John Smith (Disney)
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''Pocahontas'' is a 1995 American animated
musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...
historical drama film based on the life of Powhatan woman Pocahontas and the arrival of English colonial settlers from the Virginia Company. The film romanticizes Pocahontas' encounter with
John Smith John Smith is a common personal name. It is also commonly used as a placeholder name and pseudonym, and is sometimes used in the United States and the United Kingdom as a term for an average person. It may refer to: People :''In chronological ...
and her legendary saving of his life. The film was produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the 33rd Disney animated feature film and the sixth film produced and released during the Disney Renaissance. The film was directed by
Mike Gabriel Mike Gabriel (born November 5, 1954) is an American animator and film director, best known for his work at Walt Disney Animation Studios and as co-director of the Disney animated films ''The Rescuers Down Under'' (1990) and ''Pocahontas (1995 film ...
and Eric Goldberg (in his feature directorial debut) and produced by Jim Pentecost, from a screenplay written by
Phillip LaZebnik Philip LaZebnik (born 1953 in Ann Arbor, Michigan) is an American screenwriter and producer. LaZebnik has written screenplays for films including ''Pocahontas'', ''Mulan'', ''The Prince of Egypt'', ''The Road to El Dorado'', ''The Lost Treasure ...
, Carl Binder, and Susannah Grant. The voice cast features
Irene Bedard Irene Bedard (born July 22, 1967) is an American actress, who has played mostly lead Native American roles in a variety of films. She is perhaps best known for the role of Suzy Song in the 1998 film ''Smoke Signals'', an adaptation of a Sherman ...
and Mel Gibson as Pocahontas and Smith, respectively, with David Ogden Stiers,
Russell Means Russell Charles Means (November 10, 1939 – October 22, 2012) was an Oglala Lakota activist for the rights of Native Americans, libertarian political activist, actor, musician, and writer. He became a prominent member of the American Ind ...
,
Christian Bale Christian Charles Philip Bale (born 30 January 1974) is an English actor. Known for his versatility and physical transformations for his roles, he has been a leading man in films of several genres. He has received various accolades, including ...
, Billy Connolly, and Linda Hunt providing other voices. The score was composed by
Alan Menken Alan Irwin Menken (born July 22, 1949) is an American composer, best known for his scores and songs for films produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. His scores and songs for ''The Little Mermaid'' (1989), ''Beauty and the Beast'' (1991), ''A ...
, who also wrote the film's songs with lyricist
Stephen Schwartz Stephen Lawrence Schwartz (born March 6, 1948) is an American musical theatre lyricist and composer. In a career spanning over five decades, Schwartz has written such hit musicals as ''Godspell'' (1971), ''Pippin'' (1972), and ''Wicked'' (20 ...
. After making his directorial debut with '' The Rescuers Down Under'' (1990), Gabriel conceived the film during a Thanksgiving weekend. The project went into development concurrently with '' The Lion King'' (1994), and attracted most of Disney's top animators. Meanwhile, Disney studio chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg decided that the film should be a serious romantic epic in the vein of '' Beauty and the Beast'' (1991), in hope that like ''Beauty'', it would also be nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Picture The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film and is the only category ...
. Screenwriters Binder, Grant, and LaZebnik took creative liberties with history in an attempt to make the film palatable to audiences. ''Pocahontas'' was released on June 16, 1995, to mixed reactions from reviewers, who praised its animation, voice performances, and music, but criticized its story with its lack of focus on tone. The film's historical inaccuracies and racial overtones received polarized responses. ''Pocahontas'' earned over $346 million at the box office. The film received two Academy Awards for Best Musical or Comedy Score for Menken and Best Original Song for " Colors of the Wind". According to critics, the depiction of Pocahontas as an empowered heroine influenced subsequent Disney films like ''
Mulan Hua Mulan () is a legendary folk heroine from the Northern and Southern dynasties era (4th to 6th century CE) of Chinese history. According to legend, Mulan took her aged father's place in the conscription for the army by disguising herself as ...
'' (1998) and ''
Frozen Frozen may refer to: * the result of freezing * a paralysis response in extreme cases of fear Films * ''Frozen'' (1997 film), a film by Wang Xiaoshuai * ''Frozen'' (2005 film), a film by Juliet McKoen * ''Frozen'' (2007 film), a film by Sh ...
'' (2013).


Plot

In 1607, the Susan Constant travels from London to the New World, carrying
Englishmen The English people are an ethnic group and nation native to England, who speak the English language, a West Germanic language, and share a common history and culture. The English identity is of Anglo-Saxon origin, when they were known in O ...
from the Virginia Company. The crewmen, including Captain
John Smith John Smith is a common personal name. It is also commonly used as a placeholder name and pseudonym, and is sometimes used in the United States and the United Kingdom as a term for an average person. It may refer to: People :''In chronological ...
, talk of adventure, finding gold, fighting " Injuns" and potentially settling in the new land. In the Powhatan tribe in Werowocomoco, Tsenacommacah, Virginia, Pocahontas, the daughter of Chief Powhatan, is uncertain about being wed to Kocoum, a warrior of her village whom she sees as too serious for her own free-spirited nature. After having recent dreams about a strange spinning arrow, Pocahontas visits Grandmother Willow, a talking willow tree spirit for advice and is convinced that the arrow points to her true destiny. As she listens to the spirits of the earth for guidance, they alert her to the arrival of the English settlers. The voyage's leader
Governor Ratcliffe John Ratcliffe (born John Sicklemore; 1549 – December 1609) was an early Jamestown colonist, mariner and captain of , the smallest of three ships (the other two being ''Susan Constant'' and '' Godspeed'') that sailed from the Kingdom of ...
, who only seeks wealth and status, dubs the settlement Jamestown and immediately has his crew build in a wooden fort and dig for gold. John departs to explore the wilderness and encounters Pocahontas. At first, she cannot understand what he says, but eventually does after remembering Grandmother Willow’s advice to “listen with her heart”. They quickly bond, becoming fascinated by each other's worlds, and end up falling in love. After a fight between the settlers and natives, Powhatan orders the tribe to stay away from the Englishmen and calls upon fellow warriors from other tribes to come and help them fight off the colonists. Ratcliffe also learns of John's encounters and angrily warns him and anyone else against sparing any Natives, threatening death under treason. John learns of Ratcliffe’s plan to attack the Natives, ignorantly believing them to be hiding the gold from him. As Pocahontas leaves her village to warn John of her tribe’s attack, her best friend, Nakoma, concerned for her safety, warns Kocoum. Meanwhile, as John sneaks out of his camp to meet Pocahontas, Thomas, a friend of John’s, is ordered to follow him by Ratcliffe. Later, John and Pocahontas meet with Grandmother Willow and plan to bring peace between the colonists and the tribe. While both parties spy on the couple, John and Pocahontas share a kiss. Furious, Kocoum attacks and attempts to kill John, but Thomas intervenes by shooting and killing the native. John orders Thomas to leave before the tribesmen arrive and capture him, before retrieving Kocoum’s body. Enraged at Kocoum’s death, Powhatan angrily berates Pocahontas for leaving the village and declares war on the English, beginning with John's execution at dawn. Reaching Jamestown, Thomas informs the settlers of John's capture. Ratcliffe, seeing this as the perfect opportunity to annihilate the tribe and find their nonexistent gold, rallies his men for battle against the Natives just as Powhatan prepares his tribe for war as well. As a dispirited Pocahontas feels lost, she realizes while visiting Grandmother Willow that the arrow from a compass given to her by John is the same spinning arrow from her dream, showing her way back to John. Morning comes and Powhatan and his tribe drag John to a cliff for execution while Ratcliffe leads the armed colonists to fight Powhatan's warriors. Just as Powhatan is about to kill John, Pocahontas intervenes and finally convinces him to end the fighting between the two groups and spare John's life. Both sides stand down and John is released, but when the unmoved Ratcliffe orders his men to open fire, they refuse. Enraged, Ratcliffe fires his musket at Powhatan, but John takes the shot to save him. Livid, the settlers turn on Ratcliffe and detain him for hurting their comrade. John’s wounds are treated by the tribe but must return to England in order to fully recover. Ratcliffe is also sent back to face punishment for his crimes against the settlement. John asks Pocahontas to come with him, but she chooses to stay with her tribe to help keep the peace. John leaves without Pocahontas, but with Powhatan's blessing to return anytime he likes. Pocahontas makes her way to the top of a cliff and watches as the ship carrying John departs.


