately result in you hurting yourself."
So true...
That is profound.
I just started watching “Shrinking” on Apple TV and this story makes me think of Jason Segel’s character’s approach to therapy. Unconventional to say the least, but not necessarily ineffective.
Happened to many kids growing up lol.
Slapstick: a perfect psychology metaphor, apparently.
My absolute favourite moment is when Timon tells Simba something to the effect of "If it's important to you, it's important to us." I think it's a great example of expression of love between friends.
Wow I never realized how true those words are until now.
They didn't always give the best advice, but they did the best they could and really cared about simba
"Well, Simba, if it's important to you, we're with you to the end." Gets me sobbing every time. 😅
Not to mention, Timon and Pumbaa put their own lives in danger for something that Timon felt wasn't even worth it ("We're gonna fight your uncle...for this?" "Talk about your fixer upper!") but still did it anyway because it was important to Simba.
@@PeninsulaPaintings exactly. They’re animals who moved to the oasis to be away from predators and live carefree lives without responsibility. But when their adoptive son is in trouble and needs help, they’re both ready and willing to lay down their lives for him. Even when he talks about what a dump the Pride Lands are, Timon still says they’re gonna fight Scar in the same breath.
The thing that I love most about Rafiki is that he never just shoves his opinion on Simba; he lets Simba come to him and make his own observations before offering his own (or smacking him on the head). Even after that amazing line about the past, Rafiki never says, "Now go fulfill your destiny!" He ASKS Simba what Simba will do next, giving Simba full power of agency.
That's also how a great teacher/mentor should always act!
Also that's just a great line, "First, I'm gonna take your stick!" 😝
@@juliyakiyanets yeah not like Master fuck from miracoules giving Random teenagers the most powerful things ever
Yes, exact, I really like it about Rafiki, and he doesn't force or push Simba to the right thing, and also the "smacking on the head" I think was like a metaphor for a change in the way of seeing things.. besides it wouldn't be authentic if Simba had returned only forced and no because he feels he must do it
Simba is a great character to relate to in terms of overcoming trauma and PTSD. When he reunites with Nala, she says (about being alive all of this time): “and your mother, what will she think?” Simba, in response, panics and deflects to “no one has to know.” I think that was a direct callback to when Scar said the same thing after Mufasa died “What will your mother think?” An excellent example of a PTSD flashback/response!
Oh my GOD I had wondered what Nala meant for YEARS. She was talking about Sarabi being excited that Simba her son is alive. Guess my mind like Simba went to "Oh God what would she think about me (Simba) being the one responsible for my father's death." Damn.
I’ve watched this movie a billion times and I did not catch that!
I also realized, that she said the same thing that Scar told him and he got super anxious, that she and everyone finds out.. because I suppose that when he left he thought that everyone already knew that he was responsible for the death of his father
And then they twisted it in the second movie.
What I really like is that "Simba's Pride" shows us that Simba still has nightmares about Mufasa's death after he became king and everything seemed fine.
That proves that trauma doesn't just go away that easily.
I like the dialogue of:
"I'm not who I used to be!"
"Remember who you are, you are my son."
Mufasa doesn't deny that Simba isn't the same as he had been, he doesn't say "Remember who you were", just affirms that whoever Simba is now, he is also Mufasa's son and that won't change.
Yup. I mean, being the (exact) same person, or lion, that one was many years ago doesn't seem ideal, does it? We change, hopefully for the better
My mom told me about my father's death while we were watching The Lion King. She said that even despite the death of his father, Simba had a bright life and a good ending. Of course, the death of a loved one left a scar on me, but I was relieved that the character from my favorite cartoon went through the same thing that I was going through
I was 6 years old when my dad died. I'm 18 now and Lion King is still one of my favorite movies
I’m so sorry you had to deal with that but am so happy that you found a character that you can relate to.❤
Same here man, my dad died from cancer when I was 3 and to this day I still have deep rooted anxiety surrounding death and Simba is my comfort character and one day I want to be brave like him and be happy
Good for you, dude. Glad this movie helped provided some catharsis and support through that loss
❤
Props to mom
When Mufasa says, "You are more than what you have become..." I always smile because while Simba is not a bad son or person/lion, Mufasa holds him to a higher standard without putting him down (good parenting).
Always felt like a longer why of saying" You're better than this."
@@skybluepainter But kinder. "You are something, but you can be more than this." is the implication of Mufasa's words, as opposed to "You aren't much of anything - actually less than anything." being the words often hidden behind the common phrase.
It's interesting that "Mufasa" tells Simba what he should do and not the truth surrounding his death even though it was very pertinent information that would make Simba's decision much easier. This is just my interpretation but I think it's because as Rafiki said Mufasa's memory still lived inside Simba, that is his teachings and guidance as a parent had become part of Simba's conscience. As such since Simba was at the time still unaware of the real facts surrounding his father's death "Mufasa" didn't have access to that information either but he still could give Simba sound advice on how to move forward.
I find it so beautiful and so interesting that when Simba is face to face with his father (in the storm cloud), Mufasa doesn't say anything about blaming Simba for his death. He doesn't even mention his death at all. That part isn't an issue for him. What matters to him is his son being true to himself and living a fulfilled life. Mufasa, you magnificent stud, you!
He could mention Scar being a murderer tho 😃
@@Izabela-ek5nh My favorite theory is that it would ruin part of the message - speech after speech about taking responsability and ultimatly what makes him go back is vengence? Not a very good start for a kingship. "Great, my evil and fraticidal uncle is dead and my father avenged... Now what the fuck do I do?" Going ready to do the bigger right and finding the truth out afterwards wasn't the easiest or less painful way, but was the one with better chances of an actually good outcome.
@@Izabela-ek5nh 🤣🤣
@@debymello4756 Maybe Hamlet's father should have thought about it too...
@@Laurelin70 would have spared at least five people including Ham himself. Maybe old papa just wanted company
The “Oh so you haven’t told them you’re little secret” scene:
What came to my mind is that, had Simba told his version of that day on his own terms, it would have become instantly clear to his family that he was not to blame.
But as soon as Scar sees that Simba didnt share anything, Scar 💯 took his chance to leave out context and replace it with insinuation so that Simba’s experience would automatically be seen through a frame that Scar could control.
It hit me that people who want to hurt people use secrets and the best way to combat their manipulations is to always tell our stories/truths
I don't think the lionesses actually bought that story. Neither did they not buy it. There was no time for it - their faces are still surprised and shocked, and their reactions do not go beyond the initial reactions anyone might have. Poor Sarabi, I think of how amazing of a story this could be told from her perspective. She just oozes "dedicated queen, wife, and mother" from every angle. And I don't think they would have bought it either - Scar was foolish for bringing it up. If he'd won, he'd have lost. The lionesses would have realized he knew Simba was alive and that he lied to try to keep his position. (What cub could have hurt a king, or even killed him?) But had he won without saying anything, they would have just had hopelessness and doubt. Defeating Simba would have been the nail into his reign.
Absolutely. The best manipulators are those that manipulate with lack of truth and evidence.
Simba doesn’t actually know that Scar let Mufasa fall so he still thinks the only reason mufasa was there was to save him
@@vinnyl264 Sure, but there's still a big difference between "my actions directly lead to my father dying" (what Simba's words imply) and "my father died trying to save me from a dangerous situation I put myself in."
What you said about adults telling things to children and it getting internalized "in our identity DNA" really struck me. Mom told me that a teacher once told her, *to her face,* that she was stupid. She was in *grade school.* She believed it into *college* when she found out she has dyslexia. Even now, over 40 years later, she seems to have a hard time believing anyone who compliments her about *anything.*
Yes. My mom had a similar experience with her whole family, and to this day she still struggles with it. In my case I had a teacher who told me that I wasn't good at maths (I was really good though but she didn't know) but after that, I've been struggling with them. We really need to take care of what we say to kids. Even comparing them to someone they know you don't like or even someone you actually like, can be hurtful. In both cases is the same thing: I'm not good at being me. Luckily for me my parents did everything right the first 8 to 11 years of my life. Which gave me enough time to feel like I'm worthy of being here. But I've seen many people hiding themselves on their own skin because of traumas. I'm not saying I don't have trauma, because, life. But my parents were not that bad and even though we all have an had to work with our issues, they're awesome.
