Tiana (Disney)

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Tiana
Tianadress.jpg
Princess Tiana
First appearance Princess and the Frog
Created by John Musker
Ron Clements
Voiced by Anika Noni Rose
Elizabeth M. Dampier (young)
Information
Nickname(s) Tia
Species Human
Gender Female
Occupation Princess
Restauranteur
Waitress
Family James (father, deceased)
Eudora (mother)
Spouse(s) Prince Naveen
Nationality American

Tiana is a fictional character who a main character of Walt Disney Pictures' forty-ninth animated feature film The Princess and the Frog (2009). Created by directors Ron Clements and John Musker and animated by Mark Henn, Tiana is voiced by American actress and singer Anika Noni Rose. American actress Elizabeth M. Dampier provides the voice of a young Tiana.

Based on the heroine of E. D. Baker's novel The Frog Princess, which was inspired by the Brothers Grimm fairy tale "The Frog Prince", Tiana is a hardworking waitress who dreams of opening her own restaurant. After kissing a prince who has been turned into a frog, Tiana must find a way to turn back human before it is too late. A hardworking, determined, intelligent, and strong-willed young woman, Tiana is the ninth Disney Princess and the first to be of African American heritage.

Reviews of Tiana's character have been mostly positive, with critics highlighting her hardworking personality, contemporary goals, and strong values. However, reception towards her ethnicity has been somewhat mixed, further driven by speculation and controversy. While some critics commended Disney's decision to make Tiana their first black princess, others scrutinized it, calling into question the company's reasoning behind it.

Contents

Development [edit]

Background and story [edit]

Tiana was based on Princess Emma in E. D. Baker's novel "The Frog Princess", which was inspired by the Brothers Grimm fairy tale "The Frog Prince".[1] Directors and writers Ron Clements and John Musker described Baker's novel as "a twist" on the original fairy tale: "In [Baker's] story the princess kissed the frog and instead of him turning into a prince she turned into a frog and then the two sort of went on an adventure together."[2]

Clements and Musker conceived Tiana "as someone who would never have been a big fan of Disney fairy tales."[3] They decided to make Tiana African American simply because "It seemed natural. It seemed like it was time to do that".[1] Executive producer John Lasseter described Tiana as one Disney's "strongest" heroines: "unlike the other Disney Princesses, she's not waiting around for a Prince to come."[4][5]

Voice [edit]

Clements and Musker decided not to hire "big stars" to voice the film's lead characters, their reason being, "[I]t can help with the identification of that animated character with the voice if you don't get an instant mental picture of the real actor."[1] Several women expressed interest in the role of Tiana,[6] among them recording artists Jennifer Hudson and Alicia Keys, and actress and supermodel Tyra Banks.[7][8] After three auditions, the role ultimately went to Hudson's Dreamgirls co-star Anika Noni Rose.[9]

A long-time fan of Walt Disney Pictures, Rose had always wanted to voice a Disney animated character.[6] She was drawn to the project more by its story than by Tiana's ethnicity or the fact that she would be voicing Disney's first black princess, describing the achievement as "personally significant".[6] "[The film] wasn't really pitched to me that way; It was more just about the story of the young woman...I don’t think the cultural significance hit me until later".[6] Rose was also fairly confident in the role.[9] "To be perfectly honest, I thought it was for me from the moment I got the audition."[9]

Rose told The Root that recording for the film was "very solitary work" that required her to do much research.[6] To prepare herself for the role, Rose "called people in New Orleans...listened to their voices to hear what they sounded like...did a lot of reading up on the city, and listened to a lot of music in the jazz era."[6] Rose only met with her co-star Bruno Campos twice to record a few scenes together.[10]

Design and characteristics [edit]

Mark Henn served as the supervising animator for Tiana.[11][12][13] Henn was hired by Lasseter because he had animated nearly every Disney Princess since The Little Mermaid's Ariel.[11] Describing Tiana, Henn said that she is following "a new trend in our princesses," likening her to Ariel from The Little Mermaid.[11] When animating Tiana, Henn was inspired by voice actress Anika Noni Rose, borrowing from her dimples and left-handedness.[11] Henn was also inspired by studio employee Jaimie Milner, a film intern who was working in post production.[11][3] The fact that Tiana is African American was "never a big issue" for Henn when it came to animating her, but drawing her as both a human and a frog proved difficult.[11] "Tiana appears in the movie in so many different forms...she's a little girl, she's an adult human, and then she's a frog".[11]

Rose's thoughts, ideas and concerns were taken into consideration when it came to finalizing Tiana's design.[10] "I...said I wanted it to look like she ate and wasn’t skinny, and she has a full mouth and a little round nose and curly hair and these are all things that made her look distinctly herself."[10] Rose didn't want Tiana to resemble "a cookie-cutter princess who had been coloured in brown. When I saw her for the first time and realized how much she looked like me I was really blown away."[10] Rose also served as a form of visual, live-action reference for supervising animator Mark Henn as he worked on Tiana,[11] videotaping her as she recorded her lines and incorporating some of her distinct characteristics, such as her dimples and left-handedness, into Tiana's design.[10][3]

Appearances [edit]

The Princess and the Frog [edit]

Main article: The Princess and the Frog

Tiana works two jobs in order to raise enough money to turn a rundown sugar mill into a restaurant, a promise she made to her now deceased father. As a result, Tiana has become absorbed with her work and doesn't have time for anything else. Tiana finds hope when her wealthy childhood best friend Charlotte pays her a lump sum of money to make and serve beignets at a masquerade ball she is hosting for the handsome but disinherited Prince Naveen.

