How do you know he loves you?

Warning: Contains plot spoilers

A beautiful young woman sings about ‘true love’s kiss’ to her animal friends in the forests of Andalasia. Beginning with scenes which will seem amusingly familiar to those who have seen the Shrek films, Enchanted appears at first to be a spoof of the classic Disney movie. The story does not, however, progress in the traditional fashion. Pushed down a well by the evil queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon), the beautiful Giselle (Amy Adams) seems to travel through time and space to end up in our world. Producer Barry Josephson explains that the film is intended to affirm the iconic Disney themes, while updating them for modern audiences.[1] A critically acclaimed performance by actress Amy Adams as the wide-eyed Giselle makes Enchanted a very enjoyable family film, and establishes her character as a leading princess for a new generation of Disney classics.[2]

Emerging from a manhole in Time Square, New York, Giselle finds herself in a completely different world to the two-dimensional fairytale kingdom she has left behind. The streets are dirty and dangerous, the people are unwelcoming, and nobody seems to express their feelings through song. One of the big questions explored in the film, according to executive producer Christopher Chase, is, ‘can you take those iconic Disney values - which are very simple and very black-and-white - and bring them into our world?’[3] While ­­­the kingdom of Andalasia is a place of clearly defined good and evil where the heroes always win, New York is, in the words of Queen Narissa, ‘a place where there are no happily ever afters’. The reality of this description begins to become apparent to Giselle as she starts to explore the strange new land in which she finds herself. First encountering the concept of divorce when she accompanies her reluctant rescuer, lawyer Robert Philip (Patrick Dempsey), to work, Giselle is appalled by the failure of the romantic ideal on which her worldview is based. She soon discovers that Robert has personal reasons for doubting the power of true love, his wife having left him to take care of their daughter on his own.

This is an alien world to the innocent and ever-optimistic princess, and it has a profound effect on her. Giselle’s responses to the reality of our world show an increasing maturity. Initially simply confused by what she encounters, Giselle’s next reaction is to be saddened by all the pain and broken relationships around her. However, she doesn’t simply accept what she finds. From scrubbing the toilets of Robert’s messy apartment, to placating his angry girlfriend with flowers, Giselle seems determined to make the world a better place. She is also prepared to give careful consideration to the new ideas to which she is introduced, and begins to embrace some aspects of our world. When her handsome prince (James Marsden) finally comes to bring her home, Giselle has found much in New York to value, and no longer holds the same views about love that she came with. Robert has opened her eyes to the delights of dating, and the importance of relationships based on more than just finishing each other’s duets.

Enchanted does not, however, advocate the rejection of the romantic Disney values with which the film starts. Giselle’s persistent hope and belief in the power of love are presented as positive attributes throughout, bringing happiness to those around her and giving her courage to face the challenges which confront a Disney princess in New York. The film seems to suggest that we cannot, and indeed should not, deny the hard realities of the world in which we live, but we can bring a little magic to that world by holding on to the fairytale values of our childhood. ‘It takes work to create that magic in your real life, but it's worth it,’ says screenwriter Bill Kelly.[4] The path to happiness is shown to be a willingness to meet the difficulties we face with an unwavering belief in the power of love and goodness to make a positive difference. Giselle models Disney’s new principles for living: the modern princess must face reality without becoming cynical, retaining her ideals while applying them with practical grit and determination. ‘I wanted to show that you could have happily ever after in our world,’ director Kevin Lima explains. ‘And it takes some of the same values that Disney characters hold on to: You have to have perseverance of spirit. You have to have love in your heart and hope. Those are messages from the old Disney classics that I wanted in a contemporary setting.’[5]

A central theme of Enchanted is the search for true love. This is a common quest both in Disney films and many others. Almost everyone seems able to relate to this desire to find this one perfectly fulfilling relationship. However, the classic Disney treatment of true love is not a particularly practical one. Enchanted explores the idea of what true love might look like in the real world. At the start of the film, Giselle and Prince Edward believe that true love occurs almost instantaneously, and is confirmed by ‘true love’s kiss’. This having occurred, the couple’s next step is to marry and then live happily ever after in a ‘life of endless bliss’. While these rather naïve ideas seem to work fine in the animated kingdom of Andalasia, they are not particularly successful in the real world. Robert’s ideas about love are in direct contrast to the traditional Disney views. As a divorce lawyer and single parent, he has seen that love doesn’t always seem to win, and has come to believe that common ambitions and financial security are more important to a successful relationship: ‘None of that crazy romantic stuff for you,’ his receptionist notes. Giselle, however, is shocked by the concept of divorce and the unhappiness that such separation produces. Her belief in the importance and power of love is so unshakeable that eventually Robert finds himself won over by those qualities in her. He starts to realise that romance has a place, and as he gets closer to Giselle, he finds that it is possible to experience true love. By her association with Robert, Giselle, too, learns more about the nature of love. She discovers that true love may not always come in the way we expect it. ‘A great message of this film is that sometimes what we believe to be the fairytale prince is not,’ Amy Adams asserts. ‘Sometimes we get so fixated on what we think we want, that we miss what we need.’[6] Giselle also begins to understand that, in the real world, love needs to be based on respect and shared interests rather than a single kiss. Seeing the difficulties that face all couples, Giselle sees that relationships need to be worked at, and even fought for. The film does not deny that true love is possible; in fact it emphasises our need for such relationships to make life meaningful. The message of Enchanted is that true love is a mixture of hard work and romance. Love may not come easily, but it is ultimately still shown to be ‘the most powerful thing in the world.’ ‘There is a true love,’ Patrick Dempsey believes, ‘but I don't feel it's necessarily happily ever after. Love comes with a tremendous amount of work and understanding and sacrifice.’[7]

Giselle’s struggle to find a way of living in an alien world is one that probably most people can relate to at times. We look around the world and feel like we don’t belong, that things are not as they ought to be. Christians believe that the pain and brokenness we see around us are a result of humanity’s separation from God. People are trying to live without the truly loving relationship that they are intended to have with. The solution, however, is not to try and make the best of the situation in which we find ourselves; not even to see happiness in terms of a romantic relationship. Instead, the Bible asserts, we need a rescuer to come into the world and show us what true love really means. In Enchanted, as with most other Disney films, true love seems to be limited to the attractive, and aided by a credit-card shaped fairy godmother. The love that Jesus showed, however, extended to strangers like Giselle, those who were hurting or despairing like Robert, the undeserving like Queen Narissa, and those, like the henchman Nathaniel (Timothy Spall), who couldn’t even love themselves. ‘How do you know he loves you?’ Giselle sings. Jesus gives the ultimate demonstration of true love in coming to our world to find us, and giving up his life so that our relationship with God can be restored. This is a true love which faces the realities of the world, but transforms them by its power, overcoming death and catching us when we fall.

Everybody wants to live happily ever after
Everybody wants to know their true love is true
How do you know he loves you?

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