"Sometimes I believe in as many as six impossible things before breakfast."
--Alice, Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland
When asked if believing in six impossible things before breakfast has a particular relevance for screenwriter Linda Woolverton as a mother, she relates, "My whole MO with my daughter was to raise her to believe that she can do anything, be anything, accomplish anything she wants. Everything I've ever written is for my daughter." (an excerpt from Disney's "Believing in 6 Impossible Things" article)Â The idea that Alice can believe in impossible things and, in fact, accomplish seemingly impossible things sends one of the many messages of empowerment found in Disney's Alice in Wonderland, now available on Blu-ray and DVD.
I loved this line in the movie, and I also loved the discussion of Alice's "muchness." In the movie, the Mad Hatter worries that Alice has lost her "muchness." We saw the movie in theaters first, and determined that it would be fine for my 7 and 5 year-olds to see it. They adored the movie (they are used to seeing a variety of movies, so they weren't scared by the snarling Bandersnatch or the Jabberwocky). Afterward, I asked them to write about and draw what they thought "muchness" means in the movie. My 5yo drew a hilarious picture of a screaming person and wrote that it meant "losing your mind." My 7-year-old, however, grasped the gist of it with an explanation including words like abilities, talents, desires and going after your dreams.
After discussing the meaning of the word, we talked about different situations they might find themselves in, and how they could show "muchness." What resulted from all of this, is they now have a fun, hip word that reminds them to show integrity and stay true to themselves and their values. All kids struggle off and on with fitting in and finding themselves, and I'm glad we had a chance to talk about the fact that it is important to retain their "muchness" and be true to who they are. Alice in Wonderland is one of those quotable movies with lines that kids love to latch on to and repeat over and over. How refreshing that some of those lines actually contain positive sentiments that kids can think back on as life becomes "curiouser and curiouser."
(Photo © Disney. All rights reserved.)
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