Pocahontas is a 1995 American animated musical historical romantic drama film loosely based on the life of the Native American woman Pocahontas. It portrays a fictionalized account of her historical encounter with Englishman John Smith and the Jamestown settlers that arrived from the Virginia Company. The film was produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures on June 16, 1995. It is the 33rd Disney animated feature film and the sixth film produced and released during the period known as the Disney Renaissance. The film was directed by Mike Gabriel and Eric Goldberg (in Goldberg's feature directorial debut).
Introduction
Pocahontas (1995 film)
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Introduction
History, romantic, drama, music are some them American animated musical historical romantic drama film Animated musical historical romantic drama film animated musical historical romantic drama
who plays the voice of john smith in pocahontas
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Mel Gibson
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when was the film released?
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June 16, 1995
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what was it's genre?
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Screenwriters Carl Binder, Susannah Grant, and Philip LaZebnik took creative liberties with history in an attempt to make the film palatable to audiences.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Introduction
It does everything a children's film should do except send little viewers home humming its theme song."
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Critical response
"Pocahontas" is a 1995 American animated musical romance-drama film and is the 33rd Disney animated feature film. It was produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and had a limited release to theaters on June 23, 1995 by Walt Disney Pictures. It belongs to the era known as the Disney Renaissance, from 1989 to 1999
Pocahontas (franchise) | "Pocahontas"
Pocahontas is a 1995 American animated musical historical romantic drama film loosely based on the life of the Native American woman Pocahontas. It portrays a fictionalized account of her historical encounter with Englishman John Smith and the Jamestown settlers that arrived from the Virginia Company. The film was produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures on June 16, 1995. It is the 33rd Disney animated feature film and the sixth film produced and released during the period known as the Disney Renaissance. The film was directed by Mike Gabriel and Eric Goldberg (in Goldberg's feature directorial debut).
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Introduction
It featured brand-new cover art, and, for the first time, a digital copy download of the film alongside the physical release.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Home media
The film's soundtrack was successful, reaching number-one on the "Billboard" 200 charts during the week of July 22, 1995. It received a triple platinum certification.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Music
"Pocahontas" received generally mixed reviews from film critics. The review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes reports that 55% of critics gave the film a positive review based on 56 reviews, with an average score of 5.91/10. The site's consensus states ""Pocahontas" means well, and has moments of startling beauty, but it's largely a bland, uninspired effort, with uneven plotting and an unfortunate lack of fun." Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 from top reviews from mainstream critics, calculated a score of 58 based on 23 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews." Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A-" on an A+ to F scale.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Critical response
Pocahontas is a Disney media franchise that commenced in 1995 with the theatrical release of "Pocahontas". The franchise is based on the real-life early 17th-century indigenous woman, Pocahontas.
Pocahontas (franchise) | Introduction
In his print review for the "Chicago Tribune", Siskel awarded the film 3½ stars out of 4 commenting that the film is a "surprisingly serious, thoughtful and beautifully drawn Disney animated feature about the American birthright of exploitation and racism". He praised it for "sending powerful images to children about threats to the natural order", restoring "a certain majesty to the Indian culture", and for having "the courage that leads to the life-goes-on ending." The film's writing and lack of humor received mixed reviews. Owen Gleiberman of "Entertainment Weekly" stated "With dismay, I realize that virtually everything in the movie – every character, every story twist, every song – is as generic as the two hygienic lovers.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Critical response
The asterisk (*) means that some characters are either mentioned or made cameos.
Pocahontas (franchise) | Characters
At first announced to be released on March 6, 1996, "Pocahontas" was first released on VHS and Laserdisc in the United States on February 28, 1996, under the "Masterpiece Collection" lineup. A deluxe VHS edition included the film and a documentary on the making of the film alongside a special edition of "The Art of Pocahontas" book and Disney-certified lithograph prints. Released on November 13, 1996, the CAV laserdisc Deluxe Edition contained the film, a historical documentary on Pocahontas, and "The Making of Pocahontas", along with added storyboards, character design artwork, concept art, rough animation, publicity and promotional trailers, the deleted "If I Never Knew You" musical sequence, and an audio commentary on a total of four double sided discs.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Home media
The film was followed by a direct-to-video sequel, titled "", released on August 25, 1998. Bedard and Kuhn reprised their roles as Pocahontas' speaking and singing voices, respectively, while John Smith was voiced by Donal Gibson.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Sequel
There were an estimated three to four songs at this point, including "In the Middle of the River", "First to Dance", which was deemed too silly as it took place before Kocoum's death, and "Powerful Magic", which was another attempt at a happy song. A love song, titled "If I Never Knew You", had been finished by the animators, but following a test screening where younger audiences were not interested in it and the teenagers felt giddy as it played, Menken suggested that the song be removed from the film. It was, although its melody remained in the orchestral underscoring.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Music
Composer Stephen Schwartz explains the concept in regard to the 1995 Disney film "Pocahontas":
&quot;I Want&quot; song | Purpose
It has equalled "Beauty and the Beast"s box office numbers domestically, and now it has taken Europe by storm and is playing well in every country in which it is being shown. Sales of "Pocahontas" merchandise have been phenomenal."
