One Hundred and One Dalmatians

Release Date: January 25, 1961

Watch Date: November 25, 2023

“Walt Disney’s original classic has charmed audiences for generations with its irresistible tail-wagging stars, memorable story and wonderful blend of humor and adventure. Cruella De Vil, Disney’s most outrageous villain, sets the fur-raising adventure in motion when she dognaps all of the Dalmatian puppies in London, including 15 from Pongo and Perdita’s family. Through the power of the ‘Twilight Bark,’ Pongo leads a heroic cast of animal characters on a dramatic quest to rescue them all.”

---

    We had a week. Like a really bad, stressful week. And it was very difficult to get the motivation to do anything, let alone watch goofy movies.

    But life has to go on and you can’t be stuck forever in limbo, and so we had to sit down, as a family, regroup, and reconnect. I feel badly about missing out on so much of Bob’s month, I do, but he’s a trouper, and he knows that it’s sometimes just the way life goes. He was always planning on picking this movie though, so it worked out supremely well.

    This was, honestly, the ideal movie for the mood. A cute little story about a family. It’s not complicated, it’s heartwarming. Even the style of animation is soft and relaxing in the way only old animated Disney movies can be. For Bob and I, it was familiar and calm. It’s a touchstone in most Disney fans lives. I doubt anyone sees a Dalmatian in this day and age and doesn’t think how much cuter it would be if there were 100 others, just like it.

    Though I worry about that Dalmatian Plantation when they all grow up. And a lot of those dogs are not siblings, so it’s gonna be One Thousand and One Dalmatians very quickly, unless Roger and Anita are very responsible dog owners; which, based on how they treat Pong and Perdita, they probably are.

    Because of the animal murder, most people do consider Cruella De Vil to be one of Disney’s worst villains, but honestly, it feels like she’s barely in the damn movie. I can see why they wanted to have her reappear in ‘The Rescuers’ and how she spawned two live action versions of this film, in which she takes a much bigger role, and an entire ‘Wicked’ and ‘Maleficent’ style origin story. She’s definitely memorable. And I think she might be one of the first, if not the first, Disney villain to get a song. Now she doesn’t sing it, but if you don’t find yourself randomly humming “Cruella De Vil” throughout your life, are you even a real Disney fan?

    I’m hoping that this movie will have broken the ice, and we’ll pick back up again. We have plans for at least one more movie for Bob’s month, and then we’re on to the Holiday season, which I think we’ve both been looking forward too.

    And just as a reminder, it’s always darkest before the dawn – but dawn will come. It has too. Pick yourself up, after giving yourself a little time to grieve, and keep moving. Be kind to yourself, but don’t let anything stop your life or get in the way of you accomplishing your goals and being with your family. Pongo and Perdita didn’t – and they had a mad woman who literally wanted to kill them on their literal tail.