That night, Tiana's hopes are thrashed when the owners of the mill threaten to sell it to someone wealthier if she doesn't come up with the money soon. When Tiana accidentally ruins her costume, Charlotte is kind enough to replace it with one of her own. Out of desperation, Tiana wishes on a star, only to be greeted by a talking frog, who claims to be Prince Naveen. Mistaking her for a princess because of her costume, Naveen promises to give Tiana the money she needs if she turns him human again by kissing him. After some persuasion, Tiana succumbs, but becomes a frog instead.

While on the run from hungry gators, Tiana strikes a deal with Naveen, demanding that once he marries Charlotte, he will use the money he gets from her to help Tiana buy the restaurant. Things change, however, on their journey to end the spell. They both meet a jazz-playing alligator named Louis and a Cajun firefly named Ray, who help them reach the voodoo priestess Mama Odie. Tiana and Naveen help each other escape from frog hunters and Tiana teaches Naveen to help her cook. As Ray sings an ode to his true love "Evangeline", Naveen shows Tiana how to dance, something that she has never done before because she was afraid to. Both frogs find themselves falling in love with one another, but are unsure how to say it.

Eventually Tiana comes face to face with Facilier himself, who promises to make her dream of "Tiana's Place" a reality if she hands over a voodoo charm which plays a significant role in his plans. After reminding her of all the work she has done and the people who held her back, he shows her an image of her late father, telling her that she can make sure the dream he never lived to see come true. Seeing her family together, Tiana finally realizes what her father had meant that he never got what he wanted but he had love, what he needed. Tiana is able to smash the charm and leaves Facilier at the mercy of the angry voodoo spirits.

Tiana finds Naveen, who is promising Charlotte that he will marry her but only if she will give Tiana her restaurant. Tiana stops him and finally admits that she loves him. Moved, Charlotte says she will kiss Naveen, "no marriage required", but it is already midnight and she is too late to break the spell. Tiana and Naveen get married in the bayou. Once they kiss, they finally become human again because Tiana is finally now a princess and is shown wearing her princess ball gown. Louis "terrifies" the realtors into accepting Tiana's offer. Together, Naveen and Tiana open the restaurant, now named "Tiana's Palace" and dance under the stars. Tiana's singing voice is also provided by Anika Noni Rose.

In other media [edit]

[icon] This section requires expansion. (August 2012)

On October 26, 2009, "Tiana's Showboat Jubilee!" debuted with appearances from Tiana, Naveen, Louis, and Dr. Facilier, at the Walt Disney World Resort; and later at the Disneyland Resort. Tiana and Naveen are also in the "Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade". Tiana and Naveen are also doing meet and greets at Walt Disney World's Liberty Square. She will join Disney's "Once upon a Dream Parade" at Disneyland Paris in April 2010 as part of the "New Generations Festival". Tiana also joined Fantasmic! in early January 2010 during the finale with the Mark Twain Riverboat. Tiana, along with Naveen, Doctor Facilier, and Ray each make a cameo appearance in Disney's World of Color at Disney California Adventure Park. In 2013, Tiana and the other Disney Princesses will have new attraction at the Magic Kingdom called Princess Fairytale Hall.[14]

Reception and legacy [edit]

As a character, Tiana has been mostly positively received. Helen O'Hara of Empire wrote positively of the character, describing her as "a hard-headed heroine who works hard and displays a focus and drive".[15] Catherine Shoard of The Guardian praised Tiana, congratulating Disney for creating "a heroine who's an actual character; a woman whose three dimensions you don't need to don daft specs to see."[16] Betsy Sharley of The Los Angeles Times wrote positively of Tiana, describing her as both "beautiful" and "boisterous".[17] Carey Bryson of About.com gave Tiana high praise, calling her both "a fabulous new princess" and "a decent role model".[18]

Tiana is notable for being Disney's first black princess.[19][20][21] The studio's decision to create a black heroine was met with mixed reception. While some critics, such as Richard Watson, praised the film for offering a long-awaited "break in tradition",[19] others received it with much criticism and speculation.[20] Rachel Bertsche of O, The Oprah Magazine called the arrival of a black Disney princess "barrier-breaking" and "long overdue".[20] Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian wrote, "these avowedly black people spend an awful lot of the movie being adorable, unthreatening little green creatures. Disney may wish to reach out to people of colour – but the colour green wasn't what we had in mind."[22] Bidisha of The Observer was fairly mixed in her review, calling Tiana a "one-dimensional" but "clever, strong woman", while criticizing the film's light-hearted plot and lack of emphasis on racial issues.[21] Patricia Williams of The Guardian, who conceded harboring a general dislike of Disney animated films and the characters featured in them, including the princesses, accused Disney of being "unforgivably late" in their creation of a black heroine. Williams did, however, find Tiana to be "spunkier than most ­princesses", comparing her to Princess Fiona of the Shrek franchise, and reacted positively to Tiana's portrayal as a tireless feminist restaurant tycoon.[23]

