We all have a favorite film from childhood. That film stands out as something deeply homey, like a snapshot of a simpler time. For my generation, these films tend to be Disney related, or more specifically, Disney Channel Original Movies. We all recognize Disney as a wholesome company, only producing positive content for the youth of America. Upon rewatching many classic DCOMs, I’ve found some discrepancies in that logic. However, there are also quite a few movies with warm themes that still hold true. This is a concise list of the most wholesome Disney Channel Original Movies with the best message.
1. “The Cheetah Girls” (2003)
This film has typical DCOM elements; a great soundtrack, a strong theme of “sisterhood” and the overarching goal of ~fame~. “The Cheetah Girls” is a great film for multiple reasons. Number one: the diverse cast of characters is something unprecedented from Disney at that time. Number two: the power of friendship is clearly illustrated in this film as the girls get their big break. Disney wants the audience to know that fame and money are certainly cool, but that means nothing without your BFFs. Finally, this film shows how corrupt mass media and the “adult world” can be. “The Cheetah Girls” is a cautionary tale of young, talented girls doing fame their way, no excuses. This film emphasizes the importance of friendship and never forgetting where you come from despite the challenges you may face as you grow up.
2. “Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie” (2008)
Honestly still not sure why it took Disney Channel so long to get this movie made. This film explores family dynamics, with the magical twist thrown in. On vacation, troubled daughter Alex Russo gets into a heated argument with her mom (sound familiar?) and accidentally wishes her parents had never met. Those family vacation arguments, am I right? What happens as a result takes the Russo children on a journey to find their parents and fix what Alex has almost completely broken. This film enforces the importance of family and while a family argument IRL would never have such drastic consequences, the theme to hold your loved ones close is clear.
3. “Cadet Kelly” (2002)
In this film, Hilary Duff plays a brat sent off to military school to not be a brat anymore. The stark contrast between her plush life and the brutal world of military school is clearly something Disney may have stretched a little for the viewers at home. However, this film also focuses on sisterhood and a young girl's quest for self-improvement. Ultimately, Hilary becomes a decent human being through manual labor, strict talking to’s from a fellow military woman, and out of love for her parents. Not bad, Disney.
4. "Rip Girls" (2000)
“Rip Girls” gets fairly political for a DCOM but I have to say, it isn’t the worst thing that has ever happened in a Disney movie. The movie focuses on a girl who falls in love with surfing on a trip to Hawaii. Hooray for becoming one with nature! However, the real reason she’s in Hawaii soon comes to light and it ain’t pretty. She has inherited a great deal of the land and a major developer wants to build a mall on it. After surfing and watching the waves and pondering the great beauty of the state, she decides to preserve the land. Aloha, social justice.
5. “Jump In!” (2007)
6. “The Color of Friendship” (2000)
Disney in 2000 was seriously woke. Ditching alien girls and the obsession with futuristic technology, “The Color of Friendship” took a stark look at racism from a child’s perspective. This film focuses on two girls in 1977: Piper, a black teen from D.C., and Mahree, a white girl from South Africa. Mahree initially treats Piper and her family with disdain, her upbringing in apartheid-ruled South Africa clearly clouding her judgment. However, as the two girls become close, Mahree begins to realize the two girls are not so different at all. Throw in some political protest and a kidnapping and you have a seriously stark view of this time of unrest. This film also provides a pretty interesting comparison to today’s racial tensions. Leave it to Disney to remain relevant 16 years later.
7. “High School Musical” (2006)
Aside from the best soundtrack to any film ever, the message of HSM is pretty strong, too. Sure, Troy Bolton is a solid basketball player and the most popular guy in school and his life is pretty much laid out for him but he can also sing!! When the mysterious girl with a magical connection shows up at his high school and pushes him to try out for the musical, his whole life is turned around. In a semi-serious look at the impact of gender roles on teenagers, “High School Musical” proves you can be a drama geek and a jock at the same time. Or whatever you want to be!
8. “Motocrossed” (2001)
I’mma let you finish, but “Motocrossed” is the best DCOM of all time. Seriously. This film is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” a la “She’s the Man” and is legit one of the best films I’ve ever watched. Andi Carson takes over her twin brother’s spot in a high stakes dirt bike race. Of course, because of the innate sexism that blanketed every single “manly” activity, she must disguise herself as him (cue a haircut and that’s pretty much it...because they’re twins). Basically, this film focuses on Andi fighting the patriarchy, aka her dad, the other racers and basically every other idiot she encounters. In the end, she kicks butt and proves to everyone that (shocker!!) girls are just as good as boys.