Voice cast

*
Irene Bedard Irene Bedard (born July 22, 1967) is an American actress, who has played mostly lead Native American roles in a variety of films. She is perhaps best known for the role of Suzy Song in the 1998 film ''Smoke Signals'', an adaptation of a Sherman ...
as Pocahontas, the daughter of Chief Powhatan. She is a very adventurous person who defies her father's strict prohibition of meeting the English settlers and falls in love with Captain John Smith. Glen Keane served as the supervising animator for Pocahontas. :* Judy Kuhn as the singing voice of Pocahontas * Mel Gibson as
John Smith John Smith is a common personal name. It is also commonly used as a placeholder name and pseudonym, and is sometimes used in the United States and the United Kingdom as a term for an average person. It may refer to: People :''In chronological ...
, the love interest of Pocahontas. He is the only settler in Jamestown willing to befriend the Natives due to his love for Pocahontas and acceptance of other cultures. :* Although Gibson provides most of Smith's singing in the film, Jess Harnell claims he provided about 20 percent of Smith's singing voice in certain scenes. * David Ogden Stiers as
Governor Ratcliffe John Ratcliffe (born John Sicklemore; 1549 – December 1609) was an early Jamestown colonist, mariner and captain of , the smallest of three ships (the other two being ''Susan Constant'' and '' Godspeed'') that sailed from the Kingdom of ...
, the greedy and arrogant governor of the settlers who leads an expedition to Virginia to find gold and other riches that he wants to keep for himself. ** Stiers also provided the voice of Wiggins, Ratcliffe's manservant. Unlike Ratcliffe, Wiggins is gentle and good-hearted, but he's stuck serving a terrible man. *
John Kassir John Kassir (born October 24, 1957) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his work as the voice of the Cryptkeeper in HBO's ''Tales from the Crypt'' franchise. He is also known for his role as Ralph in the off-Broadway show ''Reef ...
as Meeko, Pocahontas' mischievous pet raccoon who is friendly to John Smith and loves eating. *
Russell Means Russell Charles Means (November 10, 1939 – October 22, 2012) was an Oglala Lakota activist for the rights of Native Americans, libertarian political activist, actor, musician, and writer. He became a prominent member of the American Ind ...
as Chief Powhatan, Pocahontas's father and chief of the Powhatan tribe who is, at first, distrustful of the English settlers, but eventually learns to make peace with them through his daughter. :*
Jim Cummings James Jonah Cummings (born November 3, 1952) is an American voice actor. Since beginning his career in the 1980s, he has appeared in almost 400 roles. Cummings has frequently worked with The Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros., including as th ...
provides the singing voice of Chief Powhatan *
Christian Bale Christian Charles Philip Bale (born 30 January 1974) is an English actor. Known for his versatility and physical transformations for his roles, he has been a leading man in films of several genres. He has received various accolades, including ...
as Thomas, a loyal friend of John Smith who, like the other English settlers, is ordered by Ratcliffe to fire upon the Natives on sight, but eventually defies his orders. * Billy Connolly as Ben and Joe Baker as Lon, two settlers and friends of John Smith. * Linda Hunt as Grandmother Willow, a speaking willow tree that acts as Pocahontas's guide in times of uncertainty. * Danny Mann as Percy, Governor Ratcliffe's snooty and short-tempered pet pug who, at first, harbors animosity towards Meeko, but eventually befriends him and abandons his owner. *
Frank Welker Franklin Wendell Welker (born March 12, 1946) is an American voice actor. He began his career in the 1960s, and holds over 860 film, television, and video game credits as of 2022, making him one of the most prolific voice actors of all time. With ...
as Flit, Pocahontas's feisty pet
hummingbird Hummingbirds are birds native to the Americas and comprise the biological family Trochilidae. With about 361 species and 113 genera, they occur from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, but the vast majority of the species are found in the tropics aro ...
who prefers Kocoum over John Smith but eventually befriends the latter. *
Michelle St. John Michelle St. John (born August 26, 1967) is a Canadians, Canadian actress, singer, producer and director who has been involved in creative projects in theatre, film, television and music since the 1980s. Her directorial debut, ''Colonization Road ...
as Nakoma, Pocahontas's best friend who is more easygoing as opposed to Pocahontas's adventurous spirit. * James Apaumut Fall as Kocoum, a strong and brave but stern and aggressive Powhatan warrior who Chief Powhatan wants Pocahontas to marry. * Gordon Tootoosis as Kekata, the medicine man of the Powhatan. :* Jim Cummings provides the singing voice of Kekata Three actors in the film have been involved in other Pocahontas-related projects. Gordon Tootoosis acted as Chief Powhatan in '' Pocahontas: The Legend'' (1995). Christian Bale and Irene Bedard would portray John Rolfe and Pocahontas's mother, respectively, in Terrence Malick's ''
The New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. 3 ...
'' (2005).