I had a teacher like that when I was about 8 years old who had very little patience with me, treated me like I was lazy and/or stupid, and had me believing there was something wrong with me. She had my mum taking me for all sorts of assessments for various learning difficulties, none of which ever found anything abnormal. I was a bit of a daydreamer, but none of my other teachers ever had a problem with me. But from my experiences with this one woman, the idea that there was something wrong with me really stuck. Until I went to university and began learning to be a teacher myself. I realised that this woman had broken some of the most important rules for good teachers. Students learn more when they feel confident and safe asking questions. Making a student feel stupid will not make them smarter (shocker!), and it certainly won't help them to learn anything constructive. It achieves the exact opposite. It doesn't take very much effort to cause a child to attach a negative attribute to their sense of identity, sometimes for life. I have managed to leave behind that belief there was something wrong with me (most of the time), and now find that one of the few things that gets me truly fired up is hearing someone being spoken to like my teacher spoke to me. That disdainful, dismissive impatient tone. I'm not usually very outspoken, but when I hear that tone, I will freely tell the speaker that they're being a**hole, and take the person being spoken to under my wing and try to build them up again. I feel kind of like I'm righting that wrong for others that I couldn't make right for myself when I was a child.
Yup this
My father did that to me. I'll be 32 this May, and I still internalize all the cruel things he has ever said about me. The only thing that man has ever done that was good for my mental health was to make me so angry at him for hurting me, that I chose to be a better parent than he ever was or could be.
I had a similar experience. When I was in first grade, my teacher told me that I was too stupid to learn how to read. I ended up learning how to read and was reading at a highschool level by the time I was entering middle school. Writing is one of my favorite hobbies. I just needed that push that my mom did for teaching me to read that the teacher refused. But yeah, it has one of two outcomes, the child will forever believe it and internalize it or they will look at that, flip the bird and achieve out of spite.
"Awful people watch for moments to manipulate." Great way to phrase it, and a good thing to remember when judging someone's character, and if they really have your best interest at heart or are good/bad to be around.
When Jonathan said "When people ask me 'I don't know who I am' I always ask them 'who do you want to be.' It hit me like a truck I almost teared up lol. I did not need this paired with my morning coffee sir
That's the trick; never watch cinema therapy unless you're in a place and time that you don't mind crying in lol
Nope, I did cry and spent the whole episode in a limbo of trying to calm myself down and trying not to break down again when he said it in the episode proper.
What hurts is that some of who I want to be isn't possible. I want to be the funnest aunt ever to my niece, but my health sucks and I have Asperger's. Being in the same *house* as that adorable bundle of energy is exhausting. I try, but the noise and need to interact with another person in real time drains me pretty fast.
@brigidtheirish You’d be surprised how the seemingly little things will make a child adore you. You’re presence when she comes home from school. Your excitement when she tells you about her day. The movie nights. Playing dress up for a little bit. Drawing crazy pictures. She’ll remember moments like those when you cared and she’ll enjoy you as a person more and more as she grows. Especially when she’s older and learns how hard it was for you. She’ll definitely see you as the greatest, most fun aunt ever!
Reminds me of Hogarth from the Iron Giant, "You are who you choose to be." Somehow though, "I don't know who I am" followed up with "Who do you *want* to be?" hits so much harder
Scar really is a perfect example of the monologuing villain causing his own demise. All he had to do was let him fall and die, but he just HAD to give him that burst of righteous fury to turn the tables
I was thinking the same thing 😂 Makes for excellent cinema but I’m like “would a clever manipulator like Scar really screw up like that 🤔”
Arrogance was Scar's greatest downfall. The thing that people might not cotton onto is that in both times, when he sinks his claws into Mufasa/Simba's claws, is that it's a move to hurt and damage. The pain was meant to further weaken his victims. Like taking a hammer to the hands of someone desperately holding on. Not only is there pain, but it potentially injures and weakens their grip and prevents them from grabbing anything else before the fall. It's a shock and pain factor. But here's the thing, Scar's arrogance made him miss something very important: Mufasa roared in pain, Simba did not. Scar hit correctly, and probably destroyed muscles in Mufasa's paws. Scar grabbed Simba and he DIDN'T roar in pain. I mean, sure, I'm sure it hurt, but Simba was still strong enough to use his front paws to haul himself forward when anger gave him the boost.
Scar liked that final knife twist, but what was necessary was "causing harm to destroy," and Simba proved himself stronger than Mufasa, OR Scar either in that Scar made a mistake by failing to hit just right, that Simba took advantage of, OR that Scar's aging body wasn't able to do the strong stabbing attack necessary with his claws anymore.
@@Silverserri Totally. He could have pushed Mufasa or Simba and it would have achieved his ends, but he had to put in the extra knife twist of hurting them physically and letting them fully realize his cunning betrayal before letting go. I didn't consider that when he sinks his claws in he's actually causing more harm, I just assumed he wanted to hold them there for his final line. Very good catch of yours.
Also, something that Scar seemed to fail to consider is that when it was Mufasa, not only was he likely successful in damaging Mufasa's muscles, but Mufasa was exhausted! He'd just battled through the stampede to save his son, then climbed the sheer cliff face. The betrayal was a shock as you can see the fear in his eyes before he falls (excellent job all around, animators). But with Simba, though he is weighed down emotionally by the guilt Scar has made him believe, he has taken steps to recover, and he's seen that Scar is not someone to trust by what he's done to the Pride Lands and to his own mother (I loved how regally defiant Sarabi is of both the hyenas and Scar, and Simba's rage breaking out for the first time when he sees Scar abuse her), and he's not injured OR exhausted. He's just been backed off the edge of Pride Rock, and then given the shock that Scar is actually the murderer and plotted everything and Mufasa's death wasn't an accident. You can see the pain and grief welling up in Simba's memory as he realizes how he and his father were cruelly manipulated and that turns into a rage that gives him the strength and motivation to pull himself up and tackle Scar. Scar also demonstrates not only his arrogance but how much of a coward he is.
@@margaretschaufele6502 I think crossing the whole desert could take his energy a bit down. :) or maybe it was a very small desert? Big enough to almost kill little Simba tho so maybe not that small...
@@Izabela-ek5nh it's hard to tell. But he had time to rest before the big show down. It's not immediate like with Mufasa. Disney did a good job of making Mufasa's death utterly tragic and heartbreaking that it still makes us cry decades later.
I’m so glad you guys also talked about how Nala’s approach to getting Simba to return was hurtful to him. It’s easy to see Disney characters as “all good” or “all bad”, and we sometimes tend to generally see rl people this way. I tend to communicate like Nala- extremely earnest and blunt (no sarcasm tho!), so eager to “fix” the situation that I can lose sight of the word-package I’m using. This was a good reminder that the “right thing” can be said in unhelpful ways. Thanks!
In Nala's defense, she's the equivalent of about 18 and doesn't yet have the experience and maturity to deal with this sort of thing. She's just a kid, really.
Nala has been through a lot. Not nearly as much as Simba but it would be still hard dō deal with your whole world collapsing so young.
I'm right there with you. I have this problem too. And I try to work on it, with varying degrees of success lol
@@nb73950 practice makes perfect! But also, as Jonathan said, it's so very important to learn to acknowledge when you are wrong and apologize for it. We will never be perfect enough to avoid hurting others, but what makes the biggest difference is being humble about it.
@@robertmiller9735 yeah, and she's probably exhausted, hungry and desperate, and then she finds Simba just hanging around, not a care in the world... Honestly I can't fault her for not being able to summon the necessary level of patience.
when i was a kid, i never realized how fucked up and traumatizing it must’ve been for simba to hear his uncle blaming him for the death of his father. that’s just so scarring.
