The Princess and the Frog (2009) Discussion

Just wanted to be the one who made a couple of these threads. Here's to the film that began the Revival! I'm so happy Splash Mountain will cement Tiana's legacy.

I guess I'll just write it here and copy it once the site is back.

From the Disney Princess book:

"Tiana has had a tough life: We always related her to Cinderella as more of an underdog princess," says Clements. "And to contrast her with the prince. We were sort of basing things on It Happened One Night in reverse. Tiana in some ways was Clark Gable, and the Prince was Claudette Colbert. We also had Three Little Pigs in mind: Tiana is Practical Pig; the Prince represents the other two pigs combined. Tiana is like Cinderella: She's got to fight, she's got to struggle. She's a little bit of an anti-princess. Charlotte represents the princess dream, and Tiana rejects all that. It's the last thing she's interested in."

Also a cute concept art:

Thanks for posting that, Farerb! And, yes, once the forum is back you should post it there too so more people can see it.

Those are interesting comparisons. And they actually describe her personality quite well. I don't think I had seen that concept art before either. From what I remember, it's not in the artbook for The Princess and the Frog. Judging by the concept, it seems at first they planned to combine the two costumes she wears at the masquerade ball, right?

Tiana is definitely anti-princess at the beginning of the film, but it isn't until she takes Charlotte's cue and wishes on a star a la Pinocchio before the story really begins.

I'm guessing that's from the new Princess book that came out? I just bought it but haven't even flipped through it yet. Very pretty dresses!! I'm watching TP&tF (my husband put it on for me the other day, so when I have time I'll turn it back on :p). It never gets old...it's always been in my Top 5 (Top 6 now w/ Raya!), and it's always funny (Naveen's "That's new!" line never fails to make me laugh...). Such a good movie.

I hope you enjoy the book. I really enjoyed reading it even though I wish he wrote more on each princess, I feel like I spent only 10 minutes on each princess and I really wanted to learn more. It made me want to buy the art books of both Mulan and The Princess and the Frog, but the latter seems to be OOP. I wish The Little Mermaid and Aladdin got books (or better ones), it's so weird that Disney never attempted to do that with them :/

I did watch The Princess and the Frog recently and I really enjoyed it, I think I always felt this film gives "Old Hollywood" vibes and I guessed it was because it took place in the 20's, but it was more that that, like the almost proposal scene on a steamboat feels like something that would occur in old films, that quote about It Happened One Night really makes it clear that Musker and Clements are inspired by Old Hollywood romantic comedies, the same with Aladdin but in a different way.

^ I have both books (+Aladdin), so if you need any info, just let me know.

But aren't they small books? I remember Marce said something like that, that they're not as huge and elaborate like the books they make today?

TLM had a tiny art book; I do not have that. And TLM had a Sketchbook Series book; I don't have that, either. Mulan has a big Art Of book (it went back into print last year I believe); TP&tF has a normal-sized art book like the ones Disney still releases; Aladdin has a Making Of book from when the film came out, and it's not a tiny book.

I see...
I might have to try and search that Aladdin and PatF book on ebay. And get that Mulan book before it's OOP again.
Do you know if The Lion King got one too?

TLK has the old style of Art book, not a lot of text. I don't own it, but I got it from the library before. Same with THOND. Poca has that style, too (I bought it years ago for $10 at a used book store. Then there wasn't a standard for the art books until...well, MtR has a thin book, but it is more along the current lines, and then Bolt's book was pretty much the style we have now.

Thank you, blackcauldron85.
It's too bad that Disney stop producing these books after a few years. I know that they rereleased Mulan and BatB because of the remakes, but it's odd that they didn't do the same with Aladdin.

Aladdin got one of the best art books ever. Disney's Aladdin: The Making of an Animated Film.

That concept art for Tiana is gorgeous! I think Amy is right that they combined her two costume ball dresses at one time. I really love how they look on her. I also like that Ron and Jon made her like Cinderella!

I managed to order both Mulan and Aladdin (a used copy) from Amazon. The Princess and the Frog is hard to find, seems like no one is selling it.