Production


Development

Following the release of '' The Rescuers Down Under'' (1990), director
Mike Gabriel Mike Gabriel (born November 5, 1954) is an American animator and film director, best known for his work at Walt Disney Animation Studios and as co-director of the Disney animated films ''The Rescuers Down Under'' (1990) and ''Pocahontas (1995 film ...
was eager to collaborate with veteran Disney story artist Joe Grant on a follow-up project that was vastly different from the animated adventure film. In April and May 1991, they first partnered on an adaptation of ''
Swan Lake ''Swan Lake'' ( rus, Лебеди́ное о́зеро, r=Lebedínoye ózero, p=lʲɪbʲɪˈdʲinəjə ˈozʲɪrə, link=no ), Op. 20, is a ballet composed by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. Despite its initial failur ...
'' with both of them writing story outlines and creating conceptual artwork. Gabriel and Grant then submitted their outline for approval, but it was negatively received by the studio's live-action script readers. Earlier, during Thanksgiving weekend, 1990, Gabriel had wanted to direct an animated musical set in the
American West The Western United States (also called the American West, the Far West, and the West) is the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. As American settlement in the U.S. expanded westward, the meaning of the term ''the Wes ...
. At a relative's Thanksgiving dinner, while glancing through numerous titles in their bookcase, Gabriel struck on the idea of adapting the life of Pocahontas after finding a book about her. Following the cancellation of ''Swan Lake'', Gabriel returned to the idea. Shortly after, Gabriel pitched his idea at the "Gong Show" meeting held by Michael Eisner, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Peter Schneider, and Roy E. Disney. He had written the title ''Walt Disney's Pocahontas'' on an image of Tiger Lily from '' Peter Pan'' (1953) to the back of which he taped a brief pitch that read "an Indian icprincess who is torn between her father's wishes to destroy the English settlers and her wishes to help them – a girl caught between her father and her people, and her love for the enemy." Coincidentally, Feature Animation president Peter Schneider had been developing an animated version of William Shakespeare's play ''
Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...
'', and observed several similarities between his idea and Gabriel's ''Pocahontas'' pitch; Schneider recalled: "We were particularly interested in exploring the theme of 'If we don't learn to live with one another, we will destroy ourselves.'" Gabriel's pitch was quickly accepted, becoming the quickest story turnaround in Disney studio history. After '' Beauty and the Beast'' (1991) was unprecedentedly nominated for an
Academy Award for Best Picture The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film and is the only category ...
at the 64th Academy Awards, then-studio chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg opted to produce another animated romance film in the hopes of achieving a similar feat. While ''
Aladdin Aladdin ( ; ar, علاء الدين, ', , ATU 561, ‘Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with ''The Book of One Thousand and One Nights'' (''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part of ...
'' (1992) and '' The Lion King'' (1994) were considered to be too far into development, Katzenberg deemed ''Pocahontas'' a promising candidate, and thus pushed for the heroine to be older, the romance between her and Smith to be more mature, and the animals to be mute. Head of story
Tom Sito Tom Sito (born May 19, 1956) is an American animator, animation historian and teacher. He is currently a Professor at USC's School of Cinematic Arts in the Animation Division. In 1998, Sito was included by ''Animation Magazine'' in their list of th ...
went on the record stating he wanted to include "broader" jokes, but the "higher-ups wanted it more winsome, more gentle. Some of the folks were so concerned about political correctness, they didn't want to be cuckoo-wacky about it." Eric Goldberg—following his contributions to ''Aladdin'' as the supervising animator of
the Genie Disney's ''Aladdin'' franchise features an extensive cast of fictional characters. The lead character of the series is Aladdin, who was originally a street urchin. During the course of the franchise, he starts living in the palace of Agrabah and ...
and with all animation units for ''The Lion King'' already occupied—was asked to co-direct ''Pocahontas'' alongside Gabriel, to which he agreed. Likewise, he had originally expected the film to be more comedic and cartoonish like ''Aladdin'', but Schneider informed him that the film would be produced in a vein more similar to that of ''Beauty and the Beast''; the then-ongoing
1992 Los Angeles riots The 1992 Los Angeles riots, sometimes called the 1992 Los Angeles uprising and the Los Angeles Race Riots, were a series of riots and civil disturbances that occurred in Los Angeles County, California, in April and May 1992. Unrest began in S ...
further convinced Goldberg to commit to the film due to its racial themes. However, executive interference would grow so much that Goldberg himself decided to work for Chuck Jones Productions under the pseudonym "Claude Raynes" during production. It eventually reached a peak when Joe Grant drew Percy wearing a Native American feather, by which the animators took the concept one step further by placing a Spanish ruff on Meeko. One executive exclaimed, "Animals don't have the intelligence to switch their clothes! They don't even have opposing thumbs." The animators would retain their concept for the film. Under Katzenberg, Frank Wells, and Michael Eisner, the Disney studios had begun a correlation of hiring Broadway personnel to manage the Disney animation staff on their feature films that brought such producers as Amy Pell to ''Aladdin'' and Sarah McArthur and Thomas Schumacher to ''The Lion King''. Before making his producing debut on ''Pocahontas'', James Pentecost had earlier worked as a production stage manager on several Broadway productions including '' La Cage aux Folles'' and '' Crimes of the Heart''. In June 1992, the filmmakers embarked on a research trip to the Jamestown Settlement where Pentecost first met Shirley "Little Dove" Custalow-McGowan and Debbie "White Dove" Custalow, both descendants of the Powhatan Native Americans. The trip also included a visit to the Pamunkey Indian Reservation, and conducted interviews with historians at Old Dominion University. Following the research trip, Custalow-McGowan served as a consultant traveling to the Disney studios three times, and while Custalow-McGowan offered her services for free, Disney paid her a $500 daily consulting fee plus expenses. Ultimately, when it came to light that historical accuracy was not being pursued to the extent she had hoped, McGowan has voiced her feelings of shame she felt in conjunction with her work on the film, saying " hewish d hername wasn't on it". Additional Native American consultants were brought in to authenticate the clothing and war dance choreography. That same month, Katzenberg held a meeting with the Feature Animation staff in which he predicted that ''Pocahontas'' would be a commercial hit, while deeming ''The Lion King'' experimental and less likely to succeed. As a result, most of the animators of Walt Disney Feature Animation decided to work on ''Pocahontas'' instead, believing it would be the more prestigious and successful of the two.