It's a small detail, but I love that, before Scar confesses, and Simba has already said the death was his fault, when Simba slips off that cliff, Nala calls out to him and still cares about him. It just... it fills me with warm and fuzzy feelings.
I also found it comforting wheenNala calls out to him because she still cares about him
I always loved Simba and Mufasa's strong relationship, and how devastating his death was for both Simba and the audience. It was likely our first experience of death in the media, and James Earl Jones did a fantastic job of bringing this lovable, charismatic father character to life.
It was littlefoot's mother and bambi's mother before that. But I watched Bambi so much as a child that I became largely desensitized to her death from making me openly sad.
But mufasa's impacted me just as much. Simba calling for help along that music in the background and getting no answer... Just realizing how alone he is and seeing him starting to cry made me cry, too. He watched his father fall. No amount of nudging or pulling at his ears was waking him up or making him react like it usually did. He didn't want to believe his father was gone, or maybe he was simply too young to realize.
What sold me on JEJ was "Before sunrise, he's YOUR son."
@@ShadowSkyX it took me SO long to realize that Bambi's mom actually died. 😅 I thought they were just separated.
@@ShadowSkyX ah yes I swear Bambi was the first movie I cried to as a child. It was the first saddest thing that I had ever watched. Then it was lion king and that made me cry so much
James Earl Jones didn’t bring the character to life… he literally died! 😂😂😂 laugh through the pain, right?!
This is one of those movies that you watch as a kid and think “Hey, that’s cool.” Then you rewatch it when you’re older and say “Good lord, this is a work of art.”
Yea plus cry like a baby over the whole thing
I think stories about kids being hurt hit is harder as adults because when we are kids ourselves, we don’t realize how vulnerable kids are. As adults, we know.
Yes! Especially once you have kids on your own.
@@oxigen85 Absolutely... This movie hit me hard as a kid, hit harder as an adult, and has me bawling as a parent. I see my son's innocence in Simba...
And because we've finally gone through the pain that Simba experiences ourselves: when watching this as a kid, most of us haven't had to deal with any significant losses yet. As an adult, we have, and to imagine a child carrying the same pain that you carried as an adult, possible guilt and all, just breaks your heart
I’ve seen this movie enough times that I can quote it word for word, but hearing Simba yell for help and seeing him cuddle up to Mufasa’s dead body, still rips my soul apart 😭
The Mufasa's death always breaks my heart too: when Simba desperately tries and begs him to wake up, yells for help and his heartbreking crying while he lies under his paw , and when Scar says: "The King is dead, and if weren't for you, he'd still be alive" I did realize the how his eyes widened is because he still hadn'tfinished to understading what is the Death and had just witnessed that his father had died.. I always empathized with him: Simba, being a kid, was wracked with grief and filled with guilt and fear and is sad that he has to run away to unknow place far from his home. All that breaks me
"Someone! ... Anyone?"
@@jito7377 somebody... anybody... help...
On the subject of Healthy Masculinity, Mufasa is a very good example of that concept in Lion King. I personally would very much like to see an episode about him on your channel.
Yes.
But I would say that Simba and Mufasa probably have the healthiest father/son relationship in Disney in general.
yes, I think so too, Mufasa and Simba have the healthiest father-son relationship in all the Disney movies, they love each other and Mufasa teaches Simba well.. And I am not saying this to idealize, that many of us would like to have a relationship that special.
Just a little addendum to the Rafiki scene, one thing I always loved about it is how directly and simply he challenges Simba's preconceptions. Gives him a solid whack, then when Simba asks for an explanation, Rafiki deflects the same way Simba would have.
Love this!
Are you really schilling “better help” as a self proclaimed therapy show? Not cool.
@@nicolerouse3303 I didn't say anything about Better Help; I think you replied to the wrong thread
@@nicolerouse3303 While I agree that you probably posted on the wrong thread, your comment when it makes sense anyway. Unless they show is specifically having actual patients and give them therapy, a show is not therapy. Just to go off of the most of Mended Light, since cinema therapy is definitely not an actual therapy channel, they talk about fictional characters, and obviously can't give actual therapy, they just talk about the concepts and the advice or journey; but Jono will talk about general situations and maybe even have real situations whether his own experiences or situations that clients have had that he's able to talk about and that can be very helpful and potentially therapeutic. That's not therapy though, it's advice from a therapist that's not directed at specific people, but in general. He does have a practice and does take on clients, but he and his team are very limited, they can only handle as many people as they can, a source like Better Help can handle as many people as they need to because they are in a situation where not only do they have so many therapists that can help others, and they get to a point where they're starting to hit capacity, they have the ability to continue hiring more and more qualified therapists that can take on the load.
@@Shadowgod1000 Tbf, I think their complaint might be about Better Help itself as it's got a bad reputation for treating its users poorly.
I think why the death of Mufasa affects Jon more now than before is like what Alan said, he's a parent. As a kid, losing your parents/caregiver is a scary thought, but the idea of actually losing them doesn't seem as possible unless it's already happened to you. But as a parent the idea of dying and leaving your child behind is terrifying and is a very real possibility. I hope that made sense
Holy cow, it does. I lost my dad when I was 4 and I can tell you how horrible it was for me. I didn’t even know death was a thing until he died, so you can imagine the confusion and heartbreak I went through. There was a lot of guilt in his passing as I got older, particularly as I get closer to the age he was when he passed. My mom told me much later that he once said that he’s not afraid of death, but of leaving me behind. I never really considered Mufasa’s POV until now, since I relate to Simba so much. I don’t have any kids yet but I’m sure that when I do, this will come to mind.
I am grateful to have been raised by a father who is not afraid to be emotionally vulnerable, to cry in front of his children.
But it gives me hope to consider just how many people have found your channel and witnessed two wonderful men to look up to as role models for their own health. I can only imagine how much healing you have influenced just in being yourselves. God bless you two! 🤍
Preach, it's important to show that men can get scared and vulnerable, and that it's a positive thing.
I agree 100%! Both of my parents are not afraid to be blunt about how much and how hard they are fighting to get us kids to Heaven. And that's great to have parents who are strong on so many levels but are ready to be vulnerable.
My stepdad came in when we needed a father figure the most and I cannot be more grateful for it. :)
@@trinaq it really is!
@@marykatezehr1074 love this, I am so glad you have a similar experience!
I am shocked you guys haven't done The Princess Bride yet there are so many angles. Revenge, romance, how to treat kids and their ideas, problem solving, Billy Crystal, the list goes on. Would love to hear you guys talk about Andre and what went into making the movie
I would rewatch that analysis so many times. Oh my gosh I HOPE Princess Bride is on the list!!!
Oh, I'd love to watch them talk about Princess Bride!
It's inconceivable that they haven't done one already.
@@eryuu4016 I see what you did there 🤣
@@deathandcats :)
I’m 33, saw this at 4 years old the first time and made my parents take me 4 times to see the movie. I will never not cry during Mufasa’s death, and I’ll always sing all the songs.
On an emotional note, when I lost my mom at 9, my grandmother was the one to tell me. She said she had no clue what to say but when she started talking she used Mufasa as her talking point. She told me that my mom was gone, like Simba’s daddy, but she would always be with me like Mufasa was with Simba.
This truly helped me understand, and in some ways come to terms with my trauma. And for that I love this movie all the more. No other animated movie means as much to me.
Yall made me realize some of my issues with anxiety and loss were normal and that I couldn't just rely on myself to get through them. Since I found y'alls channel I've been able to identify and eliminate toxic friendships, and overall have become a better and happier person. I love you guys, keep up the great work and keep changing lives. Bless you and thank you
This is so true. I always saw myself as a good friend who would be there for my friends when they needed me. And after lots of reflection, I realized it was never reciprocated. “I miss you” really meant “I need something from you”. These guys really helped me see that.
