Pinsky, Mark. Philadelphia: Westminster John Knox Press,
2004. xvii + 286 pp., $14.95 (USD). ISBN: 0-664-22591-8.
[1] Building on his earlier work (The Gospel According to The
Simpsons, reviewed by the Journal of Religion and Popular Culture in
the Summer, 2003) (http://www.usask.ca/relst/jrpc/br4-gospelsimpsons.html), Orlando
Sentinel religion reporter Mark Pinsky turns his attention to
yet another collection of animation, focusing his theological lens
on Disney’s animated releases in The Gospel according to
Disney: Faith Trust and Pixie Dust. He concentrates his
attention primarily on the animated feature-length films for which
Disney gained its fame, with just one chapter discussing the animated “short.” This
work does not comment greatly on the symbolic Disney icon Mickey
Mouse whose ears punctuate the cover of the text, but rather gives
brief (no more than eight pages) attention to 31 Disney feature-length
animated films produced from 1937 to 2003.
[2] The book is divided into three parts. The bulk of the
book is made up of parts one and two (which cover the Disney years
[1937-1984] and the Eisner years [1984-2004], respectively); it
is in these sections that one finds the commentaries on the feature-length
animated films. Part three contains three chapters analyzing
Disney and American culture. In the introduction, Pinsky responds
to criticism of his earlier work on The Simpsons by promising
to provide more of his own analysis, examining secondary academic
works only after he has reviewed and critiqued the films. He
also notes that while most of the animated films discussed are adaptations
of other works, he will not engage in any analysis of that process
of adaptation; rather, he will sketch the over-arching “gospel” in
these films. “There is a consistent set of moral and
human values in these movies,” he writes, “largely based
on Western, Judeo-Christian faith and principle, which together
constitute a ‘Disney Gospel’” (xi).
[3] Pinsky starts each of the first two parts with a sketch of the
players in the eras covered; the era of Walt and Roy Disney is referred
to as “The Christians,” the era of Michael Eisner and
Jeffery Katzenberg is referred to as “The Jews.” This
is a strange differentiation, since the book initially purports
that there is an overarching “gospel” that runs through
both of these eras and is not definitively linked to either religion. The
opening chapter suggests that the Disney gospel is actually a reflection
of an American civic religion. Pinsky confuses things further
by pointing out—quite rightly—that both Walt Disney
and Michael Eisner were linked to their respective faith communities
more as a matter of ethnic background than of faith choice. It
should be noted that the Eisner years partnership also included
Frank Wells (a Christian), and that the Jeffery Katzenberg project Prince
of Egypt (to which Pinsky dedicates much attention) was produced
through DreamWorks, and not Disney.
[4]The chapters dealing with the specific movies give a good breakdown
of the plots and point out some moral teachings, as well as some
concerns that parents may have with the material in the films. Pinsky
is diligent in pointing out some of the very dated material that
may be disturbing to contemporary viewers. He treats this
in a sensitive fashion and gives some practical hints as to how
parents may want to engage their children in conversation about
what they are viewing.
[5] But despite Pinsky’s promise in his introduction, readers
may be as frustrated with his lack of analysis in this work as they
were in his work on The Simpsons. In this case it is
certainly not due to any lack of resource materials available to
assist in such an analysis. Pinsky demonstrates some knowledge
of the work being done in animation studies, but he seems to defer
to populist writing on Disney rather than to in-depth analysis of
the Disney canon. In the end this translates into a work that
may provide for interesting reading for Disney fans and for families
trying to make informed viewing choices, but fails to make any significant
contribution to the academic discussion of Disney.
[6] What is most surprising to this reviewer is that Pinsky has
chosen to write two major works devoted to animation while not beginning
to address the significance of the choice of the animated medium. In
choosing to highlight the animated features of Disney one might
expect there to be a chapter dedicated to discussing what it is
about the animated feature (rather than the live action film)
that lends itself to a discussion of the moral, religious, or theological
aspects of Disney. There is no such discussion. Equally
frustrating for the academic reader is the lack of reference material
in this book. While Pinksy does reference his material in
the body of his work, there are no footnotes. The bibliography
is brief, and there is no filmography.
[7] To the avid reader in the field of religion and popular culture
this book may provide some basic insight into the canon of the Disney
animated feature. It will also provide some guidance in making
parental viewing choices. But perhaps its greatest service
may be in bringing to the reader a feeling of nostalgia as she remembers
and reminisces about the beloved animated features that marked her
childhood.
Joanne Mercer, Queen’s
College
jmercer@mun.ca