Writing

In January 1993, Carl Binder joined the project, having previous expertise as a
television writer A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...
on shows such as '' Punky Brewster'', '' War of the Worlds'', '' Friday the 13th: The Series'', and '' Top Cops''. Four months later, Susannah Grant and
Philip LaZebnik Philip LaZebnik (born 1953 in Ann Arbor, Michigan) is an American screenwriter and producer. LaZebnik has written screenplays for films including ''Pocahontas'', ''Mulan'', ''The Prince of Egypt'', ''The Road to El Dorado'', ''The Lost Treasure ...
joined the writing team. Susannah Grant was selected by Disney as a screenwriter on ''Pocahontas'' after winning the Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting awarded by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences the year before while still attending film school. On board as a screenwriter, she was only one of the many who was contributing the specific vision the upper management at Disney had in mind, and collaborated with Native American consultants. While working on the film, Susannah Grant wrote to a specific story outline, and no scene was rewritten less than thirty-five times until she felt it was perfect. Story supervisor Tom Sito, who became the project's unofficial historical consultant, did extensive research into the early colonial era and the story of John Smith and Pocahontas, but was confronted over the historical inaccuracies by historians. Already knowing that in reality, Pocahontas married John Rolfe, Gabriel explained it was felt that "the story of Pocahontas and Rolfe was too complicated and violent for a youthful audience" so instead, they would focus on Pocahontas's meeting with John Smith. The filmmakers discovered that Pocahontas was around twelve years old and Smith was "not a very likeable character", in which producer James Pentecost confessed that dramatic license was needed to be taken. Likewise, when searching for an appropriate age for Pocahontas to begin her relationship with Smith, Glen Keane explained, "We had the choice of being historically accurate or socially responsible, so we chose the socially responsible side" by increasing Pocahontas's age from a girl into a young woman. One of Gabriel's early ideas was for Pocahontas's mother to be embodied in a certain star in the sky that would help Pocahontas find her path to Smith. ''The Lion King'' however had concurrently carried a similar idea of the ancestors giving wisdom and guidance to the protagonist so the idea was discarded. Michael Eisner pushed for Pocahontas to have a mother, lamenting that "We're always getting fried for having no mothers." The writers countered that Powhatan was polygamous and formed dynastic alliances among other neighboring tribes by impregnating a local woman and giving away the child, so it was believed that Pocahontas herself probably did not see her mother that much. "Well", Eisner conceded, "I guess that means we're toasted." Ultimately, her mother's spirit would become the swirling wind that occurs throughout the film. For the villain, they chose
John Ratcliffe John Ratcliffe or John Ratcliff may refer to: Politicians *John Ratcliffe (American politician), former Director of National Intelligence, former congressman in Texas' 4th Congressional District, and former U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of ...
, whose portrayal was based on actual English captains, including
John Martin John Martin may refer to: Business *John Martin (businessman) (1820–1905), American lumberman and flour miller *John Charles Martin (fl. 1913–1931), American newspaper publisher *John Martin (publisher) (born 1930), American founder of Black ...
,
Christopher Newport Christopher Newport (1561–1617) was an English seaman and privateer. He is best known as the captain of the ''Susan Constant'', the largest of three ships which carried settlers for the Virginia Company in 1607 on the way to found the settle ...
, and Edward Maria Wingfield. In reality, it was Wingfield who despised John Smith, but the filmmakers preferred the sinister sound of "Ratcliffe". The writers tried to adapt actual events from Pocahontas's life into the film such as her warning Smith that the Native Americans were after him so he could escape in the middle of the night, Powhatan ordering the captured Smith to make bead necklaces to humiliate him, and Pocahontas being captured by Ratcliffe (instead of Samuel Argall), though none of them worked with the story. Sito mentioned that Joe Grant contributed heavily towards the film, as he was the creator of Redfeather, Meeko, and Flit. Redfeather was a wise-cracking turkey who was intended to be voiced by John Candy, and Percy, who was to be voiced by
Richard E. Grant Richard E. Grant (born Richard Grant Esterhuysen; 5 May 1957) is a Swazi-English actor and presenter. He made his film debut as Withnail in the comedy ''Withnail and I'' (1987). Grant received critical acclaim for his role as Jack Hock in Marie ...
, was revised to become mute. Following the death of John Candy in March 1994, co-screenwriter Susannah Grant decided the turkey was inappropriate for the script she co-wrote for ''Pocahontas'', and a more realistic approach would have the animals pantomime instead of talking. Joe Grant stated Redfeather "had comic potential–he thought he was handsome, a lady's man. When we decided he couldn't talk, and, having no hands, he couldn't mime ...". Joe Grant would later draw a concept sketch of a hair-braiding raccoon, in which Glen Keane animated and claimed the directors "loved the idea and got rid of the turkey character." Similarly, according to Sito, Meeko was created because they were "naturally enigmatic, because they have little hands and a little mask over their face like a thief." Gabriel described the inspiration for Flit the hummingbird from having "hummingbirds all over my backyard, ndI thought, 'That's a great animal to animate.'" According to the directors, Governor Ratcliffe's pampered pet, Percy, was based on history as the royalty of the time often carried small pugs wherever they went. For the spiritual ancestor, a male character named Old Man River was originally envisioned, and
Gregory Peck Eldred Gregory Peck (April 5, 1916 – June 12, 2003) was an American actor and one of the most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1970s. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Peck the 12th-greatest male star of Classic Hollywood ...
was cast in the role. Peck later realized that the character ought to be a maternal figure and reluctantly turned down the role. Conceived as a tree of life whose seasonal changes would frame the story, Grandmother Willow grew out of a concept sketch of a sawed-off tree with a branch pointing to its rings drawn by Joe Grant, which would serve as a narrator that would "remember back to Pocahontas 300 years earlier". Joe Grant would continue to protest to have the tree be more a character within the story, and her character flowered into the idea of a grandmotherly spiritual adviser to Pocahontas. Because of Katzenberg's opposition to having Grandmother Willow in the story, Joe Grant assisted fellow veteran story artist Burny Mattinson with coming up tree puns such as "My bark is worse than my bite", "The roots of all problems", and "They're barking up the wrong tree." Mattinson reluctantly added them to his pitch for the next morning, and during the story meeting, he exclaimed, "Everybody loved it! All of a sudden: 'Oh, I want her in!' 'Let's build her part bigger!'"


Casting

In September 1992, Disney began casting actors for ''Pocahontas'' telling talent agents that they were particularly interested in Native American actors for the project. For the role of Pocahontas, Broadway actress-singer Judy Kuhn was hired to provide the singing voice for the eponymous character before
Irene Bedard Irene Bedard (born July 22, 1967) is an American actress, who has played mostly lead Native American roles in a variety of films. She is perhaps best known for the role of Suzy Song in the 1998 film ''Smoke Signals'', an adaptation of a Sherman ...
was cast. Kuhn explained "They said, 'You are going to do the dialogue unless we find a Native American actress whose singing voice matched yours.' I was cast before Irene, so it actually went backwards." Bedard herself was filming '' Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee'' (1994) where she was informed by the casting director that they were looking for someone to voice the title role. According to Bedard, she took a train to Buffalo, New York, where she walked in wearing a
sundress A sundress or summer dress is an informal or casual dress intended to be worn in warm weather, typically in a lightweight fabric, most commonly cotton, and usually loose-fitting. It is commonly a bodice style sleeveless dress, typically with a ...
and a straw hat, and read for the part. Back on the set of ''Lakota Woman'', she learned that she was cast in the role. Michelle St. John had also auditioned for the role of Pocahontas, and was given the role of Nakoma after Bedard was cast. Mel Gibson was cast as English settler John Smith following a desire to make "something for my kids." In a notable contrast to previous voice actors for Disney animated features, Gibson provided the singing voice for his character, which the actor has described as the most difficult part of his role.
Christian Bale Christian Charles Philip Bale (born 30 January 1974) is an English actor. Known for his versatility and physical transformations for his roles, he has been a leading man in films of several genres. He has received various accolades, including ...
auditioned for the role of Thomas. As he explained in an interview with '' Disney Adventures'', "the directors played with Thomas being Irish and Scottish and younger than I am, so I had to raise my voice and do different accents. But the more we did it, the more he became like me–older and English." Richard White, the voice of
Gaston Gaston is a masculine given name of French origin and a surname. The name "Gaston" may refer to: People First name *Gaston I, Count of Foix (1287–1315) *Gaston II, Count of Foix (1308–1343) *Gaston III, Count of Foix (1331–1391) *Gaston ...
in ''Beauty and the Beast'', was supposed to voice Ratcliffe, but the crew was worried he might sound too much like Gaston, so he was replaced by his co-star David Ogden Stiers, who also voices Ratcliffe's dimwitted assistant Wiggins. Russell Means was cast as Chief Powhatan, though he initially expressed displeasure with the script in that Native Americans addressed each other using proper names rather than the traditional "my father" or "my friend".
Indigenous Canadian In Canada, Indigenous groups comprise the First Nations in Canada, First Nations, Inuit and Métis people in Canada, Métis. Although ''Indian'' is a term still commonly used in legal documents, the descriptors ''Indian'' and ''Eskimo'' have fal ...
actor Gordon Tootoosis was also cast as the tribal medicine man Kekata. Throughout most of the production, the cast members performed their dialogue in separate recording sessions.