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Box office
After "Beauty and the Beast" (1991) was unprecedentedly nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture at the 64th Academy Awards, then-studio chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg opted to produce another animated romance film in the hopes of achieving a similar feat. While "Aladdin" (1992) and "The Lion King" (1994) were considered to be too far into development, Katzenberg deemed "Pocahontas" a promising candidate, and thus pushed for the heroine to be older, the romance between her and Smith to be more mature, and the animals to be mute. Head of Story Tom Sito went on the record stating he wanted to include "broader" jokes, but the "higher-ups wanted it more winsome, more gentle.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Development
The release was also accompanied with a Special Edition of the "Art of Pocahontas" book. Disney initially shipped 17 million VHS copies to retail stores, with nine million copies sold within its first weekend. By mid-1998, the operating income of the VHS release had accumulated to in worldwide sales. In January 2000, Walt Disney Home Video launched the Walt Disney Gold Classic Collection, with "Pocahontas" re-issued on VHS and DVD on June 6, 2000. The DVD contained the film in its 1.66:1 aspect ratio enhanced with 5.1 surround sound, and was accompanied with special features including two music videos, a trivia game, the theatrical trailer, and a "Fun with Nature" activity booklet.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Home media
The soundtrack also won the Academy Award for Best Musical or Comedy Score, sold 2.3 million copies in the remaining two months of 1995 alone, and went on to reach No. 1 on the "Billboard" 200.
Pocahontas (soundtrack) | Chart and commercial success
This occurs at the very beginning and gives the film a stamp of reality that seldom has been obtained in any historical subject." One flaw in the production was the scene in which Pocahontas appears in the court of King James and the setting draws attention over the action itself. The lack of a throne and unusual shaped windows, likened to those of a conservatory or enclosed veranda by the reviewer, diminishing the effect of the short scene.
Pocahontas (1910 film) | Production
As a fairy-tale confection, a kind of "West Side Story" in Jamestown, "Pocahontas" is pleasant to look at, and it will probably satisfy very small kiddies, but it's the first of the new-era Disney cartoons that feels less than animated." Peter Travers of "Rolling Stone" bemoaned that there were "no funny, fast-talking animals – Meeko the raccoon and Flit the hummingbird remain silent pals to Pocahontas and make you miss the verbal fun that Nathan Lane's wisecracking meerkat brought to "The Lion King"." Desson Howe, reviewing for "The Washington Post", likewise criticized the writing as recycling "elements from "Snow White" to "The Lion King," with a father-child clash, a heroine's saintly pureness that transforms an entire people, a forbidden love, consultations with an oracle/shaman (in this case a tree spirit, voiced by Linda Hunt) and the usual sideshow of funny, fuzzy animals." While calling the screenplay the "film's weakest element", Janet Maslin of "The New York Times" summarized that "Gloriously colorful, cleverly conceived and set in motion with the usual Disney vigor, "Pocahontas" is one more landmark feat of animation.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Critical response
For the villain, they chose John Ratcliffe, whose portrayal was based on actual English captains, including John Martin, Christopher Newport and Edward Maria Wingfield. In reality, it was Wingfield who despised John Smith, but the filmmakers preferred the sinister sound of "Ratcliffe". The writers would continue to adapt actual events into the film such as Pocahontas warning Smith that the Indians were after him so he could escape in the middle of the night, Powhatan ordering the captured Smith to make bead necklaces to humiliate him, and Pocahontas being captured by Ratcliffe instead of Samuel Argall, though none of them worked with the story.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Writing
Pocahontas became the first Native American Disney Princess and the second woman of color to be a main character in a Disney film, after Jasmine from "Aladdin" (1992). A video game titled "Disney's Pocahontas" based on the film was released on the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive in 1996. Pocahontas, alongside other the Disney Princesses, briefly appeared in the film "Ralph Breaks the Internet" (2018), with Bedard returning to the role. Critics have also discussed the influence of "Pocahontas" on other films. Sophie Gilbert of "The Atlantic" argues that the strong and brave title character of "Pocahontas" influenced the portrayal of subsequent heroines of Disney animated films, specifically Mulan, Rapunzel, Merida, and Elsa.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Legacy
The song was put back into the movie when it was re-released for the 10th anniversary of the film, and finally featured on the new edition of the soundtrack.
Pocahontas (soundtrack) | Introduction
Having worked on "Pocahontas" for a year, Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz were offered multiple film projects to work on when they more or less chose to work on "Hunchback" being attracted to underlying themes of social outcast and Quasimodo's struggle to break free of the psychological dominance of Frollo, according to Schwartz. The film has many musical motifs that carry throughout the film, weaving their way in and out of various pieces of music, and having varying timbres depending on the action in the story at that point. The film's soundtrack includes a musical score written by Alan Menken and songs written by Menken and Stephen Schwartz.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996 film) | Music
The voice cast stars Irene Bedard and Mel Gibson as Pocahontas and Smith, respectively, with David Ogden Stiers, Russell Means, Christian Bale, Billy Connolly and Linda Hunt providing other voices. The score was written by Alan Menken, who also wrote the film's songs along with Stephen Schwartz. After making his directorial debut with "The Rescuers Down Under" (1990), Gabriel conceived the film during a Thanksgiving weekend. The project went into development concurrently with "The Lion King" (1994) and attracted most of Disney's top animators. Meanwhile, Disney studio chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg decided the film should be a serious romantic epic in the vein of "Beauty and the Beast" (1991), in hope that, like "Beauty", it would also be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Introduction
The single reel drama, approximately 1,000 feet long, was released on October 11, 1910. The film likely had a wide national release, with known showings in North Carolina, Indiana, Montana, and Kansas. The film was widely praised by supporters of the Independents and minimally praised by the reviewer for "The New York Dramatic Mirror" which was chiefly loyal to the Licensed companies. A review in "The Moving Picture News" stated, "Never did any Licensed manufacturer turn out a better picture, and seldom have they turned out one that's equal. The details, the settings, the staging and the acting, not neglecting the photography, put this picture way above par." Walton, also of "The Moving Picture News" affirmed that the quality of the film, but acknowledged some minor historical accuracy points in the production itself.