That is awesome
Good luck with your journey 💕💕💕
@@thefinalme same here. I was always loved when I had something to offer, but when I needed something they were "busy". Luckily my realization also helped me get closer to other friends who actually appreciated me
@@CaptainSoftboy501 thanks! I'm actually doing great now that I knew what my issues were and how to fix them, and funnily enough therapy wasn't needed for me. Alls I needed was a healthy environment and respectful relationships
If you guys aren't already planning on it, I'd love to see yall do a video for the sequel :) I was chatting with my sister about it as we watched this episode, and I think the sequel is a great example of how trauma can still linger after the initial source is gone, and the effects that trauma has on future relationships - especially with family. And something that made me think is the comment about Mufasa's advice being about Simba being the best person he can be instead of trying to be like Mufasa. In the second movie, when Kovu comes into the picture - even as a cub - Simba changes as a father and king because instead of seeing a lion being forced into his mother's revenge plans, he just sees Scar. And this point is really driven after the ambush that then leads to Kovu being exiled, the scratch on his face is all anyone in the kingdom (except Kiara) can focus on and they continue to treat him as a second Scar. And it isn't until Kiara puts herself between her father and Zira that he starts to see things more clearly as they are right now instead of reliving the past.
On the one hand you sympathize with Simba because you know that he grew up without a father and is doing his best to raise his daughter. And while he has good intentions, his methods on top of his lingering trauma is having the opposite effect. It's a growing experience for both father and daughter :)
I agree with everything you said, but if you don't mind me adding a couple extra thoughts, there's even material to continue discussing Identity as well. Right after Simba exiles Kovu, Kiara challenges Simba on an emotional level, asking him to reconsider, attempting to share what she's seen of Kovu, insisting that Simba barely knows Kovu and had hardly given him a chance, then when Simba stands firm in his decision, stating that "I know he's following in Scar's pawprints, and I must follow in my father's" she challenges him once again by yelling, "You will NEVER BE Mufasa!" Which is not only true, but something that Simba needs to accept and move beyond, because he's losing sight of himself, trying so hard to fall into the role of "Mufasa" rather than being not only his own person, but his own version of kingship.
@@haleyheller3261 I agree 100%! That's actually a point I brought up to my sister, but it seems I forgot to type it in 🤣 So thank you for that addition lol
@@myladynaynay Awesome! I've actually gone on long winded rants on that one moment, hell that one line alone. It just really strikes a cord with me on so many levels. The fact that Kiara knows Simba better than he thinks she does, for one. Then of course the obvious reality that trying to be someone you're not isn't the answer, that even if they are a good role model you'll never be identical, and you shouldn't try to accomplish a goal like that. And then the slightly petty side of me is just kinda proud of the fact that she can turn sage advice into a painful mark of shame because she's too lost in her own anger and pain (both very justified emotions) to be kind to her father in that moment.
Yes! Just yes. I funnily enough love the sequel and what you say does bring up some interesting points that should be tackled/discussed.
I love the sequel, and your comments really go into generational trauma. Things that happened to you or your ancestors will change your genetics. For example, a person who’s great-grandparent smoked means that person still has a higher likelihood of developing a smoking habit than someone who doesn’t have a smoking family member. Trauma reacts in the same way, it will effect a person’s genetics s well as their descendants. And there are a lot of things that can trigger a person’s trauma response; a phrase, a smell, a look… It takes a lot of work to overcome your own trauma and the trauma of your family. Many people are scared of continuing the trauma, but as long as we learn and grow that’s good enough. Do what you know until you know better. And of course, there’s the debate of nature v nurture. Kovu was not biologically related to Scar (or Zira to our knowledge) but became good. On the other hand, Vitani was Scar’s daughter and became good.
And I love the addition of identity into the discussion. Not just of trying to be someone else, but also who we think we should be as opposed to who we actually are. We’re constantly changing, and the people we are now will be different than who we are tomorrow. Even in musicals, no one wants the actors to play the character the exact same way as the person before them. The show will become boring and stale. Each actor will put their own spin on the character, in fact each show is different due to the audience response. Likewise, if we try to become exactly like our role models or parents, we can become boring and stale. It won’t be our true self which will show through our act anyways. In my opinion, copying someone else may make us feel worse because it will feed into our imposter syndrome. “Oh, Joe is so good at X, and I’m trying to copy that but I’ll never be as good as he is.” Yeah, because you’ll never be the best Joe, you can only be the best you.
As an adult who lost a parent semi-recently (a couple yrs ago), the biggest part I cry now is Cloud Dad part. Mostly because I wish I could have that moment with my Mom (actually came up in therapy that I wanted a Cloud Mom for even 5 minutes). I definitely had to explain what that meant to her, but I cried while explaining it. That song yup makes me cry every time. I love that Lion King provides a way for me (and I'm sure many others) to conceptualize grief because I had loads of trouble explaining my feelings and grief. Also advice for people, DO NOT WATCH this while on lunch break. Co-workers were really concerned.
Thankfully I'm working for home today! 😅
Same, they can't hear me tears over here😭
Yep 😂
Oh, I totally agree, watching the lion king now having lost a parent hits harder than it did watching it as a child. I often wish to have a cloud dad moment to have some form of guidance because he always seemed to know what to say and do. I think we all strive to make our parents proud, whether it be our birth parents, adopted parents, whatever the case may be. That kind of loss is hard.
I am sorry you have lost your mom, but think of it this way. You are your mother's legacy, and a part of her will always be around within you. Every day you wake up and face the day, you make her proud. Death is an unfortunate part of life, but it teaches us the value of what time we have left on this earth.
I never realized until Johnathan pointed out the similar messages to 'Hakuna Matata' and 'Let It Go' that Elsa and Simba have similar if not the same character arc.
Both were raised to take over as rulers for their kingdom, but tragedy struck that pushed that pressure over the edge in different ways, but both came to the same idea; running away and never returning was in their, and everyone else's, best interests.
Both of them being raised and taught to follow the rules and how to act to become good rulers, they had their moments of fun with friends (Elsa with Anna, Simba with Nala) but the two know when they're adults what's expected of them. Suddenly with the notion that no one would want to follow them as leaders (for Elsa, out of fear from her powers; for Simba, out of fear to the news he's the reason his father is dead)
They both have songs that regard this new philosophy that having no responsibilities and a carefree lifestyle may not be so bad. They even love it for a time until they are confronted by someone important to them that they are the only one who can save their respective kingdoms.
They even react the same way to receiving the message! At first being happy to see the messenger (Anna, Nala) then being apprehensive or even scared at the notion of going back. Trying to convince them that their new plan of never returning is what's best so they can avoid further hurting those they love, and finally snapping at the messenger causing them to leave.
Once alone again, someone else comes along to bring them home, (though Hans forced Elsa back whereas Rafiki convinced Simba where Nala failed).
At the end after saving their kingdom, I suppose you could say it's the distance that helped them since Elsa was able to learn more about her powers to help find herself and Simba lost himself for awhile but returning home to see how it's fallen apart emboldens him to fight back
TLDR; Simba and Elsa are one and the same
That's why I guess Elsa and Simba are one of my fav characters, because of the character arc that they go through, because almost what they had to deal with the most was self-love also, right? Elsa saw herself as a monster who could hurt others by not being able to control her powers; just like Simba who he despised himself for the mistakes he made (more because he felt responsible for his father dying)
I wonder if the backlash against the "Let it Go" song has anything to do with gender. Jonothan and Alan put it down to Lion King being before the internet really took off, but our society puts a lot of responsibility on girls to be mature while accepting that "boys will be boys".
Scar's line about truth being in the eye of the beholder is actually really clever. It is something he uses several times and it works each time. He lies and manipulates the truth constantly.
Also, this is true of everything in a way. There are countless scenarios where truth is different from person to person.
I don't think I've ever clicked on a Cinema Therapy video so quickly. (Maybe in one of the Twilight ones)
Same here comrade lol
Ew twilight
@@RedRiot914 I know, right?
As I get older and calm myself down from my twenties, Twilight doesn't seem as bad as it did, or maybe I just mean it doesn't seem like as big a deal. I mean, at least it's not Girl Defined, you know? But there's still a lot of humor to be mined in Twilight reactions.
