There’s a few things I feel exceptionally strongly about: the ocean being the scariest place on Earth, climate change being real and perhaps the greatest of them all: that Anna and Kristoff are the best Disney couple. Yes, I wholeheartedly agree that both Frozen and Frozen 2 are centered around the love between the two sisters, Anna and Elsa, and yes, I understand it was never intended for Anna and Kristoff to be on the same level of “iconic” as Ariel and Eric. But listen — they should be.
I’m a big believer that no matter who you are, you are fully capable of being your own hero — but it doesn’t necessarily have to mean you can’t rely on others for help. I’m willing to argue with just about anyone (except maybe Idina Menzel) that Anna is one of the first (but certainly not the only) Disney princesses to show young girls they don’t need a man to save them.
In both movies, Anna throws herself into caring for Elsa — finding her, saving her, rescuing her. And while I’m by no means saying that it’s Elsa’s fault, I am saying Anna’s continued display of love shows just how important the bond with her sister is. Her intentions for even speaking to Kristoff in the first place are only because she’s on the search for Elsa. Do you really think she would’ve batted an eye at the weird man trying to buy carrots if he hadn’t mentioned the North Mountain? I didn’t think so. The whole falling head over heels in love comes later, after she’s realized that Elsa is still alive.
Hans and Anna’s five minutes of crazy “love” aside, the rest of the Frozen and Frozen 2 show viewers that you truly don’t need to change who you are to be loved, which is something many other Disney classics don’t teach.
If you haven’t seen Frozen 2, I promise this one line won’t ruin the film for you. But, I know we all felt some type of way when Kristoff asked Anna what he could do to help her and what she needed. He didn’t assume she needed to be saved or even offer to do it all himself. And you know why? Because he realizes she is a strong person — not a weak woman like Hans made her believe she was.
Now, you might ask why I’m getting so worked up about a cartoon and let me tell you. When I watched The Little Mermaid in elementary school, I was completely watching it because “Wow, she’s a mermaid” and not “Wow, she gave up her singing voice to go live on land with a man she doesn’t even know!” I hope you see where this is going.
Anna and Kristoff’s love story has neither party giving up something to obtain the other, nor does it have the girl changing who she is to fit the vision of the guy. The trolls do a great job hitting this point home in “Fixer Upper” when quite literally all they do is point out both Anna and Kristoff’s flaws and don’t suggest they need to change.
Regardless of who your favorite Disney pairing is, there’s no question that Anna and Kristoff have set the new standard for how love should be portrayed to young children. If you haven’t seen Frozen 2 yet, make sure to catch it before it leaves theatres. It’s sure to put a warm anyone’s heart, even those made of ice (see what I did there?).