On December 28th we lost well-known actress Debbie Reynolds to a severe stroke after experiencing the heartbreak that is losing a child. Her daughter Carrie Fisher died on a flight from London to LA from a heart attack just a day before her mother's death. Many people knew Debbie Reynolds from the series of movies called “Halloweentown” as Grandma Aggie, Marnie’s witch grandmother.
Personally, she is what made "Halloweentown" what it really was and drove its success. A cool grandma that takes her grandchildren to this whole other world where all of the myths that go along with Halloween. She was a main asset to the entire series, she teaches the main character, Marnie, how to use her powers properly and helps fight evil with her daughter and granddaughter. She was such a strong and unique character that inspired so many people with their imaginations and ambitions. Whenever the character Marnie gave up hope, her grandmother was always the one to give her the bit of hope she needed to keep going in the plot.
In a lot of movies a grandmother is seen as decrepit, weak, grumpy/sweet (depends on the situation)- but in this movie that is not the case whatsoever. Grandma Aggie (Debbie Reynolds) was outgoing, on her feet, and always active. She was always around and walking around, and not the stereotypical grandma that's in a wheelchair or a chair. She’s also not like your stereotypical female in these movies either. She was independent and successful, all on her own not depending on a male counterpart. As a feminist, these things pop out to me, and make me have so much respect for her in the character/role she had as Grandma Aggie on Halloweentown.
When beloved Debbie Reynolds passed on, to many of us it was like Halloweentown dying. She was the heart and soul of Halloweentown, and most of us grew up watching that on Disney every Halloween time. Debbie Reynolds was the crazy, Halloween enthused grandma we all loved and cared about throughout the years. May Debbie Reynolds and her daughter Carrie Fisher rest in peace!
