Screenplay by Dan Fogelman
Based upon the fairy tale “Rapunzel” by the Brothers Grimm
Starring Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, and Donna Murphy
Released by Walt Disney Pictures, 2010
Running time: 100 minutes
Rated PG for brief mild violence
“When will my life begin?,” wonders Rapunzel, the heroine of Disney’s Tangled, an animated adaptation based on the fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. She has spent the eighteen years of her life hidden away in a tower with no company except her mother and pet chameleon. She tries to make the most of her long, dull days, doing chores, baking, painting, knitting, reading, and brushing her long, magic hair. But none of the repetitive activities available to her in the tower are enough to make her feel alive. She longs to discover what the world is like outside and to go see the lights that appear in the sky every year on her birthday.
No chains or locked doors prevent Rapunzel from leaving. Mother Gothel, the film’s antagonist, stole Rapunzel as a baby and raised her as her own in order to use the girl’s hair to keep herself young and beautiful. To ensure that Rapunzel is obedient and cooperative, Gothel psychologically manipulates her. She undercuts Rapunzel’s values and sense of self with malicious humor. She constantly insults her, then hides behind excuses, such as: “I’m just teasing. Stop taking everything so seriously.” She also scares the girl with exaggerated descriptions of the dangers she would encounter outside, including quicksand, plagues, cannibals, ruffians, and thugs—dangers that Gothel claims Rapunzel is too weak, naive, immature, and clumsy to survive. Under this guise of care and concern, she aims to destroy Rapunzel’s self-esteem, induce guilt, and keep her in the tower.
Rapunzel is afraid because she does not have the experience to deal with such dangers—and because she is afraid, she doesn’t venture out to gain that experience. After all, “Mother knows best.”
When Flynn Rider, a thief who is trying to elude authorities after stealing a crown, unwittingly intrudes upon Rapunzel in the tower, she discovers she is not as helpless as her mother makes her out to be: She knocks Flynn out with a frying pan and ties him up with her hair. In the face of unexpected danger, she faces her fear, uses her judgment, and handles herself without Gothel’s help. This gives her the self-confidence and courage to make a deal with Flynn: She will give back the crown, which she hid from him while he was unconscious, if he will take her to see the lights.
The moment her feet touch the grass outside the tower for the first time, she feels the joy of freedom—knowing that her life begins now. She is ecstatic, but the guilt she feels for defying her “mother” and the fear that she may be in danger undermine her joy and excitement. Because Flynn must risk getting arrested in order to take Rapunzel to see the lights, he tries to use her internal conflict to manipulate her into calling off the adventure. To scare her, he takes her to a tavern frequented by “ruffians and thugs.” Rapunzel remains unperturbed. When the ruffians endanger her quest by trying to turn Flynn in for a bounty, Rapunzel appeals to the only thing they all have in common, convincing them to let Flynn go. What can an adorable, inexperienced girl have in common with a bunch of “malicious, mean, and scary” brutes? See the film and find out.
Tangled shows the crucial role of bravery, independence, and self-esteem in overcoming obstacles to achieve one’s values and thus live fully. This delightful film can inspire viewers to identify—and defeat—the widely used destructive methods of real-life Gothels and to gain the courage to leave their own metaphorical towers and thrive.
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