@@jimballard1186exactly, they’re shit, but they’re so shit that it’s fun to watch
I'm so glad Alan mentioned the score!! I don't think people realize just how effective the score is (outside of the iconic songs). As an aspiring film score composer, our one goal is to reach the audience. To make the audience feel and emphasize those feelings and Hans did a phenomenal job fulfilling (over-achieving) that goal
Right?! I did a project on the vitaphone last year and talked about how essential film scores are to the modern age of film. I used The Lion King as an example because it is just so strong!
Considering how great the score is and the awards that it won at the time, the fact that it took as long as what it did for a FULL score to be released was nearly criminal. For the longest time the only thing that was released was a couple songs from the score interspersed between the sing-a-long music soundtracks. Then the 03 score release for the special edition added nothing... I remember I was in high school and attempted to find something more of the score and had to resort to an unreleased version that I think was either a low quality rip, or hadnt been cleaned up in post or what... it took until 2014 for the entire score, or nearly the entire score to be released with the legacy collection. I still dont understand how that happened...
Dude I just hear the opening notes of that stampede scene and I am in teaaaars
Score can make or break a film! One of my favorite albums, period, is the Road to El Dorado OST with complete score.
Heck yes. 100%. Everytime I hear the the score, especially the beginning, when Mufasa is killed, and the end, I cry. What a masterpiece.
As someone who grew up with a manipulative father, whenever I see depictions of adults manipulating their kids my first reaction is to be infuriated to the point of crying because you know the struggle that kid will have to go through in order to reconcile how they were raised. Even just seeing the beginning scene where you see in Simba’s eyes the “reality” Scar presents to him sinking in for the first time. This movie doesn’t go into depth the process it takes to really unravel manipulative-based trauma, but it shows him overcoming it very well.
I'm sorry about what you went through with your dad. I still remember to this day what my dad told me years ago at the tail end of an argument with him. I don't even remember what we were arguing about. But he said to me along the lines of "You're gonna grow up into nothing.". I'm 35 years old now and I doubt he even remembers saying that to me... but I do. I still talk to him, and do love him, but I'm definitely not as close to him as I am with my mom.
So very true with adults saying terrible things to kids, and that shit sticks with them for the rest of their lives. But I sincerely hope you are doing much better in your life as of right now .
@@TheMeloettaful My dad was *terrified* of doing something like that to me and my younger siblings. There was this one time, as a kid, I'd bought something with him for Mom. Something small and extremely fragile. I reached to pick it up after the cashier bagged it and Dad instantly stopped me. He then quickly told me that it wasn't that he didn't trust me to be careful, but that accidents happen and that if it broke, he'd rather be angry at himself than me. I heard him verbally beat himself up over every little personal failing and even things he was barely involved in. Sometimes Mom pointed out that do that to himself hurt the rest of us and sounded manipulative, which just sent him spiraling more. None of us knew until he was almost 60 that he has PTSD, Asperger's, and several other mental health problems.
@@brigidtheirish I often suspect that my dad is autistic (including myself), and that would explain a lot of his actions in the past & now (doesn't excuse them, but still). But he isn't officially diagnosed, and I'm not either.
He probably wouldn't take to kindly to me even bringing this up. I would like to get diagnosed myself, but really don't know how to go about it. Anyway with so much awareness on mental health etc it's helped me somewhat come to terms with my dad. Don't know about my dad on his end (probably nothing).
But it does help me understand him if only a little bit. But it's great your dad was truly making an effort for you growing up. I'm sorry he went through most of his life not getting help with his own mental health issues until late in his life 😔. I hope he is doing much better now 🙏.
That's the sequel that does that.
@@TheMeloettaful Getting diagnosed is tough. Mine is sort of unofficially official because I pretty much check all the boxes but the mental health clinic I initially went to didn't "have the facilities to make that diagnosis," whatever the hell that means.
Understanding helps a lot. With my dad, we bonded in large part over trying to figure out our own brains together. I felt a little less like a total freak knowing Dad's brain worked a lot like mine.
Thanks. He's doing better. Honestly, he's kinda glad he didn't get a diagnosis early in life because of how *bad* psychiatric care was back then. He remembers the tail end of when lobotomizing "embarrassing" family members was popular among the "right sort" and had a couple bad experiences of his own. Including some hypnotherapy for test anxiety that worked *too* well. Even now, he's more than a bit resistant to letting anyone "under the hood." Having names for what's going on helps a lot, as do anti-depressants and ADD meds so he "doesn't have to fight the machinery."
It's interesting that Tymon and Pumba came into Simbas life when he's a child, which allowed him, as a traumatized child, to still have a childhood. When Nalla came in, he was ready, or at least was taught by raffekee.
Exact, yeah is interesting, Timon and Pumba arrives in the moment when he was traumatized and devastated, giving him love, protection, company and lives his childhood, which is wholesome, until the time comes that he is ready and able to learn and assume his responsibility
Every traumatized child should have people like Timon and Pumbaa in their life, at least for a transitional period. In the movie they're mostly there for comedic effect, but the people who volunteer as support structure for other families (or step up further as foster parents) really are heroes.
I don't think I could do that kind of thing. I'm so very weepy as soon as anything emotional happens that I'd probably make the situation even more depressing.
@@helenanilsson5666 yeah, I think yes, 'cause that's Timon and Pumba did it, I also feel like they weren't there just like "comic relief", really with that joy and cheer that they wanted to give him, they really were also Simba's heroes at that time, so it was good to include them
How have I never noticed that Simba turned to his uncle for comfort before running away! That moment when he went from grief and the hug to guilt was…😭!
As a child, that broke my heart even more: how Scar, after Simba cries hugging him and needing to be comforted, in the most striking way blames him just in a second.. he destroyed him more, he's the worst uncle and the most evil
We watched this when my wife was pregnant, and she started crying 15 minutes before Mufasa died, and then continued full-on ugly-crying for over 30 minutes.
That will always be my clearest Lion King memory.
We all need a good ugly-cry every once in a while. The laughter that comes after is always the heartiest.
It's okay. I pregnant ugly-cried through Cars 3.
@@smaakjeks We've laughed about it so much. It is a great memory
@@23rsnyder I think pregnancy has the power to make people ugly cry over just about anything
My best friend told me that she rewatched Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron when she was pregnant, and that she cried.
as someone who was obsessed with LION KING as a child I beg you to do the second part as well. because Lion King 2 is one of the few sequels that work
Yes absolutely! Also kinda hoping that the main couple is an E2L that will finally get their seal of approval shsibdjdkf (look I love me a particular trope okay, it pains me that some people write it off as toxic so often).
What about The Lion King 1½?
I absolutely love that the sequel reveals that Simba still struggles with PTSD and other issues despite “beating” Scar. It’s a good lesson to learn as a kid that your mental health can take a bad hit and take a while to recover
The Lion King has always been deep even as a child
But I think I understand it on a much deeper level as an adult now
Kinda painful, extremely beautiful and a 100% worth it
Can't wait to see your take on this you guys!
Sending love to whoever is reading this ❤
So true!! It's interesting to me how, as a child, I could just skip over the bit where Mufasa dies (that one was always too emotional for me) and be fine and enjoy the rest of the movie, while as an adult, actually grasping just the magnitude and gravity of the grief, guilt, identity crisis that Simba felt... I could just cry through at least halt of the movie😅
It breaks my heart to see simba get manipulated into thinking it’s his fault
Thank you for mentioning Hans Zimmer and his immense impact on the emotionality of this movie (and all of the other masterpieces he has been a part of). Movie scores make moments so much more powerful. I feel blessed to live in the same era as John Williams and Hans Zimmer.
They're part of the reason I do what I do.
Just hearing the intro and I was already almost in tears. This movie was so important to me growing up 😭
🫂
@@CinemaTherapyShow can you guys react to Lion King 2 to see how Simba's ptsd affects himself and his daughter Kiara
@@-chenlanying5818 oh yeah. Lion King 2 is underrated.
