Dumbo

Dumbo was released in 1941, right after their big flop, Fantasia. Dumbo was created cheaply by using less detailed animation and making a shorter film. The production cost for the film was only $950,000, a stark difference compared to the millions of dollars spent in production of it's previous four films. Despite their financial difficulties, Disney still pulled through and created a classic, worth watching again and again.
I never really pieced it together as a kid, but Dumbo's got a rough life. I just thought he was cute and I liked to ride inside him whenever I went to Disneyland. In all seriousness though, I don't know how it was for the other animals the stork dropped off, but Casey Jr's Circus is not the place to raise an elephant. Literally from his birth, Jumbo Jr is bullied for his abnormally large ears. At this point I'm sure you're all thinking I typed his name wrong in the last sentence. Well, that thinking is wrong. That's right, the baby elephant's name is not Dumbo. Dumbo is the name that the gossipy lady elephants gave him when they saw how odd he looked with his giant ears. Poor kid. But he's got one good thing going for him: his mother. She just ignores those snarky lady-phants and loves her baby. Unfortunately, Dumbo's bad luck has only begun.
Soon after the aforementioned incident, Dumbo and Mrs. Jumbo are chilling in the big top, like elephants do. Some kids come by and start throwing things at Dumbo and teasing him about, you guessed it, his ears. Well Mama Jumbo is fed up with bullies and will be having none of that. She goes completely bananas over these kids and is captured and locked up.
Now remember, Dumbo is just a little guy. He can't really take care of himself and all the other elephants shun him. At this point, he is completely alone. And then a little luck comes his way. Timothy Q. Mouse, a character somewhat reminiscent of Jiminy Cricket, feels sympathy for Dumbo. He makes it his own personal mission to protect him and try and cheer him up.
The next scene is just excruciating to me. Maybe because I really sympathize for Dumbo or maybe because I can't help but imagine how physically uncomfortable it would be to stack that many elephants on top of each other. Either way, this scene is painful. Dumbo is a part of a very intense stunt where all the elephants make a type of pyramid shape, with Dumbo at the very top, waving his little flag of triumph. Disappointingly, he doesn't make it that far. Before he can even jump on the trampoline that takes him to the top, he trips on his ears and rolls into the pyramid, causing extreme chaos and bringing down the entire big top. Just to add insult to injury, Dumbo is demoted from acrobat to clown.
Well, after such a hard night, Dumbo does what any sensible person would do. He goes to his mom. This reunion, accompanied by the song, "Baby Mine" is so tender and heartbreaking I always feel like I need to go hug my mom afterward. (love you Mum)
After all that crying that you Dumbo did, he needs a serious drink. Now, I'm sure we all remember this part. Dumbo and Timothy drink out of a water barrel that has been inadvertently spiked with champagne. (I'm still pretty sure those clowns were drinking something much stronger.) They vividly hallucinate about pink elephants. I'm sure I'm not alone in saying this part gave me nightmares.
The next morning, Dumbo and Timothy wake up in a tree. (Partied a little too hard, eh fellas?) Some slightly racist crows come along and marvel at the elephant in the tree, and between them and Timothy, they realize the only way Dumbo could have gotten up there, was if he flew up there. Dumbo is still pretty nervous about flying, who can blame him really, so Timothy gets him a "magic feather."
That evening, Dumbo gets up to do his usual embarrassing clown routine, but stuns everyone, including himself, by flying all over the room. Dumbo realizes he never even needed the feather, and that his weakness was actually his strength. *children cheering*
I love this movie. The art isn't as stunning as the previous movies, but for what little Disney was working with, I'm actually impressed by it. It's a story that brings a new meaning to short, sweet, and to the point.
Next Movie: Bambi

If Dumbo can do it, so can you!