Design and animation

Renowned for his animation of Ariel in '' The Little Mermaid'' (1989), supervising animator Glen Keane was immediately tapped to draw the titular Native American princess. Following the demands of Jeffrey Katzenberg to make the title character "the most idealized and finest woman ever made", Keane first sought his inspirations for his depictions of Pocahontas from Shirley 'Little Dove' Custalow-McGowan and Devi White Dove, women he had met during the research trip to Virginia. Keane recalled meeting the women:
So I turned around and there's this beautiful Indian woman walking up; a Native American. She said 'Are you Glen Keane? The animator that's going to do Pocahontas?' I said 'Well, yeah.' And then from behind another tree another woman came up and she said, 'Well, my name is Shirley Little Dove, and this is my sister Devi White Dove, and we are descended from Pocahontas.' And as they stood there, I mean I took a picture of both of them, and between their faces was Pocahontas' face in my mind – I could see her.
Other inspirations were Natalie Belcon, Naomi Campbell, Jamie Pillow, supermodel
Kate Moss Katherine Ann Moss (born 16 January 1974) is a British model. Arriving at the end of the "supermodel era", Moss rose to fame in the early 1990s as part of the heroin chic fashion trend. Her collaborations with Calvin Klein brought her to fas ...
, Charmaine Craig, Christy Turlington, Dyna Taylor, and her own voice actress Irene Bedard. For almost three years, Taylor herself sat for four three-hour modeling sessions in which she was videotaped so the animators could draw poses of her from different angles. Keane also looked to a 1620 depiction of Pocahontas from a history book, though he would state the depiction was "not exactly a candidate for '' People''s 'Most Beautiful' issue oI made a few adjustments to add an Asian feeling to her face." Due to the complexity of the color schemes, shapes, and expressions in the animation, a total of 55 animators worked on the animation of Pocahontas' character alone, including Mark Henn and Pres Romanillos. After working at
Sullivan-Bluth Studios Don Bluth Entertainment (formerly Sullivan Bluth Studios) was an Irish-American animation studio established in 1979 by animator Don Bluth. Bluth and several colleagues, all of whom were former Disney animators, left Disney on September 13, 1979, ...
for over fourteen years, John Pomeroy, who notoriously resigned alongside Don Bluth during work on '' The Fox and the Hound'' (1981) in 1979, returned to Disney and worked on the film. Pomeroy noted that initially John Smith was portrayed as well-groomed before the animators tried designs where the character was "sloppier", bearded, and carried daggers and knives. Pomeroy grew more satisfied with the character's design the more simple it became. Additionally, Pomeroy cited inspiration for John Smith from Errol Flynn and the facial features of Gibson. Initially assigned as a supervising animator on ''The Lion King'', Nik Ranieri did character designs and test animation for Timon, but moved over to ''Pocahontas'' growing frustrated with an indecisive vision from the directors. There, he was assigned to animate Redfeather until Jeffrey Katzenberg ordered for the animals to be mute. Finding feathers difficult for Redfeather to gesture with, he was again assigned to animate Meeko using a
Little Golden Books Little Golden Books is a series of children's books, published since 1942. ''The Poky Little Puppy'', the eighth release in the series, is the top-selling children's book of all time in the United States.. Many other Little Golden Books have b ...
animal book illustrated by
Alice and Martin Provensen Alice Rose Provensen (''née'' Twitchell; August 14, 1918 – April 23, 2018) and Martin Provensen (July 10, 1916 – March 27, 1987) were an American couple who illustrated more than 40 children's books together, 19 of which they also wrote and edi ...
as reference. Duncan Marjoribanks utilized geometric shapes to create Ratcliffe. In early drafts of the character, he had a body similar to a pear, but to make him appear more arrogant, the animator increased the force of gravity on his chest so that he seemed more pompous and physically threatening. Chris Buck served as the supervising animator for Percy, Wiggins, and Grandmother Willow. For Grandmother Willow, the face was traditionally animated by Buck, while the cowl and the trunk of the tree were digitally animated under the supervision of Steve Goldberg. Assisted by the effect animators, a 3D software program was employed for the bark to be individually manipulated and for the face to match with the computer-generated texture. The following supervising animators also included
Anthony DeRosa Anthony "Tony" DeRosa (born January 1, 1959) is an American animator, best known for his work at Walt Disney Animation Studios. DeRosa has worked as a supervising animator on several Disney Animated Feature Films, including ''The Lion King'', ''Poc ...
for Nakoma, Michael Cedeno for Kocoum, Ken Duncan for Thomas, T. Daniel Hofstedt for the settlers Lon and Ben, and Dave Pruiksma for Flit. While ''
Mulan Hua Mulan () is a legendary folk heroine from the Northern and Southern dynasties era (4th to 6th century CE) of Chinese history. According to legend, Mulan took her aged father's place in the conscription for the army by disguising herself as ...
'' (1998) was within its pre-production stages, 18 minutes were animated by 170 animators and artists at the Disney-MGM Studios. Initially, Gabriel asked Michael Giaimo to create conceptual paintings for the film as they both shared in a style of shape-based and secondary art details. Giaimo, himself a former assistant animator and then a CalArts teacher, accepted in which he worked several months on a freelance basis. After Goldberg became the film's co-director, the two directors asked Giaimo to officially join the staff, in which he was promoted to being the film's art director. For Giaimo, he relied on a color-saturated, elegant designs in a less-than-realistic format inspired by "prehistory Caribbean themes and creatures derived from Mexican and African folk art." Giaimo also sought out inspiration for the visual design from the works produced by earlier Disney art designers such as Richard Kelsey (who had done story sketches for his unproduced film ''Hiawatha''), Eyvind Earle, who worked on '' Sleeping Beauty'' (1959), and
Mary Blair Mary Blair (born Mary Browne Robinson; October 21, 1911 – July 26, 1978) was an American people, American artist, animator, and designer. She was prominent in producing art and animation for The Walt Disney Company, drawing concept art for s ...
.


