Where to begin where
After a stint at a worthless part time job at the time decided that night to take in a film I had heard much about and wanted to see
so went to a Grand Union and bought a Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate bought my ticket and noticed a gift shop in this theater selling products from the films playing
Went in Since it was not the biggest theater and since it was a cold night not alot but certainly not empty theater but it was a safe bet that all inside the audience like myself were seeing for the first time
The lights dimmed do not remember if there were any previews but remember the first shot of the seagulls and dolphins and the ship cutting through the fog bank
Nice I thought then we go underwater and see the familiar creatures of the sea and then the merpeople
Then the infamous sisters for unlike many at the time I WAS familiar with the story and figured out this and then
Ariel appears not a phenominal moment for I had seen the previews the trailers he** the night before saw the end titles of TV show Entertainment tonite and what did they play The Academy Award nominee Under The Sea (maybe an incentive to see the film) but kept watching and not taking my eyes of this redhead just something
Then the seawitch was introduced whom I saw at a trip to Disney MGM earlier that year as a model sheet along with Prince Eric and that crab Sebastain what a concept!
Then more scenes and finally the grotto parts I had seen on television and Siskel and Ebert's review and
the scenes I DID NOT SEE Ariel swimming up the song building the movement and I liked what I saw
Then the Birthday the storm already knew this part but then (though at the time did not know this 25 minutes in)
the reprise I just fell in love the sequence nothing waivered
and the pay off like Eric i too fell in love with that mermaid........................................................................................
Then came the song I heard and seen then the destruction of Ariel's treasures the line
"Why don't you tell my father? Your good at that" (one of my favorites) Then Ursula's song and yet again a familiar scene but a new twist the deal
then the "Flashdance" scene then the solo on the wind instrument that hauntingly beautiful song all the while why a kid in the audience exclaiming "ISEE THE CASTLE I SEE THE CASTLE"
Then a chance A Beautiful chance to fall in love all over again though now without a voice but still the sheer innocence the beauty
and like Eric she looked wonderful in pink
THEN a change of pace that crazy chef! then the heartfelt scenes to follow up to a slight climax the missed kiss.................................then Jodi Benson's voice though the audience and I knew it wasn't Ariel
Then heartbreak ERIC MARRYING SOMEONE ELSE!!!!!!!! (but we knew what was going on)
and like her friends I too felt sad But then Ups downs I remember exclaiming out loud "Too Late" as the sun set on that fateful third day
and then the payoff
I know my Disney films and knew well before I saw this that there would be NO unhappy ending unlike the original story BUT
how would this come about?
for I had seen the readers digest version well before Disney's and for that matter Disney could have dissapeared forever but
Then the Happy ending that was NOT in the original tale I stayed in the theater till the end something I still do as people left I remember a father saying to his childrenin so many words "That was a great movie we should get it on tape if it comes out"
And if only for a moment
was happy
then went to the gift shop and bought the last of these (they never restocked for I went back to see the film again and again)
first of MANY an item (including a cel)
As the years went by watched and waited for the VHS Got the Laser Disc was estatic about the announcement of The Jim Henson TV show
that would never come to be
the eventual TV series the new wonderful dolls by the now gone TYCO
Then in 1997 the rerelease of the film which gave some comfort for my Father died earlier that year meeting Jodi Benson that year (after seeing her on stage in Crazy for You") and the sequels and the inovations in products new formats and found out that people out there made my fondness for Ariel looking less fanantical thanks to the net and enduring the bad years when Disney all BUT ignored Ariel
I type this as I listen to the soundtracks 25th anniversary release (why did that take SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO long?) and still feel the small moment of happiness I felt in the theater 25 years ago today(still have the stub)
Long live the romance of this Disney film