Not 40 seconds in & I hear Jonathan say "when people ask me, "I don't know who I am" my answer is always, "who do you want to be?"" and I'm already crying lmao I'm working with a trauma therapist right now, really delving into those childhood.... foundational issues & internal voices that have carried over into my adulthood, and trying to figure out who I am and who I want to be. SOOOOOOOO this one really hit hard today 😅❤
This is therapy amd I am glad that you, along with us in the comments section have understood that we need therapy and to put the past behind us and Let it Go. ❤️💯👍🏽
Watching the "he lives inside you" part here out of the movie context i realize that this probably had a large impact on how i see death now as an adult. People that die never fully disappear, they live on in the memories and actions of those that they met and influenced everyone that that person then meets and influences. We are the result of all the people that came before us.
That's why heartbreaks hurt. You can argue the "he/she lives inside you" even though he/she is still alive and now you have to accept the fact that he/she is dead in your life.
Reminds me of something a therapist told me ages ago when it comes to interpersonal conflict. "Do you want to win or do you want to be happy?"
When you two spoke about parents having said things in a moment of frustration that they wish they could take back, it made me think of Del Toro's Pinnochio. I would highly recommend covering it on this channel! There's Geppeto's grief, Pinnochio not wanting to be a burden, Candlewick wanting to make his father proud, and Death herself talking about mortality and immortality.
18:50
I have been questioning myself for almost half my life:"What kind of person am I?, Who am I?", like its something to figure out for me.
Your gentle, Dad like answer: "Well, who do you want to be ?" knocked me out.
The thought that I can steer the direction of my own development is incredibly liberating.
(Lots of baggage behind this)
Thank you! You rock!
Same, so simple but really powerful. I think the answer to who you want to be also holds a bit of who you are already because it shows what you truly value.
one of my favorite animes ever once sayd "you don´t have to discover yourself. You have to choose yourself" and it hits me hard.
Anime is Shirokuma Cafe and this kind of insight is not the focus of the anime at all, but its wellcomed.
Last night I had one of the worst fights with my family I think I'll ever have, and someone finally admitted all the wrong doing that was pinned on me. I sadly lost a huge part of my family last night. And this episode could not have come at a more perfect time. Thank you both so much.
Hugs to you! ❤ I hope it gets better. It sucks when those situations happen. Perhaps someday the family will get back together. Baby steps.
@Mild Occultism I am sorry that happened to you and I hope you find peace one day, you deserve it.
I'm so that happened to you. Sending good thoughts your way. 💜
I’m so sorry.
Sorry you had to go through that💙 Take everything a day at a time. And remember you're never wrong for sticking up for yourself
in defense of nala's 'packaging', the point at which she's begging simba for help is a point at which she and nearly everyone she cares about are, as she explains, on the brink of starvation. i.e.: she's in survival mode. it's so hard to be magnanimous and patient when yours and your loved ones' lives are on the line. objectively, of course, these are all perfect points about how - ideally - the conversation could have gone. i'm just not sure most of us could've pulled that off, in nala's shoes (paws?).
It's been so long since I've seen this movie and as a kid Rafiki's stick metaphor definitely would've flown over my head. Seeing it again now it has to be one of the best ways for a movie to deliver a message I've ever seen. They don't even comment on it, it doesn't even last 30 seconds, yet the impact it has on Simba is evident. It's incredible!
Agreen. There is a lot to learn warching this as an adult. Even though I watched it a thousand times as a small child I never understood the guilt trip Scar placed on Simba as extra insurance until I watched it again as an adult
Honestly, this advice is exactly what I needed right now. After being emotionally abused as a kid, I've been trying to figure out navigating a relationship with the abusive parent. Frankly it's hard for me to not be tense all the time around them, because I want to be the better person but I'm scared of messing up and making mistakes in my process of trying to set boundaries. So, I'm still very submissive and only quietly setting boundaries with tons of fear every time, because I worry I will make mistakes and that they will have more ammunition against me. However, I think that it's important for me to recognize that I'm doing the best I can, and that my worth is not tied to this parent's opinion of me, or because I'm learning from the failures as I figure out how to stand up for myself and set boundaries.
heck yeah! I see myself and a lot of other people have left similar comments. I have found that my parent/abuser will not understand why and I set boundaries when I do, but they'll accept them when I refuse to allow them to needle me about it. It's become easier the older I get thankfully.
I also come from an abusive family and completely relate to the fear of making mistakes concerning communication. I’ve always had the belief that I had to communicate in a calm and positive way in order to be the bigger person and instill positive change in the family climate. And they were definitely using against me the times when I lost my temper (even tough they were always mean themselves...). And so the guilt kept me in “my place”.
I’ve had so much insecurity about being able to communicate... But then, I understood 2 things.
For one, it’s not fair or reasonable to be expected to be calm and patient in one’s communication style, in an environment that is basically chaos and thrives on your pain. I’ve found that when I can retreat into a peaceful, safe space and retrieve my wellbeing (BEFORE I even answer to their demands), I then naturally can speak calmly and it’s very impactful...
And the second thing is, when I realized that speaking with force, even saying difficult (always true) things SHAMELESSLY, on pure instinct, holds incredible power for positive change. That’s it you overcome the guilt that makes your positioning shaky.
I personally think Nala was right to confront Simba here in the way that she did. Sure... he needed to unwind and connect to something spiritual afterwards to digest it all. But she was, in my opinion, a perfectly necessary step to his awakening.
My favourite childhood film! One of the things about being autistic is that in childhood you can get obsessed with certain things and I was obsessed with the lion king. I would watch it over and over again as an infant and as a child. I was always happy watching it… my dad on the other hand has never let me forget the torture I put him through on a daily basis with this film. 😂❤
Hahaha same here. I can still play most of the movie lion king it in my head before bed if I want 😂
Aldkgkakkd I'm not diagnosed anything either (just strongly suspected) and I too had a phase in kindergarten where I only watched The Lion King 24/7 for several months, until I damaged the tape
I used to play the beginning song bit over and over again.
I watched so many times that I can still recite the entire movie word-for-word. 😊 I would watch it and act it out as it was playing. Watched it two-and-a-half times one day before my mom finally said we needed to watch something else. 😅
Disney/Pixar films are still my go-to safe place when I’m too stressed, whether it’s from sensory overload, relationships, post-meltdown, whatever. Even the newer movies make me feel a childlike comfort, and the life lessons they tell often help me sort through my emotions in similar irl situations.
I was born in 94' so I've watched this movie literally my entire life. It is my fav animated movie because I can relate to Simba in a deeper way and I'm happy you both tall about grief and guilt and how he doesn't know who he is until the right moment comes.
I cannot express how much I love this movie and how Mufasa is one character I'll never forget since he reminds me of my own dad.
I love the friendship between Simba and Nala, Timon and Pumbaa. Rafiki gives the best advice but ultimately, they all have a powerful teaching in Simba's journey to become king.
And Alan is right. Thanks to Hans Zimmer for creating one hell of a soundtrack. I cannot listen to it without weeping. Even now, 29 y/o, i still cry in the same way when I was a kid.
Rafiki's got the better advice Far better than Dhar Mann. there i said it.
I feel the exact same way; I was born three days before the limited release, so it has a very special place in my heart.
yeah, I also think it, not only Rafiki was who advised him, also it was his friends Nala, Timon and Pumbaa, who also had a powerful teaching in Simba's journey to become king
Can we take a moment to acknowledge the masterpiece of this soundtrack? Every piece showcases such talent and emotion ... Bravo, Hans Zimmer, bravo.
Can’t forget about Elton John and lebo, they were just as amazing🥰
@@Sophie_Pea Elton John is retiring from performing.
I didn't even get through the intro of the video without getting misty-eyed just coz that piece of music punches me right in the feels every time 😅
That moment about children internalizing what their parents say into adulthood: you described me and my situation to the letter.
