Content Warning: This article discusses topics that include mental health and depression.
The Walt Disney Studios' 1960 live-action film, Pollyanna, has become a beloved classic. However, that does not mean the movie is immune to modern criticism, especially now that the movie can be viewed over and over on Disney+.
Like many old films, there are some things in the movie that did not age well and there is no way these things would fly today. When Pollyanna was first released, society was very different. There was less knowledge about mental and physical health, the damage of stereotypes, and the rights of children. Thankfully, fans can look back at movies like this and use them to educate future generations.
Polly's Influence In The Town
The two main reasons that Pollyanna's Aunt Polly has so much influence in the town are because her father built it and that she still has a lot of the family money. Polly advises the minister on what to teach his congregation each Sunday. She holds impromptu town meetings in her house, where her maids and cooks serve food for the guests.
Aunt Polly has more influence than the town minister and even the elected mayor, all because she has money and historical family ties to the town's establishment. This is not to say that those with a lot of money don't still have a large influence on what happens in today's politics and society. However, in the movie, the townspeople were just barely figuring out why this could be problematic.
George And Nancy's Relationship
Early in the movie, Nancy has a secret gentleman caller who visits her behind Polly's back. Polly demands that Nancy never see George again, even though Nancy continues to court him in secret.
There are a couple of things regarding George and Nancy's relationship that would not be acceptable today. First of all, an employer has no right to keep an employee from dating anyone. This part of the movie is particularly troublesome today because Polly is likely only forbidding this romance because she wants Nancy to focus on her work and to never leave her job to become a wife. Second of all, George does not respect Nancy's job or the boundaries she sets. When he kisses her in public or comes to her place of work unannounced, Nancy always protests. Yet, George continues to do it anyway. This is definitely not okay.
Polly Interfering In Church Affairs
The town of Harrington is largely influenced by the town minister, who himself is greatly influenced by Polly Harrington. He is seen at the beginning of the movie at Polly's house asking for advice on his sermon in the upcoming Sunday session.
This alludes to some corruption -- or at least the potential for corruption -- in the church since the minister is not really in charge. Instead, an untrained person with power and money is calling the shots.
The Treatment & Portrayal Of Children
The increasing development of child psychology and the rights of children has opened the eyes of viewers to see why some things from this movie are not okay anymore. First of all, the opening scene is that of a young child swinging from a rope and into a swimming area, while completely nude. Having a nude child on screen would not be acceptable in a movie made today.
Second of all, the children in the film (Pollyanna included) are treated like second members of society instead of real people with human rights. Orphans play freely in the streets without supervision or protection. Children can be and are disciplined by any and all adults, in whatever way that the adult sees fit, in scenes that have not at all aged well today.
The Lack Of Diversity
The entire cast of Pollyanna is white. If there are any characters or extras from a diverse background, they are extremely hard to spot, if they exist at all. The movie is set in 1910 Alabama, so even if the social climate was less accepting of diversity in 1910, depicting an all-white town is not at all historically accurate.
Not only is it inaccurate, but only having only white actors in the film took opportunities away from other talented people who could have played the parts.
The Portrayal Of Depression
At the end of the movie, Pollyanna tragically falls from her third-story window and becomes paralyzed. As Pollyanna recovers from her other injuries, she loses interest in her favorite things, like steak and ice cream for dinner, being with the people she loves, and playing the "Glad Game."
The doctor says she cannot get better without getting out of "this depression she's gotten herself into." The implications of this phrase are that Pollyanna chose to be depressed and that she can just choose to get herself out of it in order to heal physically. Modern audiences understand and recognize that issues around mental health are just as serious as physical conditions and are more difficult to fix than simply making the decision to do so, sometimes requiring professional help.
Gender Stereotypes
There are several negative stereotypes portrayed in Disney's Pollyanna and the most prevalent specifically focus on gender. The adult women in the film (Nancy, Angelica) are portrayed as nagging, boring, and cranky. On the other hand, most of the adult male characters (George, The Reverend) come off as fun-loving, charismatic, and successful.
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The men in the film hold leadership positions -- church leaders, doctors, mayors -- while all the women are working class -- as maids and cooks. The only exception to this is Polly Harrington, as she is a successful, single woman. However, besides having a lot of influence in the town, she has no friends or real support around her.
The "Glad Game" & Toxic Positivity
Pollyanna's cheerful temperament comes from a lifetime of playing the "Glad Game" with her father before his passing. The game is played by finding the silver lining in any situation, regardless of how horrible the situation is. Even though it sounds good in theory, the "Glad Game" is the perfect example of "toxic positivity."
Toxic positivity can be dangerous because stifling and repressing negative emotions can hinder the process of actually solving the problem. It can also lead to bigger problems down the road, especially once all the unexpressed emotions and negative feelings have become so bottled up. It's likely that if this movie were remade, this aspect would be completely changed or written out.