Disney Fairies Film Series

Philip Tan, Research Scientist

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions
Prereq: None

The “Disney Fairies” series launched in 2005 with new novels based on the tales of Peter Pan. From the novels and plays of J.M. Barrie and the animated films by Walt Disney Productions, Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Levine developed an elaborate mythology for the fairies of Neverland. The lead character, Tinker Bell, moved from “Disney Princess” marketing efforts into a separate franchise of chapter books, comics, and merchandise. Following Disney’s purchase of Pixar, direct-to-DVD productions of Disney Fairies were restarted and debuted with the 3D computer-animated film “Tinker Bell” in 2008.

While visually consistent with Disney’s earlier interpretations of Neverland, some may find the characterization and the tone of the films surprising. Barrie’s century-old “common pots-and-pans fairy” is reinterpreted as a titular heroine with a unique talent for invention and engineering. Most of the films revolve around Tinker Bell’s ability to construct incredible machines and her irrepressible drive to find and fix “lost things.” The mostly-female cast is generally portrayed as being extremely competent and working collectively to solve problems, even as the films fall back on formulaic personality conflicts.

Children with adult supervision are welcome. Each screening will be followed by an optional, moderated discussion with participants, which may venture into playful, activist, academic or headcanon topics.

This event aims to provide a harassment-free experience for everyone.

Sponsor(s): Comparative Media Studies/Writing
Contact: Philip Tan, 26-149, 617 324-9129, PHILIP@MIT.EDU

Screening times

Children are welcome to the screenings (with adult supervision, please!)

Optional Discussion

A moderated discussion and critique of the themes, representation, development, marketing, problems and solutions presented by the Tinker Bell films and media franchise. The session will start after a 10-minute intermission after the screening. Participation in the discussion is completely optional.