I'm 29 now, trying to get a better job, live on my own and maintain a healthy relationship with my amazing boyfriend. The amount of time and effort he puts into trying to reverse what my father has convinced me of is heartbreaking, and I want nothing more than to replace his voice with my dad's as the internal monologue that drives me to act instead of keep me immobilized only seeing my failures. Its hard, but I try to be a little better every day.
Something that I just realized- Simba didn’t just internalize grief and guilt. The last thing Scar told him when he was a kid was “Run away.” Simba did that literally, but also internalized it as ‘run away from my problems/responsibilities’.
I know this might seem obvious but I never thought about it like that before till just now.
I agree 1000% with Jono that things involving kids hit me harder as an adult and especially as a parent of a young child. I think it's because I see firsthand, every single day, that children's love for their attachment figures is so big, pure, and sincere. And in the case of Simba, his uncle Scar is taking advantage of that love to be manipulative af. He even straight up wants Simba to die, which Simba never could've fathomed before he was adult because he loves Scar and sees him as the fun uncle
I will say, looking back at The Lion King as an adult the part that always gets me is when Rafiki tells Simba to look closer at the water and says "He lives in you...". I lost my father before my senior year of high school and I remember going to his wake, one of his friends got up to speak about how she had not seen him in years. She turned to me, looked kindly into my eyes, and said "I haven't seen that smile of his until I met his son today". I cried a lot that day but that phrase always stuck with me because it made me feel like in some small way he was still with me, that I carried a part of him. Just like Rafiki said.
Always appreciate the videos, and I still strongly advocate for doing a Cinema Therapy video on the animated movie Belle! I think there are a lot of parallels in it with The Lion Kind, and the music is amazing.
8:50 It made perfect sense for Elsa to be sick of rules and having to be responsible 24/7, she was expected to act like an adult since she was a child and carried so much guilt, self hate and disgust into her adulthood she HAD to snap eventually. It wasn't healthy and she wasn't happy despite being the queen. It wasn't a random person deciding they want to be a free spirit, it was someone who was miserable for their entire life finally letting themselves do something that made them happy
3:42 "Why does stuff involving kids hit me harder now?" "Because you're a parent now."
100% this. Ever since having kids myself, any sad scene involving kids, whether it be parent dying or kid dying, breaks me down into a blubbering mess without fail. Even positive emotional scenes such as Guardians 3 when Drax gets told he was "not born to be a destroyer, he was born to be a dad" brings the waterworks.
I love the “everyone is learning” and “worth ties” message. As someone in my late 20s, I’ve been on my own for a while as an adult, but am still learning. But then I see friends and my fiancé knowing so much more than me about how “adulting” works (i.e. finances, insurance, buying a house, etc.), and I feel so behind, like I should know everything about it already. But with my ADHD, I don’t think to learn it until it’s right in front of me. That helps in the not worrying about it too much aspect, but then when it comes time to do some of these things, if there was supposed to be any sort of prep, I sometimes get a lecture of how I should have started the process months ago. Especially for long term stuff. It feels like I’m constantly playing catch up with other people my age and is frustrating…
I feel the same way ❤
I went to a Hans Zimmer concert last year and I can confirm that you'll cry with just the flute playing "This land". Amazing.
The reason the scene of Mufasa in the clouds really gets to me, isn't Hanz Zimmer or Mufasa's words, but Rafiki's before it; "He lives in you". Mufasa's love for Simba never faltered, and wouldn't even if Simba caused his death. Timon and Pumba are great friends, but that kind of deep, intimate love has been lost for Simba for some time, and not only is he reminded of it in this scene, he's reminded of the responsibility Mufasa gave him, of the things he learned from his father, and the trust and faith put in him. "He lives in you" is the same sort of comfort as Luke's "no one's ever really gone", but also a reminder that Simba accepted and wanted the responsibility of becoming the future King, a role Mufasa entrusted him with. While I think there's something to say about the whole "you must inherit the family business" shindig, it works in The Lion King because deep down, Simba wants to be, and is worthy of, being King.
It's always important to remember that our past is a lesson and not a destination to stay in. You can only hakuna matata for so long until you realize just how important your responsibilities are for others. There's definitely an epic scope that I absolutely love about this retelling of Hamlet in Disney fashion. Plus the score always gives me chills and Scar remains one of the greatest villains from Disney.
I would say that Hakuna Matata isn't only bad for things you can do something about and good for when you can't. People in our society tend to give the Hakuna Matata advice (though with other words) so much that it makes you think you're *supposed* to be able to just let stuff go and move on; so when the scars are too deep to just do that, you end up suppressing the pain instead, which isn't healthy in the long run
For myself, Simba's walk up Pride Rock and the roar has never been the moment he turned king, but rather, for me, it symbolized the moment that the pride showed their loyalty to him
I always saw the message as you need to find the middle ground between Hakuna Matata and full on responsibility. As Jono said, you have to take accountability and responsibility where you can and chill when you’ve done everything you can. 😊
I think there's more going on in this movie, but as far as what you mentioned is concerned, you can basically sum it up in the serenity prayer, it's first sentence especially, but the rest of it explains more thoroughly.
"God, grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time,
enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardship as a pathway to peace;
taking, as Jesus did,
this sinful world as it is,
not as I would have it;
trusting that You will make all things right
if I surrender to Your will;
so that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with You forever in the next."
Right at the beginning of the video when Johnathan said about how those messages from your loved ones carry on through into adulthood, I choked up immediately. I grew up in an emotionally, mentally, and physically abusive household and the things that I was told growing up and also being a survivor of bullying and sexual assaults from others outside the house, still sticks with me today. I’m almost 40 and been in therapy for years because I STILL can’t shake those messages away from me. I still think they’re true 😞
Hi.
I can't speak to the details of your story because I don't know them. But something about your comment touchd me, so I hope you'll take this with love from one human to another.
1. As a human being you have worth and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. You are not responsible for what others have done to you. It's not your fault.
2. The fact that you survived means that you chose not to give up. There is a strength in you that maybe you don't even recognize.
3. That you know to call what was done to you "abuse" shows me that you are able to recognize the truth and you're seeking it still. And those who seek will find.
4. The fact that you are still in therapy shows determination and resilience. You're not someone who gives up easily, even when the road gets rough.
As I said above, you are not responsible for what was done to you. True, you have to decide what to do about it. But (from the little I can see) it seems to me you're on the right path. I pray God blesses you on your journey to healing. May you get a little stronger and a little more whole each day. God give you peace.
Your childhood sounds so much like mine own. I needed to tell you this. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. I am 49 and I have learnt so many things about myself through serious therapy. to trust and love myself took decades of peeling layers of suffocating behaviours that I myself perpetuated. It will come to you because you deserve it and are working towards it. I am still triggered, but I know how to deal with this. I protect myself because I have value. You have value. More than you know. ❤❤❤
Wow there is so much love in these comments between complete strangers. Warms my heart.
I love how you said "still think they're true" not "I KNOW they are true". Because it means you know they are not, and that it is something you have been taught that was untrue and you are now unlearning them.
To me it means you are almost there.
No more living the lies.
It is hard to let go of something drilled in so deep, but you can do it!
Sometimes it just needs a little bit more time, to completely heal (like removing a splinter that has gone infected...remove the object first, then heal for a bit.)
You are doing it!
It took being divorced after 28 years and going to therapy for that, and realizing that I had married my mentally ill mother, in male form, and nothing in my head had changed all that time. It was like a slap in the face and explained so much. Doing better now, little by little.
"Every parent has said something they're not proud of, but it's the ones who let it hang there..."
Oh my God, you just described my mom. Don't get me wrong, I love her and we have a great relationship, but never once in her life have we had a fight after which she'd apologize to me. It would always be me feeling extremely guilty and her going "wait what fight? Oh that, I already forgot about it", like she always gave me the feeling I was the one blowing things out of proportion or being too sensitive. And to this very day I don't know how to argue with people, I get almost physically ill at the thought of someone being mad at me, and I'll put other people's needs in front of my own because as long as I do that they have less reason to be mad at me and hate me.