Music

Howard Ashman and
Alan Menken Alan Irwin Menken (born July 22, 1949) is an American composer, best known for his scores and songs for films produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. His scores and songs for ''The Little Mermaid'' (1989), ''Beauty and the Beast'' (1991), ''A ...
were planning to write songs for ''Pocahontas'' once they were finished working on ''Aladdin'', but Ashman died in 1991. Following the death of his longtime collaborator, Menken wrote the remaining songs for ''Aladdin'' with
Tim Rice Sir Timothy Miles Bindon Rice (born 10 November 1944) is an English lyricist and author. He is best known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he wrote, among other shows, ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'', ' ...
at his home in London, which the New York-based composer found to be difficult. When ''Aladdin'' was finished, Menken was expected to write songs for ''Pocahontas'' with Rice. Kevin Bannerman, the studio's director of development, stated Rice "was always gallivanting around the world and it was difficult to get him and Alan together ... And so here was Stephen chwartz who had written scores that we all loved and we were huge fans of, and he lived in the New York area." Disney immediately contacted
Stephen Schwartz Stephen Lawrence Schwartz (born March 6, 1948) is an American musical theatre lyricist and composer. In a career spanning over five decades, Schwartz has written such hit musicals as ''Godspell'' (1971), ''Pippin'' (1972), and ''Wicked'' (20 ...
, who, after working on ''
Working Working may refer to: * Work (human activity), intentional activity people perform to support themselves, others, or the community Arts and media * Working (musical), ''Working'' (musical), a 1978 musical * Working (TV series), ''Working'' (TV s ...
'', '' Rags'', and '' Children of Eden'', had quit theater and was taking psychology courses at New York University; he was brought on board to write the lyrics. This would mark the first time Menken had collaborated without Ashman for a Disney animated film. Menken commented that their work included moments of tension because Schwartz was also capable of writing music and Menken had experience with lyrics. Due to corporate interest in the film surrounding its theme of promoting understanding between different groups, and its inclusion of violence and threats of greater conflict, Schwartz became heavily involved in the storytelling. Bannerman estimated that he spent a week with one of the screenwriters and helped work out the overall themes of tolerance and cooperation. In June 1992, Schwartz researched Jamestown, Virginia where he absorbed the atmosphere and bought tapes of Native American music and English sea shanties, as well as other music from the early 17th century that helped inspire numbers in the film. Schwartz modeled his lyrical writing for people of other ethnicities on that of
Oscar Hammerstein II Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II (; July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was an American lyricist, librettist, theatrical producer, and (usually uncredited) director in the musical theater for almost 40 years. He won eight Ton ...
and Sheldon Harnick. " Colors of the Wind" was the first song to be written for the film. Gabriel, Goldberg, and Pentecost stated the song had defined the film's "heart and soul". Schwartz began "Colors" with a few draft ideas for lyrics taking inspiration from Chief Seattle's letter to the United States Congress. Then, Menken wrote the melody with Schwartz listening at the piano and making suggestions. Schwartz would add lyrics before a session together where they were refined. "
Just Around the Riverbend "Just Around the Riverbend" is a song from the 1995 Disney animated film ''Pocahontas''. Synopsis In the film, "Just Around the Riverbend" serves as Pocahontas' "I want" song, where she decides if she will follow tradition and the safe choice, or ...
", also composed by Menken and Schwartz, was devised by Schwartz's wife Carole, with the idea that Pocahontas would have a recurring dream that suggested something coming her way, paving the way for her
"I Want" song The "I Want" song (also called an "I Wish" song) is a popular type of song featured in musical theatre, and has become a particularly popular term through its use to describe a series of songs featured in Disney Renaissance films that had the main ...
. The song almost did not make it into the completed film when Disney executives doubted whether her song would have the kind of impact they wanted at that point. Schwartz however stated he and Menken "believed in it very strongly. Indeed, at one point we wrote a different song for that spot, but Alan and I were never as happy with the second song and ultimately everybody at Disney came to feel that way, too." The filmmakers had planned for a song for when Pocahontas and Smith met in the glade, just before Kocoum attacks Smith. There were an estimated three to four songs at this point, including "In the Middle of the River", "First to Dance", which was deemed too silly as it took place before Kocoum's death, and "Powerful Magic", which was another attempt at a cheerful song. A love song, titled "
If I Never Knew You "If I Never Knew You" is a song by American singers Jon Secada and Shanice, from Disney's 1995 animated feature film, ''Pocahontas''. The song was written by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Stephen Schwartz, and originally recorded by American ...
", had been finished by the animators, but following a test screening where child and teen audiences were not interested in the song as it played, Menken suggested that the song be removed. It was, although its melody remained in the orchestral underscoring. The soundtrack was successful, reaching number-one on the ''Billboard'' 200 charts during the week of July 22, 1995. It received a triple platinum certification.


Release


Marketing

To replicate the promotional buzz of ''The Lion King'', the four-minute musical number, "Colors of the Wind", was released in November 1994, accompanying a theatrical re-release of ''The Lion King''. On February 3, 1995, Disney began its promotional marketing campaign starting in San Diego, California, launching a nationwide 18-week tour of fashion malls located within twenty-five cities where a mall exhibit named Pocahontas Animation Discovery Adventure was created to help promote the release. There, a Disney animator would guide shoppers on a presentation tour, which featured a walk-through maze with interactive lily pads, flying birds, and huge video wall, a studio workshop where visitors can become the voice of their favorite animated character, and an area where visitors can electronically manipulate images. Additionally, they would demonstrate animation techniques and discuss the design and creation of Pocahontas' character. Further promotional tie-ins included
Burger King Burger King (BK) is an American-based multinational chain store, chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. Headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida, the company was founded in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida–based res ...
distributing 55 million toy replicas of the characters with kids' meals,
Payless Shoes Payless (formerly known as Payless ShoeSource Inc.) is an international discount footwear chain. Established in 1956 by cousins Louis and Shaol Pozez, Payless was a privately held company owned by Blum Capital, and Golden Gate Capital. In 1961, ...
selling a line of moccasins, and Mattel peddling a Barbie-like Pocahontas doll. A behind-the-scenes documentary television special titled ''The Making of Pocahontas: A Legend Comes to Life'' aired on the
Disney Channel Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...
on June 20, 1995, where the animators, voice cast, crew, and studio heads were interviewed on the production of the film. The special was hosted by actress Irene Bedard. The film had the largest premiere in history, on June 10, 1995, in New York's Central Park, followed by a live performance by Vanessa Williams. Disney officials estimated the crowd at 100,000. The premiere's attendees included then-New York Mayor
Rudy Giuliani Rudolph William Louis Giuliani (, ; born May 28, 1944) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 107th Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001. He previously served as the United States Associate Attorney General from 1981 to 198 ...
, Caroline Kennedy,
Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...
and Michael Eisner.


Home media

At first announced to be released on March 6, 1996, ''Pocahontas'' was first released on VHS and
LaserDisc The LaserDisc (LD) is a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium, initially licensed, sold and marketed as DiscoVision, MCA DiscoVision (also known simply as "DiscoVision") in the United States in 1978. Its diam ...
in the United States on February 28, 1996, under the "Masterpiece Collection" lineup. A deluxe VHS edition included supplemental features such as a making-of documentary, alongside a special edition of ''The Art of Pocahontas'' book and Disney-certified lithograph prints. On November 13, 1996, the CAV laserdisc Deluxe Edition contained the film, a historical documentary on Pocahontas, and ''The Making of Pocahontas'', along with added storyboards, character design artwork, concept art, rough animation, publicity and promotional trailers, the deleted "If I Never Knew You" musical sequence, and an audio commentary on a total of four double sided discs. The release was also accompanied with a Special Edition of the ''Art of Pocahontas'' book. Disney initially shipped 17 million VHS copies to retail stores, with nine million copies sold within its first weekend. By mid-1998, the operating income of the VHS release had accumulated to in worldwide sales. In January 2000,
Walt Disney Home Video Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Inc., doing business as Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, is the home entertainment distribution arm of The Walt Disney Company. The division handles the distribution of Disney's films, television series, an ...
launched the Walt Disney Gold Classic Collection, with ''Pocahontas'' re-issued on VHS and DVD on June 6, 2000. The DVD contained the film in its 1.66:1 aspect ratio enhanced with 5.1 surround sound, and was accompanied with special features including two music videos, a trivia game, the theatrical trailer, and a "Fun with Nature" activity booklet. Five years later, the film was remastered for a
THX THX Ltd. is an American company that develops the eponymous high fidelity audio/visual reproduction standards for movie theaters, screening rooms, home theaters, computer speakers, gaming consoles, car audio systems, and video games. Founded ...
-certified 10th Anniversary 2-disc Special Edition DVD, which was released on May 3, 2005. This release features two versions of the film, which are a new extended cut with two performances of "If I Never Knew You" and the original theatrical version. On August 21, 2012, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released ''Pocahontas'', alongside its sequel '' Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World'', on
Blu-ray Disc The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a Digital media, digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and c ...
as a 2-Movie Collection. ''Pocahontas'' was re-released yet again in 2016 as a Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD combo pack, available exclusively through the Disney Movie Club. It featured brand-new cover art, and, for the first time, a digital copy download of the film alongside the physical release.


