Pinocchio (1999, VHS)

I often set myself up as being very anti-Disney...and in fact, often describe myself as being so. And yet, some of my fondest childhood memories (back in the days before VCRs, mind you), were going to see the Classic Disney films in the dark theatre with my family, and being astounded at the imaginative and beautiful stories unfolding for me on the big screen. Back then, as many of you will remember, because everyone DIDN'T have copies of all of the Disney flicks in their homes on VHS and DVD, Disney re-released their animated "Classics" about once every seven years, so that each generation...

The original Pinocchio story, written by Collodi, is a kids' morality play, steeped in religious symbolism of right vs. wrong and good vs. bad. It addresses many pitfalls: temptation, disobedience, lying. It also highlights positive attributes: love, friendship, bravery, sacrifice. The Walt Disney animated feature version is not as didactic as the original story. It successfully teaches the same fundamental values in humorous and adventurous ways. Pinocchio the marionette is granted life as the result of a wish on a star by his maker, Geppetto. Though alive, Pinocchio is still a puppet. He is.

After the astoundingly successful Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the Disney animation crew set to work on Walt Disney s second full-length animated feature. The result was an enduring tale that still inspires people to dare to dream, while reminding them to always let your conscience be your guide. Yes, it s the story of that little wooden boy named Pinocchio who dreamed of becoming a real boy. The story is narrated by Jiminy Cricket, an insect who has gone on to take part in many other special Disney presentations. In his travels, he happened upon the cottage of Geppetto, an elderly...

Each Christmas, my wife and I give each other a tree ornament which best sums up significant events or favorite things in the other s life. This year, she gave me a Hallmark sculpture of Gepetto and his boy puppet from Disney s "Pinocchio." She couldn t have picked a better ornament. "Pinocchio" has always been one of my most "significant events and favorite things." I m not sure when I first saw the 1940 cartoon was it in the theater? On TV? Or did I get a Pinocchio coloring book 30 Christmases ago and fall in love the beauty of the line drawings then? The memory is fuzzy, but one thing s...