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