Pocahontas (1910 film) | Release and reception
When "Hercules", released in 1997, earned $252 million—$73 million less than "Hunchback"—at the box office, news media began to openly suggest that Disney animation was on a downward trend of their animated film releases. Although it gained more positive criticism than "Pocahontas" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame", it was still vulnerable to competition from companies such as DreamWorks and Pixar. All three films featured songs by Alan Menken.
Disney Renaissance | 1995–97: "Pocahontas", "The Hunchback of Notre Dame", and "Hercules"
According to Rogan, Young's "casual" delivery adds to the horror even more.
Pocahontas (song) | Lyrics and music
Timed with Pocahontas' 400th birthday, "Pocahontas" had a limited release in North America on June 16, 1995, playing in only six selected theaters. The film grossed $2.7 million during its first weekend, standing at the eighth place in the box office ranking. It beat the record set by "The Lion King" the previous year for the highest-grossing opening weekend on fewer than 50 screens, a record that has not been beaten. The wide release followed on June 23, 1995, in 2,596 screens. Studio estimates initially anticipated "Pocahontas" earning $30.5 million, ranking first and beating out the previous box office champion "Batman Forever" (1995).
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Box office
In 2005 the film was remastered for a 10th Anniversary 2-disc Special Edition DVD, the DVD release featured two versions of the film which also featured a new extended cut of the film (adding two performances of "If I Never Knew You"), the original theatrical version and numerous bonus features. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released "Pocahontas", alongside its sequel "Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World", on Blu-ray Disc as a 2-Movie Collection on August 21, 2012. "Pocahontas" was re-released yet again in 2016 as a Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital HD combo pack, available exclusively through the Disney Movie Club.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Home media
The filmmakers discovered that Pocahontas was around twelve years old and Smith was "not a very likeable character", in which producer James Pentecost confessed that dramatic license was needed to be taken. Likewise, when searching for an appropriate age for Pocahontas to begin her relationship with Smith, Glen Keane explained, "We had the choice of being historically accurate or socially responsible, so we chose the socially responsible side" by increasing Pocahontas's age from a girl into a young woman. One of Gabriel's early ideas was for Pocahontas's mother to be embodied in a certain star in the sky that by the end of the film, she would help Pocahontas find her path to Smith.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Writing
"Pocahontas: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack" is the soundtrack to the 1995 Disney animated film, "Pocahontas". It contains songs from the film written by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz, conducted by David Friedman, and performed by Judy Kuhn, Mel Gibson, Linda Hunt, Jim Cummings and David Ogden Stiers among others, and singles by Jon Secada and Shanice, and Vanessa Williams, along with the film's score composed by Alan Menken. It was released by Walt Disney Records on May 23, 1995 on CD and audio cassette.
Pocahontas (franchise) | "Pocahontas: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack"
In 1995, Disney partnered with Pixar to create "Toy Story", the first fully computer-animated film. The next Disney animated film, 1995's "Pocahontas", opened to mixed reviews, though it still earned $346 million worldwide and garnered two Academy Awards for Best Original Musical or Comedy Score and Best Original Song for "Colors of the Wind". The following year, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1996), Disney's first animated film produced at a budget over $100 million, opened to better reviews than "Pocahontas", but a lower total box office of $325 million. Both films feature composer (now serving only as lyricist to Menken's music) Stephen Schwartz.
Disney Renaissance | 1995–97: "Pocahontas", "The Hunchback of Notre Dame", and "Hercules"
The picture, therefore, falls short of the mark aimed at, although it is not unworthy of some praise. ... There are a number of flaws in the costuming that should not go unnoticed - the cloth trousers worn by some of the Indians, the iron hatchets carried by at least two of them, the corsets and tailor-made fancy Indian costume worn by Pocahontas." The "Mirror" however was not impartial and was seen as an organ of the Licensed films. Despite this, the reviews were perceptive and were usually favorable to Thanhouser productions.
Pocahontas (1910 film) | Release and reception
movies were considered to be more liked by males.
Media and gender | Film Genres
Roger Ebert, writing for the "Chicago Sun-Times", gave the film 3 out of 4 stars writing the film was "the best-looking of the modern Disney animated features, and one of the more thoughtful" though he was more critical of the story and portrayal of the villain, ultimately summarizing that "on a list including "Mermaid," "Beauty," "Aladdin" and "Lion King," I'd rank it fifth. It has a lot of good intentions, but a severe scoundrel shortage." On the television program "Siskel & Ebert", Ebert repeated the same sentiment, while his partner Gene Siskel was more praising of the film. Both critics gave the film a "Thumbs Up".
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Critical response
Disney officials estimated the crowd at 100,000. The premiere's attendees included then-New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Caroline Kennedy, Mariah Carey and Michael Eisner.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Marketing
is the soundtrack EP from the 1998 Disney film, "".
Pocahontas (franchise) | "Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World" soundtrack
In December 1994, the Animation Building in Burbank was completed for the animation division. In contrast to the early 1990s productions, the mid-1990s Disney animated features presented a trend of diminishing returns. "Pocahontas", released in summer 1995, was a critical and commercial disappointment compared to its predecessors, earning $346 million worldwide while still winning two Academy Awards for its music by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz. The next film, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1996), partially produced at the Paris studio, performed better critically and grossed $325 million worldwide. The following summer, "Hercules", grossed $252 million worldwide and received positive reviews, but it was responsible for beginning the decline of traditional animated films.