On August 19, 2011, Anika Noni Rose was presented with a Disney Legends award at the D23 Expo in Anaheim, California to commemorate her work on The Princess and the Frog.[24] At the same ceremony, actresses Jodi Benson, Paige O'Hara, Linda Larkin, and Lea Salonga were also honored with awards for their individual contributions to Disney, having each at some point loaned their voice to a Disney princess.[24]

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b c King, Susan (November 22, 2009). "Q & A with 'Princess and the Frog' animators". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 15 December 2012. 
  2. ^ Gilchrist, Todd (October 23, 2009). "Interview: 'Princess and the Frog' Directors Ron Clements and John Musker". Moviefone. AOL Inc. Retrieved 18 December 2012. 
  3. ^ a b c Fischer, Neal (March 13, 2010). "Exclusive “Princess and The Frog” Virtual Roundtable with Writer-Directors; Ron Clements and John Musker". Film Monthly. Retrieved 17 December 2012. 
  4. ^ Tucker, Neely (April 19, 2009). "Disney Introduces First Black Princess, Tiana, in 'The Princess and the Frog'". The Washington Post. The Washington Post. Retrieved 26 December 2012. 
  5. ^ Orange, Alan (March 13, 2010). "John Lasseter Returns to Hand Drawn Animation with The Princess and the Frog". MovieWeb. MovieWeb, Inc. Retrieved 17 December 2012. 
  6. ^ a b c d e f Cummings, Jozen (December 11, 2009). "Anika Noni Rose Talks About ‘The Princess and The Frog’". The Root. The Slate Group. Retrieved 8 December 2012. 
  7. ^ Parsi, Novid (March 23, 2009). "Anika Noni Rose | Interview". Time Out. Time Out Chicago Partners LLLP. Retrieved 10 December 2012. 
  8. ^ Robertson, Regina (November 25, 2009). "Disney's Royal Highness: Anika Noni Rose". Essense. Essence Communications Inc. Retrieved 11 December 2012. 
  9. ^ a b c Hayes, Brogen (February 5, 2010). "Interview with Disney Princess Anika Noni Rose". Movies.ie. Movies.ie. Retrieved 10 December 2012. 
  10. ^ a b c d e Clive, Owen (January 25, 2010). "Interview: Anika Noni Rose". The Latest. Latest Homes Ltd. Retrieved 10 December 2012. 
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h Fritz, Steve (March 19, 2010). "Mark Henn: The Man Who Made Tiana a Disney Princess". Yahoo! Voices. Yahoo! News Network. Retrieved 11 December 2012. 
  12. ^ Noyer, Jérémie (December 18, 2009). "The Princess And The Frog‘s Supervising Animator Mark Henn – Part 1: It All Started With A…Mermaid!". Animated Views. Animated Views. Retrieved 5 April 2013. 
  13. ^ Noyer, Jérémie (January 30, 2010). "Down in New Orleans with Princess Tiana’s supervising animator, Mark Henn". DLRP Magic!. DLRP Magic!. Retrieved 5 April 2013. 
  14. ^ Brigante, Ricky (April 28, 2012). "Walt Disney World reveals New Fantasyland dates, closer look at Princess Fairy Tale Hall, Be Our Guest restaurant, and more". Inside the Magic. Retrieved April 14, 2013. 
  15. ^ O'Hara, Helen (2009). "The Princess And The Frog". Empire. Bauer Consumer Media. Retrieved 5 December 2012. 
  16. ^ Shoard, Catherine (February 5, 2010). "How The Princess and the Frog really breaks the mould". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited. Retrieved 5 December 2012. 
  17. ^ Sharkey, Betsy (November 25, 2009). "Review: 'The Princess and the Frog'". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 8 December 2012. 
  18. ^ Bryson, Carey (2009). "The Princess and the Frog (2009) - Movie Review for Parents". About.com. About.com. Retrieved 8 December 2012. 
  19. ^ a b Watson, Richard (January 21, 2010). "A short history of race in animation". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited. Retrieved 5 December 2012. 
  20. ^ a b c Bertsche, Rachel (November 18, 2009). "Someday My Princess Will Come". O, The Oprah Magazine. Harpo, Inc. Retrieved 8 December 2012. 
  21. ^ a b Bidisha (January 3, 2010). "Walt's whitewash". The Observer. Guardian News and Media Limited. Retrieved 5 December 2012. 
  22. ^ Bradshaw, Peter (January 28, 2010). "The Princess and the Frog". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited. Retrieved 5 December 2012. 
  23. ^ Williams, Patricia (February 1, 2010). "Disney's royal makeover: some day my princess will come". The Guardian. 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited. Retrieved 8 December 2012. 
  24. ^ a b "2011 Disney Legends Award Honorees to be Celebrated During D23 EXPO in Anaheim". PR Newswire. PR Newswire Association LLC. Retrieved 11 December 2012. 

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