Seven reasons why Marie from The Aristocats was an underrated Disney character
1. She was hand-drawn. I loved the old Disney movies that were hand-drawn animations. What I really loved about Marie the cat is her colouring. She is white all over and has a light pink bow and light blue eyes. I loved the fact that she was simple in colour and easy to look at.
2. She was sassy. I loved her attitude. I also liked how polite she was. Maybe it was because I related to her sense of class, or the fact that she was one of the politest characters I had encountered in the Disney world. Growing up, one of the most important lessons was understanding the power, meaning, and subtle importance of manners. I didn’t go to finishing school, but not all vital life lessons take place in the classroom, and I didn’t need to attend the only living finishing school in the world to understand manners.
3. She had a French accent. I liked any character with an accent different from my own. When I was younger and first introduced to The Aristocats, I wanted to be French so badly. I even pretended I was Madeline from the animated television show about the French schoolgirl.
4. My middle name was Marie too. Many people say that names like Marie, Claire, or May are filler names, but I believe these names—especially Marie—are important. They were important enough to Walt Disney that he named a character he created with the name.
5. Having a cat around was fun. Growing up, I didn’t have cats; I had rabbits and guinea pigs because they were cheaper to look after. But my Grandma and Grandpa had a cat, and we visited them—and the cat—a lot. I thought cats were cool. Grandma’s cat was called Mitzy (Mit-zee). She was black, very fat, and lived to the age of twenty. When I was in Year Two, I had a slight obsession with cats and wrote a short story about wanting to be a cat who jumped on neighbourhood rooftops and lived an easy life. My teacher even wrote a note in a picture book she gave me at the end of the year saying she thought I would enjoy it because of my love of animals.
6. I loved her iconic quotes. “Because I’m a lady, that’s why!” I loved her sarcasm too. I thought she was quite a complicated character—even though she was a cat.
7. She made a cameo in the most recent Disney movie, Wish. I saw Wish last year at the movies and thought it was really good. It was different from the classic Disney movies I grew up watching. I don’t remember seeing Marie in it, but next time I watch Wish, I’ll be keeping a lookout for her.
What’s your favourite Disney character, and why?
Suzanna Poredos
A List Socialite