Walt Disney Animation Studios | 1994–1999: End of the Disney Renaissance, declining returns
In 1607, the "Susan Constant" sails from London to the New World, carrying English settlers from the Virginia Company. Along the way, the "Susan Constant" is caught in a North Atlantic storm and Captain John Smith, who dreams about adventure, saves young, inexperienced crewmate Thomas from drowning. As they approach the New World, the settlers, including John, talk of adventure, finding gold, fighting "Injuns" and potentially settling in the new land. In the Powhatan tribe in Tsenacommacah, North America, Pocahontas, the beautiful daughter of Chief Powhatan, fears being possibly wed to Kocoum, a brave warrior whom she sees as too serious for her own free-spirited personality.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Plot
The soundtrack of the movie was released on November 23, 2009, from the Walt Disney Records.
Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World | Music
From the earliest days of cinema in the 19th century the term "genre" (already in use in English with reference to works of art or literary production from at least 1770) was used to organize films according to type. By the 1950s André Bazin was discussing the concept of "genre" by using the Western film as an example; during this era, there was a debate over auteur theory versus genre. In the late 1960s the concept of genre became a significant part of film theory. Film genres draw on genres from other forms; Western novels existed before the Western film, and musical theatre pre-dated film musicals.
Film genre | History
In September 1992, Disney began casting actors for "Pocahontas" telling talent agents that they were particularly interested in Native American actors for the project. For the role of Pocahontas, Broadway actress-singer Judy Kuhn was hired to provide the singing voice for the eponymous character before Irene Bedard was cast. Kuhn explained, "They said, 'You are going to do the dialogue unless we find a Native American actress whose singing voice matched yours.' I was cast before Irene, so it actually went backwards." Bedard herself was filming "" (1994) where she was informed by the casting director that they were looking for someone to voice the title role.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Casting
Its portrayal of Native Americans has been criticized as racially insensitive, but the piece is credited with inspiring a whole new genre of plays about Pocahontas specifically and Native Americans in general, that was prevalent throughout the 19th and early 20th Century. The play was subsequently produced throughout the country.
The Indian Princess (play) | Introduction
The Native American woman Pocahontas is buried at St George's Church, Gravesend in Kent and was the inspiration for the popular Disney animated film of the same name. The first multiplex cinema in the UK was in Milton Keynes, in the mid-1980s.
South East England | Literature, TV Puppetry & Animation, Cinema, Music and Cuisine
The film was very well received. It was praised by critics such as Felix Hude of the Melbourne International Film Festival and won 17 awards.
Genre (1996 film) | Reception
This would mark the first time Menken had collaborated without Ashman for a Disney animated film. Menken commented that their work included moments of tension because Schwartz was also capable of writing music and Menken had experience with lyrics. Due to corporate interest in the film surrounding its theme of promoting understanding between different groups, and its inclusion of violence and threats of greater conflict, Schwartz became heavily involved in the storytelling. Bannerman estimated that he spent a week with one of the screenwriters and helped work out the overall themes of tolerance and cooperation. In June 1992, Schwartz researched Jamestown, Virginia where he absorbed the atmosphere and bought tapes of Native American music and English sea shanties, as well as other music from the early seventeenth century that helped inspire numbers in the film.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Music
The film was issued on a double bill with "The Steel Lady".
Captain John Smith and Pocahontas | Release
Drama, Comedy, Fantasy, Independent Film
The Midas Touch (1997 film) | Genre(s)
Pocahontas is the most well-known example of a Native American woman in mainstream media, and the reception of the 1995 film she stars in has been controversial. Despite Disney's claims that the "Pocahontas" franchise was meant to counter prejudice and create cooperation, critics have argued that the storyline contains unacceptable historical inaccuracies. Critics say the franchise contains harmful stereotypes, overlooks real history, and overshadows the opportunity for real Native American women to be represented in a fair way.
Pocahontas (franchise) | Controversy
Sito mentioned that Joe Grant contributed heavily towards the film, as he was the creator of Redfeather, Meeko, and Flit. Redfeather was a wise-cracking turkey who was intended to be voiced by John Candy, and Percy, who was to be voiced by Richard E. Grant, was revised to become mute. Following the death of John Candy in March 1994, co-screenwriter Susannah Grant decided the turkey was inappropriate for the script she co-wrote for "Pocahontas", and a more realistic approach would have the animals pantomime instead of talking. Joe Grant stated Redfeather "had comic potential–he thought he was handsome, a lady's man.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Writing
In January 1993, Carl Binder joined the project, having previous expertise as a television writer on shows such as "Punky Brewster", "War of the Worlds", "", and "Top Cops". Four months later, Susannah Grant and Philip LaZebnik joined the writing team. Susannah Grant was selected by Disney as a screenwriter on "Pocahontas" after winning the Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting awarded by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences the year before while still attending film school. On board as a screenwriter, she was only one of the many who was contributing the specific vision the upper management at Disney had in mind, and collaborated with Native American consultants.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Writing
Some genres may have rigid, strictly adhered-to guidelines, while others may show great flexibility. Genre began as an absolute classification system for ancient Greek literature, as set out in Aristotle's Poetics. For Aristotle, poetry (odes, epics, etc.), prose, and performance each had specific design features that supported appropriate content of each genre. Speech patterns for comedy would not be appropriate for tragedy, for example, and even actors were restricted to their genre under the assumption that a type of person could tell one type of story best. In later periods genres proliferated and developed in response to changes in audiences and creators.
