Feminism doesn't mean anti-romance | Disney's "Wish" and what could have been

I haven’t seen the Disney movie, ‘Wish’, in full, and frankly, after seeing clips and hearing some of the songs, I don’t want to. This film was part of the campaign to mark the 100th anniversary of Walt Disney Animation Studios, but it received a bad reception due to the poorly written songs, unusual animation style, boring plot and characters that lacked depth. I found the short film, ‘Once Upon a Studio’ (released on the exact anniversary date) to be a far better tribute to Disney with a higher emotional impact, easily bringing me to tears.

Despite the bad reception for the official release of ‘Wish’, you may not know that the response to the original concept for the film was entirely different. Both before and after its debut, concept art and storyboards for what the film could have been were shared online, depicting a romance story between the lead female character, Asha, and a humanised version of a wishing star, popularly known as ‘Starboy’ among fans. 

Concept art from 'The Art of Wish' book - photo credit to Lisa Dawn

This plot was almost entirely scrapped and the story became solely about Asha and her journey to take down a corrupt king, with the wishing star character being changed to a small star-like creature rather than a human love interest. Unsurprisingly, people found the idea of a back-to-basics return to a classic romance far more appealing than the movie that was released. The concept art and unfinished animations were enough to show the chemistry between Asha and Starboy, their building romance charming fans to create their own stories and animations based on them, including those from PhrenSo on Youtube. The concept ideas also showed the plan for Disney’s first villain couple (King Magnifico concocting his plans alongside his wife, Queen Amaya) and that they would adopt a classic hand-drawn animation style, before opting for a 2D-3D hybrid style in the final product. 

So why did Disney abandon such a well-received idea, which would have paid tribute to its animated classics with familiar traits, such as hand-drawn animation and a charming fairy-tale romance, while also doing something fresh with new, modern takes on villains and romance arcs? Ultimately, it seems they were afraid to either make or give the heroine a love interest, as if such a move would anger modern feminists. 

As a feminist myself, I understand there was a problem with many classic Disney movies placing women in damsel-in-distress roles, where men became their heroes and therefore their happy endings. The way women were depicted could be seen as the default, especially for young, impressionable girls watching these movies and taking on such messages. However, I would also argue these classic fairy-tales aren't overall bad or harmful movies because of this, nor should they be erased from history. Vintage Disney movies such as 'Snow White', 'Cinderella', 'Sleeping Beauty', 'Beauty and the Beast' etc. were stunning masterpieces of animation and storytelling, despite the old-fashioned archetypes they held. In fact, many of their female characters were headstrong and admirable, knowing their own minds and taking their fates into their own hands, even if they were fit into traditional 'save me' princess roles.

In modern society, it has become more common for women to avoid relationships and/or marriage as their ultimate life goals, as a way of going against old-fashioned societal expectations. Instead, most of them champion the single, independent life, finding more happiness in building their careers, homes, and lives alone, finding more freedom to travel and live without responsibilities for others. I certainly see myself as one of these women, but at the same time, I don't think female independence always equates to us not wanting romance.

Female independence, strength and empowerment can go hand-in-hand finding a partner we adore and want to commit to. There's no weakness in finding love, nor any shame in trying to seek it as a woman. It's a natural human desire and there are many men who want the same kind of healthy, long-term relationships as women do. The idea of a fairy-tale romance may be old-fashioned to some, but that doesn't make them anti-feminist as a whole. Instead, they can serve as the aspiration for a cosy, safe and happy life many women would want, alongside the partner they have chosen to share it with.

'Wish' concept art - image source

Thus, I think it's a shame the original story for 'Wish' never made the big screen. The creative team were likely pushed into toning down their plans for a romance, and instead making Asha a 'strong independent heroine' by removing a love interest for her. But the reality is that the majority of viewers, including feminist women, feel that the original version would have been much stronger. The official version of 'Wish' feels empty, lacking the depth that was removed to make way for a story that took fewer risks, as they tried to align with modern views and not repeat potentially offensive tropes. 

By not taking the risk, or trusting that the classic Disney narrative with a fairy-tale romance would appeal to both modern viewers and older generations who would appreciate the nostalgia, Disney lost out on a cultural phenomenon. It would have been a beautiful tribute to 100 years of Disney animation (the studio that made animation be taken seriously as a medium), brought back beloved tropes, and introduced new twists like villainous couples, the origin of the iconic wishing star, and the shape-shifting sidekick dynamic. 

Ironically, it would have granted the wishes (pun intended) of Disney-lovers and non-Disney-lovers alike with its unique qualities. On top of that, I feel from a feminist perspective we need more well-written romance stories with strong heroines leading them. That is how we should be approaching the quandary of how we write modern fairy-tale romances with women leading them: we let them lead, and we let them fall in love. Let them lead popular stories, taking the place of men who have led stories before them and denied them their voices, but also let them fall in love. Because to deny women or men the freedom to fall in love is to deny them the choice of embracing their humanity.

Feminism doesn't mean anti-men, and it certainly doesn't mean anti-romance. Girls and women should know there is no shame in seeking love and relationships. They only have to know which men are the right ones to look for, and that healthy relationships with loyal, caring partners should always be the aim.