End-of-Life in Disney and Pixar Films: An opportunity for Engaging in Difficult Conversation

Abstract

This study expanded upon previous scholarship by examining end-of-life (EOL) depictions and messages of death within Disney and Pixar animated films. We argue Disney and Pixar depictions of EOL and death can provide critical opportunities for discussing death and dying processes with children and adults alike. A content analysis of 57 movies resulted in a total of 71 character deaths. These instances of death became the discourse used for analysis. The EOL discourse was coded based on five categories (character status, depiction of death, death status, emotional reaction, and causality). After quantitative analysis, the films were qualitatively analyzed. Four themes emerged from analysis, unrealistic moments, managing EOL, intentions to kill, and transformation and spiritual connection. Discussion of results, limitations, and directions for future research are included.

Children’s Emerging Understanding of Death

“…Children also learn about death by observing how it is portrayed in the media. Researchers have examined how death is depicted in children's books (Lee et al, 2014) and animated films (Cox, Garrett, & Graham, 2005;Tenzek & Nickels, 2017). One study that examined how frequently death is portrayed in children's books looked at parents' reports of their children's favorite books as well as books that had won the Caldecott Medal (an award for distinguished picture books given by the Association for Library Service to Children; Rosengren et al, 2014).…”

Sources of children's knowledge about death and dying

“…It is estimated that children under 8 years of age spend an average of 3 h per day consuming media, with the majority of that time dedicated to film and television [50,51]. Given its prevalence in children's lives, media is now recognized as a legitimate cultural purveyor of specific roles, values and ideals, equivalent in influence to traditional sources of learning such as schools and the family environment [52,53].…”

“…Distorted portrayals of the permanence of death and protagonists' grief responses following a death are most common. For example, Tenzek & Nickels [52] examined the prevalence and characteristics of death portrayals in 57 Disney and Pixar films. They found that at least one death occurred in 84.2% of the movies.…”

“…Tenzek & Nickels [52] point out that these unrealistic portrayals can be confusing to young children, but propose that parents and educators may use them to frame conversations with children about the realities of death.…”

“…Alongside concerns about unrealistic and inaccurate depictions of death and grief in the mainstream media, there is also recognition that carefully crafted media portrayals can have a positive influence on children's understanding of death [6,52,58,59]. For example, there is a small children's literature on death education, aimed at providing facts about death and suggesting ways to cope and normalize grief [59].…”