Genre | Introduction
While working on the movie, Susannah Grant wrote to a specific story outline, and no scene was rewritten less than thirty-five times until she felt it was perfect. Story supervisor Tom Sito, who became the project's unofficial historical consultant, did extensive research into the early colonial era and the story of John Smith and Pocahontas, and was confronted over the historical inaccuracies from historians. Already knowing that in reality Pocahontas married John Rolfe, Gabriel explained it was felt that "the story of Pocahontas and Rolfe was too complicated and violent for a youthful audience" so instead, they would focus on Pocahontas's meeting with John Smith.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Writing
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 29% based on 7 reviews and an average rating of 4.4/10. Joe Leydon of "Variety" called it "too bland and formulaic" for adults but said that children will likely enjoy it. "TV Guide" rated the film 2/5 stars. The reviewer called it "fairly well made" but said it "suffers from the usual defects of an uncompelling plot and weak songs". At "Entertainment Weekly", Michael Sauter rated it C+ and called it "standard yet pleasing fare for the preschool set".
Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World | Reception
Cutting was extremely limited, and mostly consisted of close-ups of writing on objects for their legibility.
Classical Hollywood cinema | Early narrative film (1894–1913)
"Genre" does not just refer to the type of film or its category; spectator expectations about a film, and institutional discourses that create generic structures also play a key role. Genres are not fixed; they change and evolve over time, and some genres may largely disappear (for example, the melodrama).
Film genre | Introduction
Pocahontas: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack is the soundtrack album to the 1995 Disney animated film, "Pocahontas". It was released by Walt Disney Records on June 1, 1995 on CD and audio cassette. The soundtrack contains songs from the film, including each instrumental song, written by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz, and conducted by David Friedman. The main songs feature vocals by Judy Kuhn, Mel Gibson, Linda Hunt, Jim Cummings, David Ogden Stiers, and Bobbi Page. The soundtrack features two hit singles; "Colors of the Wind" performed by recording artist and actress Vanessa Williams, and the film's love theme song "If I Never Knew You" performed by recording artists Jon Secada and Shanice.
Pocahontas (soundtrack) | Introduction
"Disney's Pocahontas" is a video game based on the 1995 film of the same name, was released on the Sega Genesis in 1996. The Sega title was developed by Funcom on contract with Disney. It was followed by a later release for the Game Boy and PlayStation on June 10, 1996, nearly a year after the film's premiere. A Super NES version of the game was under development around the same time as the Genesis version, but was canceled due to development being too far behind to coincide with the Genesis release.
Pocahontas (franchise) | "Disney's Pocahontas"
Still others have said that the categorization of the piece as a melodrama is accurate, considering the play's portrayal of the genre's typical persecuted heroine (Pocahontas), villainous antagonists (Miami and Grimosco), virtuous hero (Smith), and comic relief (Robin and others). The play can also be seen as a predecessor to the exaggerated emotionalism of later American drama, and as an early example of how background music would be used in more modern American drama and films.
The Indian Princess (play) | Style and structure
The film won the Academy Award for Best Original Score and Best Original Song (for "Colors of the Wind"). In honor of the film's twentieth anniversary, the soundtrack was remastered and reissued as the eleventh entry of "The Legacy Collection" series. The "Legacy" edition includes the film's complete original soundtrack in chronological order, along with six demo recordings in a two-disc set. There are 28 tracks on disc one, and 14 tracks on disc two. This release includes the song "If I Never Knew You", performed by Kuhn and Gibson in the film. The original song performed by the characters was cut from the film, and not included on the original soundtrack.
Pocahontas (soundtrack) | Introduction
"The Spirit of Pocahontas" was a stage show. It was performed in the Fantasyland Theater at Disneyland in California and on the backlot theater that was originally constructed for the "Beauty and the Beast" stage show at Disney's Hollywood Studios. It opened at Fantasyland on June 23, 1995 and ran through September 4, 1997. It opened on June 23, 1995 at Disney's Hollywood Studios and closed after eight months in February 1996. The show ran for half an hour with special effects and a score and songs by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz. The show played five times each day.
Pocahontas (franchise) | The Spirit of Pocahontas
Pocahontas is the titular character of Walt Disney Pictures 's 33rd animated feature film "Pocahontas" (1995), and its direct-to-video sequel "" (1998). The character and the events she goes through are loosely based on the actual historical figure Pocahontas. Pocahontas, as the daughter of a Native American paramount chief of the Powhatan paramountcy, is the first American Disney Princess. Pocahontas is also the first Disney Princess to have two love interests. In both films she is voiced by and physically modeled after Native American actress Irene Bedard, and her singing vocals were performed by Broadway singer Judy Kuhn. Pocahontas is the seventh member of the Disney Princess line-up.
Pocahontas (character) | Introduction
Powhatan gives Pocahontas her mother's necklace as a present. Pocahontas, along with her friends, the raccoon Meeko and hummingbird Flit, visit Grandmother Willow, a spiritual talking willow tree and speaks of a dream involving a spinning arrow and her confusion regarding what her path in life should be. Grandmother Willow then alerts Pocahontas to the arriving English. The voyage's greedy leader Governor Ratcliffe, who seeks gold as part of his plan to bring him wealth and status, has Jamestown built in a wooded clearing and immediately has the crewmen dig for gold. John departs to explore the wilderness and encounters Pocahontas.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Plot
Pocahontas is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The scenario was written by Lloyd Lonergan based on Lydia Sigourney's "Pocahontas" poem. The film is a retelling of the well-known story of Pocahontas, played by Anna Rosemond who saves the life of Captain John Smith, played by George Barnes. Pocahontas is captured and held hostage by the English. She is converted to Christianity and marries Rolfe, played by Frank H. Crane. Pocahontas then sickens and dies, spending her last hours wishing to return to her native home. Released on October 11, 1910, the film was met with praise by most reviewers.