I also looked for the Hercules book but everyone is selling it for more than $100, which is insane.

Disney Dusty wrote:

I think Amy is right that they combined her two costume ball dresses at one time.

That was D82, but I do agree!

Oh, sorry! Yes, I think you are right about Tiana's costume ball dresses, D82.

I've watched this film for the third time this week, this time with my brother and his family, and I learned that he has not seen this film yet he absolutely loved it

Farerb wrote:

From the Disney Princess book:

"Tiana has had a tough life: We always related her to Cinderella as more of an underdog princess," says Clements. "And to contrast her with the prince. We were sort of basing things on It Happened One Night in reverse. Tiana in some ways was Clark Gable, and the Prince was Claudette Colbert. We also had Three Little Pigs in mind: Tiana is Practical Pig; the Prince represents the other two pigs combined. Tiana is like Cinderella: She's got to fight, she's got to struggle.

I've always seen Tiana and Cinderella as being similar and never understood why fans always pit them against each other (I remember when a Tiana stan rudely reblogged someone's Tia x Cinderella fanart to say that Tiana was "too good" for Cinderella and would be better with Mulan or Merida. MERIDA!). I think Cinderella is like both Tiana and Lottie but healthier: she's a lot more fun-loving than Tiana in the beginning, and also more grounded than Lottie. I'm glad to know Tiana was created with Cinderella's influence!

OnTheMoonAtLast wrote:

Farerb wrote:

From the Disney Princess book:

"Tiana has had a tough life: We always related her to Cinderella as more of an underdog princess," says Clements. "And to contrast her with the prince. We were sort of basing things on It Happened One Night in reverse. Tiana in some ways was Clark Gable, and the Prince was Claudette Colbert. We also had Three Little Pigs in mind: Tiana is Practical Pig; the Prince represents the other two pigs combined. Tiana is like Cinderella: She's got to fight, she's got to struggle.

I've always seen Tiana and Cinderella as being similar and never understood why fans always pit them against each other (I remember when a Tiana stan rudely reblogged someone's Tia x Cinderella fanart to say that Tiana was "too good" for Cinderella and would be better with Mulan or Merida. MERIDA!). I think Cinderella is like both Tiana and Lottie but healthier: she's a lot more fun-loving than Tiana in the beginning, and also more grounded than Lottie. I'm glad to know Tiana was created with Cinderella's influence!

The fandom has always had this view that Mulan and Merida are the best princesses ever and would look down on all the others. That might be true to an extent for Merida, but I don't see Mulan liking Merida at all. Mulan views filial piety and duty to your family as most important of all, all things which Merida is particularly remiss of. Similarly, Tiana values hard work and good work ethic so she'd have a lot in common with Cinderella, but she's also often grouped with Mulan as looking down on everyone else because she has a job. She has a job because that's the only way she can fulfill her father's dream and because that was the only way to get by in her time period. People also forget that Snow White and Cinderella essentially had "jobs" by being forced into servitude but it's less "woke" with them, I guess because they don't get paid so they can't be characterized as modern-day businesswomen.

There are definitely a group of princesses whose fandoms tend to have the most inflated egos online by looking down on everyone else. Mulan is the prime example since 1998, but Tiana, Merida, and Elsa all followed in her footsteps. I think Merida's fandom is a bit better now because a lot of her popularity has waned, but it seems Mulan stans are worse than ever and Elsa stans haven't changed much. The good thing about Tiana in this situation is that she's so unpopular that she's never had a very vocal and militant fandom the way Mulan and Elsa do so it's mainly just these two. Ironically enough, the two unprincesses of the group (which is also lorded over the other princesses, how Mulan is superior because she didn't marry a prince and how Elsa is a queen. I wonder how they can still argue that for Elsa since she gave up her crown but I never hear them prop up Anna now about how Anna must be superior to all as the new queen. I've even heard some Elsa stans say that Elsa is still the true queen and Anna is just the temporary ruler or figurehead but Elsa is still doing all the work lol).

“Tiana’s Bayou Adventure” Ride Announced to Replace Splash Mountain, Disney Officially Gives Opening Timeframe

https://wdwnt.com/?p=723419