Fuck. I need to go lie down for a moment after this little revelation :')
I have the same problem with my dad
The "don't let your message get lost in the packaging" conversation is something I really needed right now. Helped me realize why all my conversations with my Dad aren't really going anywhere productive. Thank you for that.
I keep noticing how people say that Simba asked for this when he sang "I just can't wait to be king", but...
It is clear to me that he only wanted to get Zazu off his back and was too young and naive to understand the unfortunate implications of that song.
And yeah, it is only as an adult that I truly get the horror of Simba watching his father fall to his death and not being able to wake him up and being told that it was his fault.
😳
People say toddlers and small children don't understand death. I was almost four when my parents took me to the movie theater for the first time and we watched this movie. I am told I cried so hard at Mufasa's death, we had to leave. I didn't like this movie all throughout my childhood because I found it hard to deal with what Simba went through. As an adult, I love this movie to bits. Its helped me through really rough times. Its taught me how to see things I couldnt get past in a different light. And its become one of my favorite Disney movies; one of three I will forever own a copy of in some form.
I remember my first exposure to death was at 5 when my paternal grandmother died in 2000.
When my father told me that my grandmother “passed away” on our way over to his father’s house, (the exact words he said to me) I remember him also saying “you won’t see her anymore.”
I also remember him crying, the first time I ever remember seeing my father cry.
At 5, even though I didn’t see her often and not having many memories of her (just a few vague memories) I just didn’t comprehend that I wouldn’t get to see her again. For months, I kept telling myself she would eventually be at my grandfather’s house sometime when we went over.
But eventually after a few months, I knew deep down she was truly gone forever.
i grew up watching lion king, and without realising i ended up with a very similar personality to timone - jaded, sarcastic, and seemingly carefree. the phrase “hakuna matata” stuck with me right up until adulthood. it was only in 2020 that i realised that having “no worries” is part of the problem. you have to learn to confront your issues in order to move past them and learn from them, which is exactly what rafiki says later on in the movie. it shows that you interpret movies differently as you get older, and now lion king is even more precious to me.
also, great video guys! i love this movie and you gave it all the love and attention it deserves ❤️
I'm not a parent and don't ever want to be. But I still have that genetically embedded "children are to be protected, always and no matter what" message encoded in me.
Rafiki is the most underrated character in TLK, imo. He's got the funniest moment and one of the best bits of wisdom for Simba. And let's be honest, he was going SO easy on those hyenas. I don't know what a baboon/mandrill hybrid is like in real life, but mandrills can be utterly terrifying, and baboons aren't exactly Labrador puppies themselves.
You should consider doing a reaction to Avatar: The Last Airbender. You'd probably have to choose a selection of episodes, but the three I'd love to hear your thoughts on are Zuko Alone, Sokka's Master and all of Sozin's Comet. The Storm and the Southern Raiders are two more backstory and character arc focused episodes that people love to analyze the heck out of.
Pointing out the detail of Simba taking ownership of his responsibility at the end, by stepping forward, standing tall, and looking up - wow, I'd never really thought about it that deeply. Thanks for bringing that to my attention. This mastepiece of a film just got a little bit better.
You're so welcome. Thanks for watching!
Rafiki has and always will be my favourite from anything Disney. So much so that he's even be profile picture of Disney+. Dude's like the best friend who gives you actually meaningful advice, and hypes you up afterwards. I'm ecstatic you guys thought the best advice Simba gets in the movie is "you can either run from the past or learn from it." It's been my favourite Disney thing to quote for years now, lol.
Me too.
And rafiki literally translates to Friend in swahili :)
@@Zayana68 Oooohhhhhhh
Something I explained to my kids is that you can only work with the information you have at the time. When your understanding changes, what you said in the past wasn’t a lie, it just wasn’t correct. I think I heard that from the mended light channel actually 😊
Hans Zimmer actrually lost his father at a young age just like simba and he said in a few interveiws that he didn't just compose it just for the movie but for himself and his father and it'll always be special to him.
15:57
Like when Stoic said to Hiccup: " You're not my son. " (and as soon as he realized what he just said he had a look of shock and shame on his face, but he had to go lead his people into battle so he didn't have time to go back and apologize)
Rafiki's words truly impacted a whole generation of kids. In fact the whole lion king movie did. there is a lot we can learn from this movie all the while enjoying the amazing story being shown to us.
19:32 how did I never notice that one frame where they forgot to color simba's eye yellow lol
That whole scene his eyes go back and forth from white to yellow which ???? but there it happens in a single shot oops
"I don't know who I am" "Well, who do you want to be?"
I think that just turned a lightbulb on in my head; thank you Jonathan
I really wish I could legitimately have you as a therapist; I've had enough bad experiences with therapy that I haven't been able to bring myself to try again, but watching your show gives me some hope that the right person is out there
Thank you so much for this! Love the part about philosophies that only get you part of the way. I firmly believe Timon and Pumbaa would have been able to help Simba better and earlier had they been told what had happened. They’re going off of the assumption that Simba’s story is a lot like theirs, that he’s been outcasted for some unfair reason he can’t change. I like that Pumbaa offers to help with Simba’s problem from day one and that they both pull through as soon as they know what’s up.
15:16 Johnathan, a long time ago I was told an analogy that hits me hard until now, which kind of explains why heavy criticism during childhood seems to carve itself into the personality: children are like a blank book, in which parenting and life experiences gets written into it
15:20 - My dad used to call me useless all the time as a kid. It's been 25 years and I still can't shake that off my core beliefs.
Simba: I think you are confused.
Raffiki: I am not the one who is confused. You don't even know who you are!
Simba: Oh! And I suppose you do.
Raffiki: Sure do. You're Mufassa's boy.
Raffiki's lines are so memorable I can quote all of them without even trying. 🥺
Ok since we’re on Disney, PLEASE DO A VILAIN THERAPY OF CLAUDE FROLLO from hunchback of Notre-Dame
I’d love that
Seconded
Hundred times yes and pretty please.
Yes, please!
That exact video is already in the works! 😁
Alan: I want to break you.
Also Alan starts crying
The first time I watched The Lion King at age 26 at the student's union cinema, I received several missed calls from my sister who trying to reached me (I was abroad). I called her back and she told me our dad just passed away. The irony.....7 years later, still not getting over the grieving
Hans Zimmer is a composition god. I can always tell it's him, and I get chills every time.
He's the GOAT!
Your comment about Simba really taking on the mantle of king when he takes full and true responsibility for what has happened is so paradigm shifting and just great! This is why I come here!
22:34 I’d say Simba taking Rafiki’s stick was also part of ‘Learning from it’ 😆 plus Rafiki’s reaction was PRICELESS!
This movie has my favorite film score ever. Hans Zimmer did not have to go this hard but he did and I'm grateful. So beautiful it makes me cry.
I don’t think zimmer has the ability to not go hard! He’s in 5th gear always
I’m so happy that you guys watched The Lion King! It’s my favorite movie and exploring the scenes through a certified Therapist. It’s so good!❤
Thank you all for the likes and the heart on my comment! One of my favorite quotes from this movie is this one from Rafiki : “Yes the past can hurt. But the way I see it, is either you run from it or learn from it.” 🦁🐵
7:49 re: hakuna matata, I think this was a wonderful lesson for a youth coming from where he was. He had already been instilled with such a heavy weight of responsibility, first in preparation for kingship, then his uncles gaslighting. He needed permission to be a kid.
well yes I think, it was what he needed for now at that moment: to live his childhood, because Simba was just a kid when all this happened. And Timon and Pumba gave him that
This video breaking down Simba’s confession scene at the end is the first time I’ve noticed that the part right after with Scar keeping Simba spinning while he calls him a murderer *perfectly* captures what it’s like to be spun in a manipulator’s web of lies. It’s impossible to get a clear perspective or ground yourself in reality because abusers like him are masters of keeping you disoriented so that their lies don’t fall apart. As someone who was emotionally abused by a master manipulator for years as a teenager, that really hit me deep. I’m so thankful to have that visual to help me explain to people why it can be so hard to expose your abuser even when the things they say are demonstrably false.