I have a confession to make. I, a media studies major whose favorite class last semester was about children’s films, whose posters and handmade collages constructed from entertainment magazine clippings proudly hang on her wall, have not seen Frozen. I know. I can’t figure out what’s wrong with me, either. But why do I feel like this is my favorite movie even though I haven’t seen it? I know all the words to “Let it Go”; I can name the main characters and their respective voice actors; I can tell you an extremely generalized plot, which from what I have read is loosely based on the story of the Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen. Is all of this true because I happen to love and keep up with pop culture more than the average person? Quite possibly, but I think the primary reason lies instead with the massive cultural prominence of this blockbuster.
Let me remind you that Frozen hit theaters on Thanksgiving weekend, which was about four months ago. Four months! Pop culture crazes are lucky if they last longer than the relevance of a Buzzfeed quiz. Normally by the time a movie comes out on DVD, most people have forgotten about it and have moved on to the next big thing. The obsession over Frozen, however, still stands. In fact, it has grossed almost $400 million domestically and more than $1 billion in theaters worldwide! What exactly has kept this particular film on the radar for so long? Here are a few of my deductions:
1) Disney. The studio’s reputation, brand identity, and marketing strategy all but ensure at least some degree of success for each film it produces.
2) Princesses. That’s right, two princesses in one movie! Frozen continues the long-standing tradition of Disney princess movies, which have a solid track record at the box office and, of course, enormous appeal to both children and children at heart.
3) Reviews. Setting aside the debate about feminism, this film opened to very positive reviews from both critics and audiences, leading to two Oscar wins for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song (for “Let it Go” by the wickedly talented, one and only Adele Dazeem).
4) Music. The Frozen soundtrack remains immensely popular, as evidenced by its current number one position on iTunes as well as on the Billboard 200. It has inspired numerous song covers on YouTube and even a UVA University Programs Council cover contest on Facebook, which received twenty entries and over 500 likes on the winning video!
A combination of these factors, along with some Disney magic, have made Frozen an incredibly popular movie that continues to create buzz months after its release. But then again, I’ve never seen it, so what do I know?