Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Movie Poster Image

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

age 5+
(i)

 

Animated classic is enchanting but also scary.
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  • Review Date: September 30, 2005
  • Rated: G
  • Genre: Family and Kids
  • Release Year: 1937
  • Running Time: 84 minutes

What parents need to know

Educational value

Not an overtly educational film, except for the message that your should never harm the innocent, even when ordered to.

Positive messages

The huntsman makes an ethical choice to disregard the evil queen's immoral command to kill Snow White; he shows mercy instead. Snow White stays positive, never complains about her lot, and finds the good in even dire circumstances. The dwarfs band together to defend Snow White.

Positive role models

Although Snow White is the classic damsel in distress who dreams of being rescued by her prince, she's also generous and selfless. She's sweet, loving, nurturing, and trusting, albeit naive and gullible. The dwarfs are also brave, as they follow the Old Hag after they realize she has hurt Snow White. Obviously, the Wicked Queen is an example of bloodthirsty greed and hubris.

Violence & scariness

There are a few possibly disturbing scenes, especially any scene including the Wicked Queen. The queen threatens and orders the huntsman to kill Snow White and return with her heart in a box. The huntsman raises a knife, and Snow White shrieks in terror. As Snow White flees, the enchanted forest becomes increasingly scary. Menacing vultures follow the queen after she transforms into a creepy old hag (the transformation process itself is quite creepy). After Snow White faints into her "sleeping death," the dwarves arm themselves with their mining tools and follow the queen, who eventually falls to her death.

Sexy stuff

The prince kisses Snow White, and the songs are mostly of a romantic nature.

Language

As has been noted by various film scholars and sociologists, the usually overlooked first word of the movie is "Slave!" as the Wicked Queen summons her slave in the "Magic Mirror."

Consumerism

Snow White is a Disney Princess, whose brand reaches far and wide. Expect to see Princess branding on consumer merchandise, food products, etc. as well as in books, websites, and other media.

Drinking, drugs, & smoking
Not applicable

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Disney's first animated film does contain a few scenes that might frighten young preschoolers. The scenes with the wicked queen are especially creepy, as are the parts when Snow White runs through the frighteningly enchanted forest, bites the poisoned apple, and when the Queen turns into the old hag. While the violence is far from bloody, the queen does order the huntsman to kill Snow White and bring back her heart. As is to be expected in a film made in 1937, Snow White is a passive damsel in distress who needs to be rescued by her true love, the prince.

What's the story?

SNOW WHITE, the first feature-length animated film in movie history, is the original Disney Princess. In a far off kingdom, a wicked Queen (voiced by Lucille LaVerne) is so evil she forces her lovely step-daughter Snow White (Adriana Caselotti) to work as a servant. Obsessively vain, the Queen is only happy when her slave in a magic mirror tells her she's \"the fairest one of all.\" On the fateful day the magic mirror informs her that Snow White is the fairest, the jealous Queen orders a huntsman to kill Snow White and return with her heart. Instead, the huntsman instructs Snow White to flee, and he takes the Queen a pig's heart. Eventually forest animals direct Snow White to a small cottage -- the home of seven dwarfs who become her little friends and protectors. The Queen's mirror, however, knows Snow White is still alive and the fairest, so the Queen will stop at nothing to get rid of her beautiful rival.

Is it any good?

QUALITY

Although Snow White may not be as brave as Mulan, as intelligent as Belle, or as talented as Ariel, she is, like Cinderella after her, the sweetest among the Disney Princesses. Girls nowadays like their princesses and movie idols with a little edge, but considering Snow White was made in 1937, it's still a timeless tale, chock-full of the key ingredients to Disney's recipe for success: romance, mystery, mild peril, and music (more than 70 years later, people can still sing along to "Some Day My Prince Will Come") .

Snow White has it all, and it's a testament to the original Walt Disney animators that the traditional, hand-drawn animation can still evoke so much terror (the bulging eyes that creep out of the enchanted forest, or the menacing look of the two vultures), pathos (the sight of Snow White's outstretched hand after eating the apple) and tenderness (the dwarfs mourning Snow White's apparent death). Seven decades have passed, and this original wicked Queen is still the scariest of the Disney villains, and Snow White quite possibly the fairest of them all.

Families can talk about...

  • Families can talk about how characters like Snow White might be different if they were created today, and what elements of the story make it a classic fairy tale.  

  • How is the violence in Snow White different than the violence in other Disney movies?

  • Snow White is a traditional damsel in distress. How have depictions of princesses and heroines changed since 1937?

  • Why is the Queen jealous of Snow White? Why is being beautiful so important to her?

Movie details

Theatrical release date:December 21, 1937
DVD release date:February 2, 2016
Cast:Adriana Caselotti, Harry Stockwell, Lucille La Verne
Director:David Hand
Studio:Walt Disney Pictures
Genre:Family and Kids
Topics:Magic and fantasy, Princesses and fairies
Character strengths:Compassion, Courage, Empathy, Humility, Integrity
Run time:84 minutes
MPAA rating:G

This review of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was written by

Sandie Angulo Chen
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are conducted by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

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Kid, 7 years old November 28, 2009
age 4+
this was the first disney movie ever made! thats why i like this movie.
What other families should know
Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
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Teen, 13 years old Written by4kidshater June 5, 2010
age 8+

a very timeless disney movie

I love this movie. It is very timeless. It is the greatest movie ever made. This is a very good movie. I like it. I highly recommeded it.
What other families should know
Too much violence
Great messages
Great role models
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Teen, 13 years old Written byrebma97 July 10, 2010
age 6+

Not the best Disney classic but okay

I kinda liked it. It was okay. Snow White was annoying, and her inability to stand up for herself is irritating, but I understand that's how the fairytales were. The dwarves were funny, and who could forget their little mining song? Parents need to know it has some iffy stuff. First, violence might scare litte kids, even though it's outdated. The huntsman almost kills Snow White. There's a scene where Snow White is trapped in the woods and its dark so the animals look scary. Also, there's a sweet kiss. Snow White isn't the best role model, but she isn't horrible. The good is that she's a loving, kind, polite young lady. The bad is that Snow's a steroetypical damsel-in-distress who dreams of being rescued by a cute guy. The witch is the stereotypical evil stepmother. SPOILER She marries Prince Charming after she met him. He saved her life, but she didn't even know him before. With that being said, Snow White is extremely sweet and shows that it's good to be nice to people
What other families should know
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