Pocahontas

Mike Gabriel and Eric Goldberg’s 1995 animation opens with an English ship anchoring off Virginia and frames the conflict as two peoples disagreeing about what land is for. Its most argued-over decision is the heroine’s age. Supervising animator Glen Keane described what the team did once it learned the historical Pocahontas was a child: “We had the choice of being historically accurate or socially responsible, so we chose the socially responsible side.” The ageing-up was a documented decision, not an oversight. The Powhatan Nation’s statement answered that the film “distorts history beyond recognition” and that its offers to help Disney with cultural and historical accuracy were rejected. Russell Means, who voiced Chief Powhatan, publicly defended it. Inside Disney this was the prestige job. Jeffrey Katzenberg told the animators Pocahontas was a “home run” while The Lion King, made alongside it, “would be a base hit.” It landed the other way. Pocahontas did take two Academy Awards for Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz: Music (Original Musical or Comedy Score), and Music (Original Song) for “Colors of the Wind.” A good fit if you accept that the film loads its whole argument into “Colors of the Wind” rather than into its plot. Not for you if you need the closing scene to acknowledge the abduction and forced conversion it never mentions.