A Year of Frozen

It's officially been a year since Frozen was released into the world, and judging by the Christmas shopping frenzy, the movie is more popular than ever.

Some people are probably tired of Frozen fever by now. But the fact that Frozen and Elsa in particular are so popular with young girls is really heartening. People might comment that the movie doesn't always have the tightest plot, or isn't the most beautifully animated thing we've ever seen, but it does provide a lot of really powerful things that have been missing, or at least under-appreciated. In a bleak environment of boy-focused cartoons and a dearth of compelling female characters in any media, the popularity of Frozen is an absolute godsend.

Let It Go is an inspiring song

Let It Go is one of the first Disney princess songs to go nuclear that isn't about the central romance. It's a song of self-affirmation and self-confidence, a song about deciding to leave criticism behind and be entirely yourself. When little girls sing Let It Go incessantly and emulate Elsa -- her footstomp, her declaration of her own independence, her delight in using her magic to create a place of her own -- they're emulating a female character who is taking control of her life and declaring who she is and who she wants to be. It's a powerful message, and one that young fans must internalize as the sing the song again and again.

Elsa is a very flawed character

Although Anna is sweet and energetic and adorable, Elsa is the character that has won people's hearts. And this really matters, because Elsa is an imperfect and quite fearful character -- she makes many mistakes, she gets scared, she has lots of fears and self-doubt and arguably suffers from severe anxiety after a lifetime of self-repression. Her journey isn't one of a happy but different girl finding adventure and happiness and true love. It's an unhappy young woman learning to accept who she is, to control her power, and to become a queen who is free to be herself without isolating herself from everyone and everything she knows. Less glamorous, perhaps, and definitely less traditionally fairy tale, but a far more useful narrative for girls looking for fictional role models and heroines. She feels real, and she conquers real, relatable issues, wrapped up in magic.

Sisters form the heart of the story

Sure, there's romance, and sure, there's a couple of cute animal companions and wacky hijinks ensuing, but the central focus of the story is two sisters who became estranged and fight to rebuild their relationship. It's sisterly love that saves Anna, and the same sisterly love that saves Elsa. It's unconditional "true love," and it explores how that doesn't have to mean finding a handsome prince and living happily ever after.

Love won't change someone -- but it brings out their better side

Although the trolls have some strange moments, their big music number emphasizes the central message of the movie -- that although you can't take a horrible person and change them into a better one by loving them, people will be their better selves if you treat them with love and kindness. Bad choices don't necessarily make a bad person, just a scared or stressed one, and if you react to them with kindness and patience, you might just be surprised by who they can be.

It's not been branded as "Disney princess"

Which might be a strange thing for me to say, since I kind of love Disney Princess stuff. But Frozen has been branded as a separate entity, and I think that's really significant. Girls deserve more choice in their toys and in things marketed towards them -- not just princesses, not just pink, not just this pre-selected range of Disney heroines redesigned to be extra-pretty. The fact that Anna and Elsa have yet to be mixed in with the other "Disney Princesses" means that they haven't undergone pinkification. Their dolls and branded items actually look like the characters do in the movies, rather than being prettied up. They're themed around blue, not pink. The fact that they're royalty isn't emphasized. Anna and Elsa often appear in branding as a pair, or with the other main characters in the movie, and the branding is driven by their characters and by Elsa's magic. It's presented as another option for girls (and for boys), and not just an extension of the existing brand aimed at them.

It proves that all these things are profitable

People had written off princess movies as a thing of the past. Companies declared that female protagonists aren't as profitable as male protagonists, and that girls don't buy merchandise as much as boys. Better to market a movie with an equal male lead (like Tangled) or just make it all about boys, because then both boys and girls will watch it. But movies about female characters and female relationships are profitable. They can become cultural zeitgeists. And with Frozen being so unbelievable successful, why would the movie companies not wish to capitalize on this "new trend" for female-led movies and children's brands, and create more?

Add in how fun the songs are and the unbearable cuteness of Sven, and I hope Frozen's reign continues for a long time yet.