Pocahontas (1910 film) | Introduction
The perceived genre of a film can change over time; for example, in the 21st century "The Great Train Robbery" (1903) classes as a key early Western film, but when released, marketing promoted it "for its relation to the then-popular genres of the chase film, the railroad film and the crime film". A key reason that the early Hollywood industrial system from the 1920s to the 1950s favoured genre films is that in "Hollywood's industrial mode of production, genre movies are dependable products" to market to audiences - they were easy to produce and it was easy for audiences to understand a genre film.
Film genre | History
Pocahontas: The Legend is a 1995 drama film that fictionalizes the young life of the historical figure of Chief Powhatan's daughter Pocahontas and her relationship with Captain John Smith. This film was directed by Danièle J. Suissa and stars Sandrine Holt as the titular heroine. It was entirely shot around Toronto and Six Nations of the Grand River in Ontario, Canada. This is the third live-action feature film based on the life of Pocahontas and John Smith, the others being "Pocahontas and John Smith" (1924) and "Captain John Smith and Pocahontas" (1953). John Rolfe, the second husband of Pocahontas, does not appear in this motion picture.
Pocahontas: The Legend | Introduction
"The Indian Princess" gained popularity due to a search for a national identity, as American history was becoming more popular. As Susan Scheckel wrote, "In bringing Pocahontas to the popular stage, James Nelson Barker enlisted the conventions of melodrama to produce a romanticized version of American history that resolved conflicts implicit in past acts of conquest and revolution and defined national identity in terms that reinforced a sense of moral and cultural integrity." Though historical accuracy is overshadowed by romantic melodrama, Barker was aware that that was what his audience wanted, as they were accustomed to romantic melodramas from England.
James Nelson Barker | The Indian Princess
Three actors in the film have been involved in other Pocahontas-related projects. Gordon Tootoosis acted as Chief Powhatan in "" (1995). Christian Bale and Irene Bedard would portray John Rolfe and Pocahontas's mother, respectively, in Terrence Malick's "The New World" (2005).
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Voice cast
The plot centers around a hand drawn rabbit, being told what to do by the animator. (similar to Duck Amuck.) The rabbit's activities depend on what genre appears on the screen. (Example, for "horror movie", the rabbit is stabbed repeatedly by a similarly-drawn bear.) Occasionally, the animator's hand will appear on the screen (Example, at the start, the rabbit is trying to run away from the movie, only to be pulled back by the animator's hand).
Genre (1996 film) | Plot
Due to the lower limit budget, the film proved to be unsuccessful both by critics and at the box office. Hal Erickson of AllMovie gave the film his lowest star rating.
Captain John Smith and Pocahontas | Reception
Two main problems pushed horror backward during this period: firstly, the horror genre wore itself out with the proliferation of nonstop slasher and gore films in the eighties. Secondly, the adolescent audience which feasted on the blood and morbidity of the previous decade grew up, and the replacement audience for films of an imaginative nature were being captured instead by the explosion of science-fiction and fantasy films, courtesy of advances made in computer-generated imagery. Examples of these CGI-driven films include "Species" (1995), "Anaconda" (1997), "Mimic" (1997), "Blade" (1998), "Deep Rising" (1998), "House on Haunted Hill" (1999), "Sleepy Hollow" (1999), and "The Haunting" (1999).
Horror film | 1990s
The genre reached the height of its popularity in the '90s due to the acclaim of the films "New Jack City", "Boyz n the Hood", "Juice" and "Menace II Society". With the plethora of films both dramas and comedies, hood films of the '90s are in a sense neo-Blaxploitation films and Mexploitation films.
Hood film | Criteria
In 2018, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Cinderella (1950 film) | Introduction
"Pocahontas le Spectacle" was a stage show that opened on May 12, 1996 in the Chaparral Theater in the Frontierland section of Disneyland Paris. It dealt with much of the same story as "The Spirit of Pocahontas". Audience members were given the opportunity to watch the "filming" of the movie "Pocahontas", and some volunteers were asked to take the stage as extras in the production. The entire show was done in a combination of English and French. The show’s run ended on August 29, 1999. Like "The Spirit of Pocahontas", the show retells the story of the Disney film version of Pocahontas from the perspective of the storyteller, Werowance, and the Powhatan tribe.
Pocahontas (franchise) | Pocahontas le Spectacle
The volume of films in this genre has slowed from the peak years in the 1990s but continue to be produced to the present day.
Tentacle erotica | Animation
She called the movie "intellectually refreshing and visually beautiful" and recommended it "even to non-mecha people like me".
RahXephon: Pluralitas Concentio | Reception
Genre is a 1996 Live-action/animated short film by animator Don Hertzfeldt, his second student film, preceded by Ah, L'Amour (1995). The 16mm short combines traditional animation, pixilation, and stop-motion animation to present a cartoon rabbit careening through a variety of rapidly changing film genres as his animator struggles to come up with a good idea. The short is Hertzfeldt's least favorite of his work, but it nevertheless was an animation festival hit that went on to receive 17 awards.