Reception


Box office

Timed with Pocahontas' 400th birthday, ''Pocahontas'' had a limited release in North America on June 16, 1995, playing in only six selected theaters in Chicago, Boston, Atlanta, Detroit, St. Louis and Los Angeles. The film grossed $2.7 million during its first weekend, standing at the eighth place in the box office ranking. It beat the record set by ''The Lion King'' the previous year for the highest-grossing opening weekend on fewer than 50 screens, a record that has not been beaten. The wide release followed on June 23, 1995, in 2,596 screens. Studio estimates initially anticipated ''Pocahontas'' earning $30.5 million, ranking first and beating out the previous box office champion '' Batman Forever'' (1995). The figure was later revised to $28.8 million with ''Pocahontas'' falling second behind ''Batman Forever''. The final estimates placed ''Pocahontas'' narrowly ranking first grossing $29.5 million in its first weekend with ''Batman Forever'' falling into second place taking $29.2 million. By January 1996, the film grossed $141.5 million in the United States, being the fourth-highest-grossing film in North America of 1995, behind ''
Apollo 13 Apollo 13 (April 1117, 1970) was the seventh crewed mission in the Apollo space program and the third meant to land on the Moon. The craft was launched from Kennedy Space Center on April 11, 1970, but the lunar landing was aborted aft ...
'', '' Toy Story'', and ''Batman Forever''. Overseas, the film was projected to gross $225 million, though foreign box office grosses eventually amounted to $204.5 million. Cumulatively, ''Pocahontas'' grossed $346.1 million worldwide. Although at the time it was seen as a commercial box office disappointment in comparison to ''The Lion King'', in January 1996, then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner contested in an annual shareholders' meeting that "''Pocahontas'' is well on its way to being one of our most successful films of all time. It has equalled ''Beauty and the Beast''s box office numbers domestically, and now it has taken Europe by storm and is playing well in every country in which it is being shown. Sales of ''Pocahontas'' merchandise have been phenomenal."


Critical response

''Pocahontas'' received generally mixed reviews from film critics. The review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes reports that of critics gave the film a positive review based on reviews, with an average score of . The site's consensus states "''Pocahontas'' means well, and has moments of startling beauty, but it's largely a bland, uninspired effort, with uneven plotting and an unfortunate lack of fun." Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 from top reviews from mainstream critics, calculated a score of 58 based on 23 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by
CinemaScore CinemaScore is a market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts based on the data. Background Ed Mintz founded Ci ...
gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
of the '' Chicago Sun-Times'', gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, writing that ''Pocahontas'' was "the best-looking of the modern Disney animated features, and one of the more thoughtful" though he was more critical of the story and portrayal of the villain, ultimately summarizing that "on a list including '' Mermaid'', '' Beauty'', ''
Aladdin Aladdin ( ; ar, علاء الدين, ', , ATU 561, ‘Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with ''The Book of One Thousand and One Nights'' (''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part of ...
'' and '' Lion King'', I'd rank it fifth. It has a lot of good intentions, but a severe scoundrel shortage." On the television program ''
Siskel & Ebert Gene Siskel (January 26, 1946 – February 20, 1999) and Roger Ebert (June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013), collectively known as Siskel & Ebert, were American film critics known for their partnership on television lasting from 1975 to Siskel's d ...
'', Ebert repeated the same sentiment, while his partner
Gene Siskel Eugene Kal Siskel (January 26, 1946 – February 20, 1999) was an American film critic and journalist for the ''Chicago Tribune''. Along with colleague Roger Ebert, he hosted a series of movie review programs on television from 1975 until his d ...
was more praising of the film. Both critics gave the film a "Thumbs Up". In his print review for the '' Chicago Tribune'', Siskel awarded the film 3 stars out of 4, stating it is a "surprisingly serious, thoughtful and beautifully drawn Disney animated feature about the American birthright of exploitation and racism". He praised it for "sending powerful images to children about threats to the natural order", restoring "a certain majesty to the Indian culture", and for having "the courage that leads to the life-goes-on ending." The film's writing and lack of humor received mixed reviews.
Owen Gleiberman Owen Gleiberman (born February 24, 1959) is an American film critic who has been chief film critic for ''Variety'' magazine since May 2016, a title he shares with . Previously, Gleiberman wrote for ''Entertainment Weekly'' from 1990 until 2014. ...
of '' Entertainment Weekly'' stated: "With dismay, I realize that virtually everything in the movie – every character, every story twist, every song – is as generic as the two hygienic lovers. As a fairy-tale confection, a kind of '' West Side Story'' in Jamestown, ''Pocahontas'' is pleasant to look at, and it will probably satisfy very small kiddies, but it's the first of the new-era Disney cartoons that feels less than animated." Peter Travers of '' Rolling Stone'' bemoaned that there were "no funny, fast-talking animals – Meeko the raccoon and Flit the hummingbird remain silent pals to Pocahontas and make you miss the verbal fun that Nathan Lane's wisecracking meerkat brought to ''The Lion King''." Desson Howe, reviewing for '' The Washington Post'', likewise criticized the writing as recycling "elements from '' Snow White'' to ''The Lion King'', with a father-child clash, a heroine's saintly pureness that transforms an entire people, a forbidden love, consultations with an oracle/shaman (in this case a tree spirit, voiced by Linda Hunt) and the usual sideshow of funny, fuzzy animals." While calling the screenplay the "film's weakest element", Janet Maslin of '' The New York Times'' summarized in her review: "Gloriously colorful, cleverly conceived and set in motion with the usual Disney vigor, ''Pocahontas'' is one more landmark feat of animation. It does everything a children's movie should do except send little viewers home humming its theme song." According to Chief Roy Crazy Horse of the
Powhatan Renape Nation The Powhatan people (; also spelled Powatan) may refer to any of the indigenous Algonquian people that are traditionally from eastern Virginia. All of the Powhatan groups descend from the Powhatan Confederacy. In some instances, The Powhatan ...
, the film "distorts history beyond recognition" and "perpetuates a dishonest and self-serving myth at the expense of the Powhatan Nation". Roy claimed that Disney had refused the tribe's offers to help create a more culturally and historically accurate film. In the ''Los Angeles Times'', Angela Aleiss said that ''Pocahontas'' and other portrayals of the Native princess rarely show her having anything more important in her life than her relationships with men. Professor and Director of Indigenous Nations Studies Cornel Pewewardy argues that the film presents damaging stereotypes of the Native American population. Pewewardy feels that the representation of Native characters, like Grandmother Willow, Meeko, and Flit, as animals, has a marginalizing effect. Anthropologist Kiyomi Kutsuzawa also observed that in the film, Kocoum and John Smith fight for Pocahontas's affection. Kutsuzawa viewed Smith's victory over Kocoum in this arena as symbolic of Western Europe's domination of the Americas and white men's domination over men of color. Conversely, Native American activist Russell Means, who portrays Chief Powhatan in the film, praised the film's racial overtones, stating that "''Pocahontas'' is the first time Eurocentric male society has admitted its historical deceit", and that it makes the "stunning admission" that the purpose of the European colonization of the Americas was "to kill Indians and rape and pillage the land." Means also said that the film marked "the first time, other than on ''
Northern Exposure ''Northern Exposure'' is an American Northern comedy-drama television series about the eccentric residents of a fictional small town in Alaska that ran on CBS from July 12, 1990, to July 26, 1995, with a total of 110 episodes. It received 57 ...
'', that a human face has been put on an Indian female," dubbing ''Pocahontas'' "the finest feature film on American Indians Hollywood has turned out." Sophie Gilbert of '' The Atlantic'' concurred, stating that the film's narrative "had a
progressive Progressive may refer to: Politics * Progressivism, a political philosophy in support of social reform ** Progressivism in the United States, the political philosophy in the American context * Progressive realism, an American foreign policy par ...
attitude when it came to interpreting history", portraying the settlers as "plunderers searching for non-existent gold who were intent upon murdering the 'heathen savages' they encountered in the process", although she criticized the depiction of Pocahontas as
stereotypical In social psychology, a stereotype is a generalized belief about a particular category of people. It is an expectation that people might have about every person of a particular group. The type of expectation can vary; it can be, for example ...
.


