Were you among the hundreds of thousands of people who flocked to the theaters to see Disney*Pixar’s Brave this weekend? If so, you helped position it as the #1 movie of the week with a crazy gross of $66 million at the box office. We were certainly there because my girl was so impatient with expectation that we couldn’t wait any longer.

We were not disappointed at all and beyond excited that Disney and Pixar gave birth to such a strong and real heroine like Merida. The whole movie is based on the mother-daughter relationship between Princess Merida and Queen Elinor which has become tense and always a battle. Elinor has focused all of her attention in raising the perfect Princess, and in the process forgotten what her daughter’s wants are. Merida has become obsessed with going against her mother´s wishes because they are not her own. In the end, they both just want to be heard and accepted.

During an interview I got to participate in with Brave’s director, Mark Andrews, he shared with us that the storyline and characters were created by Brenda Chapman, who originally spearheaded the film. Mark told us that “it came out of her [Brenda Chapman] being a parent and her trials and tribulations with her daughter.” We wondered if such a female topic made it difficult for him to relate to, but Mark believes that “as a storyteller, it’s always about the universal relate ability of the story,” and creating characters that are strong, passionate, and a role model for children regardless of their gender.

Children like Mark Andrew’s own daughter who can now, in his words, “go into a movie and see Merida, another strong female character.”

While I was sitting in the theater watching Brave with an arm around my girl, I could definitely relate to the power struggles between mother and daughter and to those outrage moments I call a Mamá Meltdown which can leave a mark. The scene in which Elinor throws Merida’s arc into the fire in a moment of impotence and rage, followed by a realization of the intensity of what she had done, was so well executed that I could feel her emotions as mine. Why? Because I’ve been there. It’s relatable.

Mark Andrew’s reminded us that those moments in the movie are for fathers and boys as well, because “this story’s about a parent and a child. I’m a dad, right? I have children, I was a child. So I can relate to all of it. And it’s those moments that I want to try and create in the story, so that anybody watching this will go, ‘I get it.’ You know, I went right through that same, same thing, you know. I went through that same process, that same arc.”

And that’s what parents will find in Brave: a high action and emotion-packed film with much to relate to.

Will your child be scared? Not any more than with any other Princess and witches Disney movie. It will, though, evoke strong feelings in her that will certainly bring up discussions that you want to be ready to listen to, lest be turned into a bear!

Let me know in the comments: Have you and your kids seen Brave? What was your reaction to it?

On June 22nd, Disney*Pixar’s Brave finally hits theaters. As excited as we all are to watch Brave (and we should be!), make sure you’re sitting in your seat early enough so you don’t miss a very special short film which will be played right before Brave called La Luna.

La Luna, written and directed by Enrico Casarosa, was actually one of the nominees for the Best Short Film (Animated) category in the 2012 Academy Awards (Oscars), but this is the first time it will be shown to the public. I had the chance to watch it in April with a group of mom bloggers as we were treated to a special screening at the Pixar Animation studios in California. I really wasn’t sure what to expect during the seven minutes of this no-dialogue film, and I can honestly tell you I was enthralled from beginning to end…and wanted more!

What Enrico Casarosa and his team at Pixar masterfully created is a set of dreamlike sequences that tell the coming-of-age story of a little boy who, for the first time, is invited to come along when his father and grandfather perform their nightly job duties. We see and live through the eyes of Bambino, the boy, as he stares starry eyed at the huge and bright moon that appears right in front of him. The men in Bambino’s life take this beautiful spectacle for granted, but for the boy – and us –  it’s bewilderment.

Read more: 5 Reasons Why I Want My Girl to Watch Brave

Enrico Casarosa shared with us that the story he wrote, at the core, comes from “the personal experience of dealing with my dad and my grandfather growing up.” In the short, Bambino’s father and grandfather bicker and banter, but we only know it’s so because of the gesticulations and intonations, since there’s no real dialogue, only gibberish.

“When my grandmother passed, we  moved and lived with my grandfather,” Enrico told us. “It was a small house.  My dad and my grandfather weren’t getting along. Roughly twenty-five years ago, in that kitchen, it would’ve been a lot like what you see in the short…”

Just like the boy, Enrico says “I would always feel stuck in the middle, so I thought that was interesting [and] that there were some good things to explore and a boy having to find his own way when there’s two forces kinda telling him do it this way, do it that way. So it’s a lot about kinda finding your own path.  Of course, the more fantastical side of all this story was something that I really just looked for what inspires me.”

As far as what inspired the director and writer to create La Luna he says, “There’s different inspiration for La Luna. One is Saint-Exupery in the Little Prince, I always loved it growing up.  And Hayao Miyazaki is a big influence on my work, you know.  I kinda study and love his work, and he has this kind of wonderful, kind of surreal, fantastic with very real small details, you know?”

The director goes on to say, “The last kind of inspiration is Italo Calvino.  He’s an Italian writer that we read growing up. It’s very surreal work and he had one story with a ladder to the moon, and in that story, specifically, they were, I think, getting milk from the moon. It got me thinking, wouldn’t it be fun to kinda come up with my own strange child-like myth of what someone could be?”

Aside from the wonderful and imaginative story, La Luna captivates with its distinct animation style and  the sounds (like those of the stars being swept).

This one little film will clearly have you over the moon. Take a peek.

Even though Brave, Disney*Pixar’s newest animated movie, isn’t in theater’s yet and I haven’t had a chance to screen more than 30 minutes of it it, it´s enough to know it’s a movie I want my daughter to see and love. I am a little biased because I was able to visit the Pixar studios in April and got to meet and interview many of the fascinating people who, in the course of six years, have made this vision of Scotland and a real mother-daughter relationship a reality.