Genre (1996 film) | Introduction
"DVD Talk" similarly dissociates the film from this genre.
Eyes Wide Shut | Genre
As well, he has asked whether there is a "... finite taxonomy of genres or are they in principle infinite?" and whether genres are "...timeless essences ephemeral, time-bound entities? Are genres culture-bound or trans-cultural?" Stam has also asked whether genre analysis should aim at being descriptive or prescriptive. While some genres are based on story content (the war film), other are borrowed from literature (comedy, melodrama) or from other media (the musical). Some are performer-based (Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers films) or budget-based (blockbusters, low budget film), while others are based on artistic status (the art film), racial identity (Race films), location (the Western), or sexual orientation (Queer cinema).
Film genre | Pure and hybrid genres
Some of the folks were so concerned about political correctness, they didn't want to be cuckoo-wacky about it." Eric Goldberg—following his contributions to "Aladdin" as the supervising animator of the Genie and with all animation units for "The Lion King" already occupied—was asked to co-direct "Pocahontas" alongside Gabriel, to which he agreed. Likewise, he had originally expected the film to be more comedic and cartoonish like "Aladdin", but Schneider informed him that the film would be produced in a vein more similar to that of "Beauty and the Beast"; the then-ongoing 1992 Los Angeles riots further convinced Goldberg to commit to the film due to its racial themes.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Development
"Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World" is a 1998 straight-to-video sequel to the 1995 Disney film "Pocahontas". The sequel focuses on Pocahontas' journey to London, England with John Rolfe to negotiate for peace between the two nations, although her death is omitted from the film's ending.
Pocahontas (franchise) | "Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World"
mugging her way through a cheesy supernatural kiddie comedy is, to say the least, dispiriting."
Hocus Pocus (1993 film) | Critical response
The basic genres of film can be regarded as drama, in the feature film and most cartoons, and documentary. Most dramatic feature films, especially from Hollywood fall fairly comfortably into one of a long list of film genres such as the Western, war film, horror film, romantic comedy film, musical, crime film, and many others. Many of these genres have a number of subgenres, for example by setting or subject, or a distinctive national style, for example in the Indian Bollywood musical.
Genre | Film
Schwartz modeled his lyrical writing for people of other ethnicities on that of Oscar Hammerstein II and Sheldon Harnick. "Colors of the Wind" was the first song to be written for the film. Gabriel, Goldberg, and Pentecost insisted that the song help define the film's "heart and soul". Schwartz began "Colors" with a few draft ideas for lyrics taking inspiration from Chief Seattle's letter to the United States Congress. Then, Menken wrote the melody with Schwartz listening at the piano and making suggestions. Schwartz would add lyrics before a session together where they were refined. "Just Around the Riverbend", also composed by Menken and Schwartz, was devised by Schwartz's wife Carole, with the idea that Pocahontas would have a recurring dream that suggested something coming her way, paving the way for her "I Want" song.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Music
The song almost did not make it into the completed film when Disney executives doubted whether her song would have the kind of impact they wanted at that point. Schwartz however stated he and Menken "believed in it very strongly. Indeed, at one point we wrote a different song for that spot, but Alan and I were never as happy with the second song and ultimately everybody at Disney came to feel that way, too." The filmmakers had planned for a song for when Pocahontas and Smith met in the glade, just before Kocoum attacks his rival and one of the settlers stalking Smith kills Kocoum.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Music
Though the film is presumed lost, a synopsis survives in "The Moving Picture World" from October 15, 1910. It states: "Captain John Smith comes to America as the head of a band of English colonists and settles in Jamestown, Virginia. While at the head of the colony Smith makes a trip of exploration into the interior and is captured there by King Powhatan, the acknowledged head of all of the red men in Virginia. Powhatan orders his prisoner's execution. Just as the fatal club is about to descend, Pocahontas, the favorite daughter of the King, throws herself before her father.
Pocahontas (1910 film) | Plot
By the 1970s and 1980s, detective and mystery stories began to appear in other genres, sometimes as the framing device for a horror, fantasy or science fiction film or placed in an earlier, nontraditional time period.
Mystery film | Genre blends: horror, fantasy, science fiction, historical
Pocahontas's real name was Matoaka. "Pocahontas" was only a nickname, and it can variously be translated to "little wanton", "playful one", "little brat", or "the naughty one". In the film, Pocahontas is a young adult; in reality, she was around 10 or 11 at the time John Smith arrived with the Virginia Company in 1607, while Smith was 28. Smith is portrayed as an amiable man; in reality, he was described as having a harsh exterior and a very authoritarian personality by his fellow colonists. Historically, there is no evidence of a romantic relationship emerging between Pocahontas and John Smith.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Historical accuracy
is a part of the "Disney's Animated Storybook" game series.