Accolades


Historical accuracy

Pocahontas's real name was Matoaka. "Pocahontas" was only a nickname, and it can variously be translated to "little wanton", "playful one", "little brat", or "the naughty one". Pocahontas was around 10 or 11 at the time John Smith arrived with the Virginia Company in 1607, in contrast to her portrayal as a young adult in the film. Smith is portrayed as an amiable man; in reality, he was described as having a harsh exterior and a very authoritarian personality by his fellow colonists. Historically, there is no evidence of a romantic relationship emerging between Pocahontas and John Smith. Whether or not Pocahontas saved Smith's life is debated. A group of colonists led by Samuel Argall captured Pocahontas three years after John Smith departed for England; she
converted to Christianity Conversion to Christianity is the religious conversion of a previously non-Christian person to Christianity. Different Christian denominations may perform various different kinds of rituals or ceremonies initiation into their community of belie ...
in Henricus and later married John Rolfe, who was known for introducing tobacco as a cash crop. The real
Governor Ratcliffe John Ratcliffe (born John Sicklemore; 1549 – December 1609) was an early Jamestown colonist, mariner and captain of , the smallest of three ships (the other two being ''Susan Constant'' and '' Godspeed'') that sailed from the Kingdom of ...
, along with 14 fellow colonists, died when they were invited to a gathering with the Powhatan tribe. The Powhatans promised the starving colonists would be given corn, but the colonists were ambushed. Ratcliffe was tied to a stake in front of a fire. Women removed the skin from his entire body with mussel shells and tossed the pieces into the flame as he watched. They skinned his face last and finally burned him at the stake. Ebert criticized the film's deviations from history, writing "Having led one of the most interesting lives imaginable, Pocahontas serves here more as a simplified symbol". Sophie Gilbert of ''The Atlantic'' wrote that "The movie might have fudged some facts", but that this allowed it to tell "a compelling romantic story". Animator Tom Sito defended the film's relationship to history, stating that "Contrary to the popular verdict that we ignored history on the film, we tried hard to be historically correct and to accurately portray the culture of Virginia's Algonquins."


Legacy

A live musical show titled ''The Spirit of Pocahontas'' was performed at the Fantasyland Theatre at Disneyland during the film's theatrical release. A video game titled '' Disney's Pocahontas'' based on the film was released on the
Sega Genesis/Mega Drive The Sega Genesis, known as the outside North America, is a 16-bit fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master System. Sega released it in 1988 in Japan as ...
in 1996. The film was followed by a direct-to-video sequel, titled '' Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World'', released on August 25, 1998. Bedard and Kuhn reprised their roles as Pocahontas' speaking and singing voices, respectively.
Donal Gibson Donal Gibson is an American actor and the younger brother of award-winning actor/director Mel Gibson. Biography Gibson was born in Peekskill, New York. He has done voice acting in television shows such as ''ReBoot'' and ''Justice League Unli ...
starred as John Smith and
Billy Zane William George Zane Jr. (born February 24, 1966) is an American actor. His breakthrough role was in the 1989 Australian film ''Dead Calm'', a performance that earned him a nomination for the Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promi ...
starred as John Rolfe. Pocahontas, alongside other Disney Princesses, briefly appeared in the 2018 film ''
Ralph Breaks the Internet ''Ralph Breaks the Internet'' is a 2018 American computer-animated comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The 57th animated film produced by the studio and the sequel to ...
'', with Bedard reprising the role. Critics have also discussed the influence of ''Pocahontas'' on other films. Sophie Gilbert of ''The Atlantic'' argues that the strong and brave title character of ''Pocahontas'' influenced the portrayal of subsequent heroines of Disney animated films, specifically
Mulan Hua Mulan () is a legendary folk heroine from the Northern and Southern dynasties era (4th to 6th century CE) of Chinese history. According to legend, Mulan took her aged father's place in the conscription for the army by disguising herself as ...
, Rapunzel, Merida, and Elsa. Similarly, '' The Verge'' Tasha Robinson wrote that '' Moana'' (2016) "draws on" ''Pocahontas'' in its portrayal of a woman buoyed by her culture. According to '' HuffPost'',
James Cameron James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a Canadian filmmaker. A major figure in the post-New Hollywood era, he is considered one of the industry's most innovative filmmakers, regularly pushing the boundaries of cinematic capability w ...
's '' Avatar'' (2009) is a "rip-off" of ''Pocahontas''. ''Avatar''s producer Jon Landau has said that ''Avatar'' is akin to ''Pocahontas'' with the Na'vi aliens taking the place of Native Americans. Cameron has said that he first conceived of ''Avatar'' in the 1960s, long before ''Pocahontas'' was released, but he has also said that ''Avatar'' does reference the story of Pocahontas, the historical figure. Kirsten Acuna of '' Business Insider'' wrote that, while ''Avatar'' may be based on Cameron's own ideas, it nevertheless takes inspiration from animated films like ''Pocahontas'' and '' FernGully: The Last Rainforest'' (1992).


References


Bibliography

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External links

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''Pocahontas: 10th Anniversary Edition'' DVD Review and Interview

Disney's ''Pocahontas'': Conversations with Native American and Euro-American Girls
- Report on focus groups conducted by Amy Aidman with girls ages nine to thirteen {{Navboxes , title = ''Pocahontas'' , list = {{Pocahontas, state=expanded {{Disney Renaissance {{Disney Princess {{Disney theatrical animated features {{Walt Disney Animation Studios {{Mike Gabriel {{Alan Menken {{Stephen Schwartz {{Annie Award for Best Animated Feature 1995 films 1990s American animated films 1990s children's animated films 1990s historical films 1990s musical films 1995 romantic drama films 1990s English-language films American children's animated adventure films American children's animated drama films American children's animated fantasy films American children's animated musical films American comedy-drama films American folklore films and television series American historical musical films American musical drama films American romantic drama films American romantic musical films American films based on actual events Animation based on real people American animated feature films Animated films set in London Animated romance films Annie Award winners Best Animated Feature Annie Award winners Disney Renaissance Films about interracial romance Films about Native Americans Films about raccoons Films about racism Films about prejudice Films adapted into comics Films directed by Mike Gabriel Films directed by Eric Goldberg (animator) Films scored by Alan Menken Films set in the 17th century Films set in the Powhatan Confederacy Films set in the Thirteen Colonies Films set in Virginia Native American-related controversies in film Disney controversies Films that won the Best Original Song Academy Award Films that won the Best Original Score Academy Award Films with screenplays by Philip LaZebnik Films with screenplays by Susannah Grant Animated films based on actual events Musical films based on actual events Walt Disney Animation Studios films Walt Disney Pictures animated films 1995 directorial debut films Disney Princess films