Disney’s Pocahontas broke down barriers by giving us the first Disney princess that’s a woman of color. Disney’s version of Pocahontas has been mocked and ripped apart for its false telling of the real story of Pocahontas but the story they provided was influential by itself.
Disney's version of the story is about a young Powhatan woman named Pocahontas and her debacle between being loyal to her tribe and new settlers. She finds herself romantically linked to an Englishman named John Smith but is already engaged to a brave warrior named Kocoum. Pocahontas is forced to choose between her family and her curiosity, which sends viewers on an exciting path. With the film's 25-year-anniversary approaching this June, let's take a look back at 10 things we didn't know about the animated film.
Happy Birthday, Pocahontas
The film's Fandom page notes that Disney released Pocahontas between June 16 and June 23, 1995, to coincide with Pocahontas's 400th birthday. What's interesting about this particular date is that Pocahontas's birthday isn't necessarily known but it's assumed she was born around 1595.
And while she appears to be in her 20's in the movie, Pocahontas actually passed away around the age of 20.
Grandmother Willow Was Almost Old Man River
Grandmother Willow may be a tree but she's a strong character throughout Pocahontas. Since Pocahontas doesn't have her mother physically with her, Grandmother Willow gives her the maternal guidance Pocahontas subtly craves. With the help of Grandmother Willow, Pocahontas is incredibly intuned to nature and her mother's spirit.
But did you know that Grandmother Willow almost didn't happen? In the first script, Disney had the spirit of the river instead. They named him "Old Man River." Actor Gregory Peck was given the role of Old Man River but he thought Pocahontas needed motherly guide more than a man, which is when Grandmother Willow was born.
Disney Tried Their Hardest To Be Authentic And Compassionate To The Native American Community (Although It Was Scruntanized)
Telling the story of a real person can be tricky, especially for Disney. Detailing the historic significance of a Native American tribe had to be authentic and compassionate or not done at all. Although Disney altered Pocahontas's story for the better of storytelling, they hired Native American actors for all the voices.
They even hired Native American consultants and historians to make sure they were getting it right. Sadly for Disney, their efforts weren't good enough since the story of Pocahontas was inaccurate. Fans of the film would soon grow up believing the life of Pocahontas was like the movie when, in fact, it was anything but.
Meeko Almost Didn't Happen!
Like many other Disney princesses, Pocahontas had two adorable sidekicks: Meeko the raccoon and Flit the hummingbird. These two adorable goofs followed and protected Pocahontas on her excursions and brought some comedic relief to an otherwise serious tale.
But did you know that Meeko almost didn't make the cut? Disney originally wanted Meeko, Flit, and a turkey named Redfeather. They even hired late actor John Candy to voice Redfeather! With Redfeather in the mix, Disney was willing to get rid of Meeko so Pocahontas would only have two sidekicks but after Candy passed away, Meeko was added back to the story.
A Descendent Of The Real Pocahontas (Almost) Helped Disney
A woman named Shirley "Little Dove" Custalow-McGowan is a descendent of Pocahontas and went on tours along the East Coast to talk more about the Native Americans and their mission in life. She talked about their love for nature and respecting all living things, hoping to keep their name alive.
When Disney started production, they touched base with Little Dove and wanted to use her as a consultant but she was not pleased with the inaccuracies of her ancestor's story. She told the LA Times, "Disney promised me historical accuracy, but there will be a lot to correct when I go into the classrooms.”
The Voice Actors Didn't Meet Each Other Until The Premier
Pocahontas had its big premiere in Central Park in 1995, where Irene Bedard saw an animated version of herself on screen. As the voice of Pocahontas, animators studied Irene to copy her mannerisms on screen.
It was there she was hoping to meet John Smith (aka Mel Gibson) for the first time but he was actually too busy filming Braveheart to attend. In fact, Bedard and Gibson never met! None of the actors filmed together while doing their voice work. Bedard was in the studio with Judy Kuhn (who portrayed Pocahontas's singing voice) and that was it!
The Real Pocahontas Wasn't Around Her Mother Much (Which Fit Nicely With Disney's Theme)
It wasn't surprising that Pocahontas didn't have a mother. Disney's on-going theme is that most characters are motherless and grow up independent or with the help of their father.
However, Pocahontas was actually originally supposed to have a mother in this film but after doing the research, Pocahontas wasn't with her mother often. As her father's "favorite" daughter, writing Pocahontas without a mother made more sense both historically and for Disney.
The Movie Took Five Years To Complete
Pocahontas and The Lion King were both being created around the same time and Disney animators had their pick of working on either one.
Due to the colors and animation of Pocahontas, animators found it more exciting and challenging to work on it than The Lion King. With all the complexities of movements and animation techniques, Pocahontas took five years to complete.
Percy The Pug Was Real!
Okay, so, Percy wasn't exactly a real dog but he is historically accurate. In the film, Governor Ratcliffe was the leader of the settlers as they entered the lands of Virginia (where Pocahontas's tribe was located). He was greedy and only cared about the possibility of finding gold. His little sidekick was a pug named Percy. And though Percy was cute, he was just as rude as Governor Ratcliffe.
In real life, historians working on the film found that the British commonly brought small dogs with them on their travels, so who's to say a dog named Percy couldn't have been aboard?
The Film Shared The First Interatial Couple For Disney
Pocahontas and John Smith weren't dating in the film but they definitely had a romantic connection. Pocahontas was engaged to be married to Kocoum but kept finding herself running towards this new English settler she just met.
She even saved Smith's life from her own father. And while they didn't end up together in the film, they were Disney's first interracial couple, which was truly inspiring and open for the time period.