Pocahontas (franchise) | "Disney's Animated Storybook: Pocahontas"
The film is considered to be one of Disney's darkest animated films as its narrative explores such mature themes as infanticide, lust, damnation, antiziganism, genocide, and sin, despite the changes made from the original source material in order to ensure a G rating received by the MPAA. The musical score was written by Alan Menken, with songs written by Menken and lyricist Stephen Schwartz, who had previously collaborated on "Pocahontas", released the year before. "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" was released on June 21, 1996, to generally positive reviews and was a commercial success, grossing over $325 million worldwide and becoming the fifth highest-grossing release of 1996.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996 film) | Introduction
Russell Means was cast as Chief Powhatan, though he initially expressed displeasure with the script in that Native Americans addressed each other using proper names rather than the traditional "my father" or "my friend". Aboriginal Canadian actor Gordon Tootoosis was also cast as the tribal shaman Kekata. Throughout most of the production, the cast members performed their dialogue in separate recording sessions.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Casting
They quickly bond, fascinated by each other's worlds and end up falling in love, despite Powhatan's orders to stay away from the Englishmen after Kocoum and the other warriors engage them in a fight. Meanwhile, Meeko meets Percy, Ratcliffe's pet pug and becomes the bane of his existence. When John tells Pocahontas that he and his men are here to find gold, she tells him that there is no gold. Pocahontas introduces John to Grandmother Willow and avoids two other crewmen, but Pocahontas's best friend Nakoma discovers her relationship with John and warns Kocoum. Ratcliffe also learns of John's encounters with Pocahontas and angrily warns John against sparing any natives he comes across on pain of death.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Plot
Ultimately, when it came to light that historical accuracy was not being pursued to the extent she had hoped, McGowan has voiced her feelings of shame she felt in conjunction with her work on the film, saying, "[she] wish[ed her] name wasn't on it". Additional Native American consultants were brought in to authenticate the clothing and war dance choreography. That same month, Katzenberg held a meeting with the Feature Animation staff in which he predicted that "Pocahontas" would be a commercial hit, while deeming "The Lion King" experimental and less likely to succeed. As a result, most of the animators of Walt Disney Feature Animation decided to work on "Pocahontas" instead, believing it would be the more prestigious and successful of the two.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Development
Following the release of "The Rescuers Down Under" (1990), director Mike Gabriel was eager to collaborate with veteran Disney story artist Joe Grant on a follow-up project that was vastly different from the animated adventure film. During Thanksgiving weekend, 1990, Gabriel considered adapting Western legends such as Annie Oakley, Buffalo Bill, and Pecos Bill into animated films before conceiving of "Pocahontas". Pitching his idea at the Gong Show meeting, Gabriel wrote the title "Walt Disney's Pocahontas" on an image of Tiger Lily from "Peter Pan" (1953), to the back of which he taped a brief pitch that read "an Indian princess who is torn between her father's wishes to destroy the English settlers and her wishes to help them – a girl caught between her father and her people, and her love for the enemy." Coincidentally, Feature Animation president Peter Schneider had been developing an animated version of William Shakespeare's play "Romeo and Juliet", and observed several similarities between his idea and Gabriel's "Pocahontas" pitch; Schneider recalled, "We were particularly interested in exploring the theme of 'If we don't learn to live with one another, we will destroy ourselves.'" Gabriel's pitch was quickly accepted, becoming the quickest story turnaround in Disney studio history.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Development
Disney's Pocahontas is a platform game based on the 1995 film of the same name. The Sega Genesis/Mega Drive version was developed by Funcom on contract with Disney and was released on January 1, 1996. It was followed by a later version for the Game Boy developed by Tiertex Design Studios and released on June 10, 1996, nearly a year after the film's premiere. A Super Nintendo Entertainment System version of the game was under development around the same time as the Mega Drive/Genesis version, but was canceled due to development being too far behind to coincide with the Mega Drive/Genesis release.
Disney's Pocahontas (video game) | Introduction
Renowned for animating female characters such as Ariel, supervising animator Glen Keane was immediately tapped to draw the titular Indian princess. Following the demands of Jeffrey Katzenberg to make the title character "the most idealized and finest woman ever made", Keane first sought his inspirations for his depictions of Pocahontas from Shirley 'Little Dove' Custalow-McGowan and Devi White Dove, women he had met during the research trip to Virginia. Keane recalled meeting the women: So I turned around and there's this beautiful Indian woman walking up; a Native American. She said 'Are you Glen Keane? The animator that's going to do Pocahontas?' I said 'Well, yeah.' And then from behind another tree another woman came up and she said, 'Well, my name is Shirley Little Dove, and this is my sister Devi White Dove, and we are descended from Pocahontas.' And as they stood there, I mean I took a picture of both of them, and between their faces was Pocahontas' face in my mind – I could see her.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Design and animation
When we decided he couldn't talk, and, having no hands, he couldn't mime ...". Joe Grant would later draw a concept sketch of a hair-braiding raccoon, in which Glen Keane animated and claimed the directors "loved the idea and got rid of the turkey character." Likewise, according to Sito, Meeko was created because they were "naturally enigmatic, because they have little hands and a little mask over their face like a thief." Gabriel described the inspiration for Flit the hummingbird where "I have hummingbirds all over my backyard, [and] I thought, 'That's a great animal to animate.'" According to the directors, Governor Ratcliffe's pampered pet, Percy, was based on history as the royalty of the time often carried small pugs wherever they went.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Writing
The protagonist also helps determine the viewers of the movie. Different genres attract different audiences. Therefore, the intended audience is more likely to watch the movie if the protagonist is relatable or easy to identify with. In addition, another study was conducted that looked at men and women's preferences in regard to 17 different movie genres. The participants within the study determined whether the genre presented was more directed towards male or females. The researchers were able to determine from their study that animation, comedy, drama, and romance were genres that interested females. While action, adventure, fantasy, history, horror, thriller etc.
Media and gender | Film Genres
Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World is a 1998 American direct-to-video sequel to the 1995 Disney film "Pocahontas". While the first film dealt with her meeting with John Smith and the arrival of the British settlers in Jamestown, the sequel focuses on Pocahontas's journey to England with John Rolfe to negotiate for peace between the two nations, although her death is omitted from the film's ending.
Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World | Introduction