Based on the first 30 minutes of Brave that I did get to watch, and what I learned about the process of making it and the details of  the story, I can honestly say I’m excited that my girl will have a new female role model that is so much like her in so many ways. She’s already watched all the previews and clips and has added a Merida dress to her wish list. She claims she only needs the dress and not the wig because she already has curly hair. Yep. But, before she even gets the dress, she already “won” Merida’s bow and arrow set and is patiently learning how to use it. A girl after her mother’s heart, for sure.

5 Reasons Why I Want My Girl to Watch Brave 

#1 - Merida, Pixar’s first ever female lead, is a fiery, stubborn and spirited girl. Camila, my girl, is a fiery, stubborn and spirited girl. I’m thrilled there’s a strong female character she’ll be able to relate to who isn’t focused on her prince and true-love all the time.

#2 - The mother-daughter relationship isn’t picture perfect. Our mother-daughter relationship isn’t picture perfect, but it’s real. My girl loves to ask tons of questions about everything she watches, so I’m sure this relationship and the fights that ensue will bring up a lot of topics she’ll want us to explore together. I’m looking forward to this part the most because I know it will create the most memorable conversations between us.

#3 - Archery is a sport I’m starting to embrace so much my husband even got me my first bow and arrow for my birthday! My girl has seen this, plus Merida’s gracefulness with the bow and her determination to change her fate with is and is now obsessed with learning about it herself. Any movie that can motivate my girl to learn a sport is a win! Especially if it’s one we can do together.

#4 - The wondrous nature of Scotland and its customs are so beautifully reenacted and portrayed throughout the film. This will allow us to virtually explore more about world themes such as accents and languages, geography, foods, customs and more. I’m sure she’ll be asking me what’s up with the men in skirts, and I’ll explain they’re kilts and that’s how they roll there!

#5 - The music is enchanting. I’ve had a love affair for bag pipes ever since I accidentally ran into a bag pipe festival in a little town of Andalucia while I was exploring that region of Spain. That led me to dig deeper into traditional Celtic music and now I can share that love with my girl when the soundtrack is released both digitally and in a CD format on June 19th. We’ll listen to the Brave score as composed by Patrick Doyle, who traveled back and forth from Scotland to capture as many of the traditional sounds and dance rhythms of Scottish music as he could.

And you, are you and your kids excited for Brave yet?

I just feel like a child invited to Disneyland for the first time and not allowed to get on any of the rides!

Last week I told you I had received an invitation from Disney to visit the famed Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville (in the California Bay Area) where the final touches to the movie Brave are still being made. The whole group of mom bloggers and traditional media arrived today to San Francisco and we were quickly transported in a bus to Pixar.

Upon our arrival we were all escorted into a private screening room, not before we had to let go of the tight grasp on our cell phones, cameras and any other electronic device and then were patted down with more care than at any airport security terminal. Understandably, Disney and Pixar are serious about making sure nothing of what we were about to see of the animated film Brave comes out to the public just yet. However, they were excellent at teasing us big time!

After a brief intro from the movie´s director, Mark Andrews, and producer, Katherine Sarafian, and a warning that the first thirty minutes of the film we were about to watch were not completely finished, we got to watch the Academy Award nominated short film La Luna, which will appear right before Brave in theaters. La Luna´s director Enrico Casarosa was there with us as we all gasped in reaction to the beautiful imagery and tender story he created.

And then, we got to be the first media ever to see the first thirty minutes of Brave. I wished I could tell you exactly what I saw, but I´m not allowed to just yet by the powers-to-be at Disney. I´m just writing this to tease you so I´m not the only one who feels teased after being so enthralled and into the movie and then have it end abruptly after 30 minutes and leaving me wanting más! Now, I´ll just have to wait until this summer (June 22nd is the official release date) to watch the whole movie.

What I can tell you is that all I could think about while watching the fiery Merida-the first Pixar female heroine-and her mom, the Queen, interact, all I could think about is my own fiery, fierce and courageous bilingual princesa at home. The mother-daughter relationship portrayed in the film has left me examining my own and how I can continue to encourage her soul to develop and listen to her…really, really listen to her in all her glory.

Just check out this trailer and you´ll see exactly what I´m talking about.

Tell me, what do you thing about Disney*Pixar´s Brave so far?

Cars 2 in Disney Digital 3D and IMAX 3D is racing into theaters this Friday, June 24th and you know our niños are racing to watch it!

When star race car Lightning McQueen, (voice of Owen Wilson), and tow truck Mater, (voice of Larry the Cable Guy), head overseas to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix, Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage!

Mater’s action-packed journey leads him on an explosive chase through the streets of Japan and Europe, trailed by his friends and watched by the whole world.  The fast-paced fun includes a colorful new all-car cast, complete with menacing villains and international racing competitors.

(Here’s the Spanish version of the trailer!)

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe9XFUkltCQ

Rating: G
U.S. Release Date: June 24, 2011

The Giveaway

We’re giving away the following items to one lucky winner.

- CARS 2 t-shirt in your choice of  youth sizes of S, M, L, XL
- CARS 2 set of 3 bumper tickets
- CARS 2 temporary tattoo sheets
- CARS 2 puzzle

Prizes!

To enter just tell us in the comments section below which Cars 2 character is your favorite and why.

That’s all you have to do to enter this giveaway. If you want to up your chances at winning, then this is how you can get additional entries (only after you’ve completed the step above):

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This giveaway ends Sunday, July 3rd at midnight PST and is open to everyone over 18 years of age. Check out the Giveaway Rules.