An absolute animated classic, Alice in Wonderland, has endured acclaim since its production in 1951 by Walt Disney Studios. Many moviegoers will lovingly refer to it as an absolute trip of a fever dream due to its stimulating colors and eccentric characters. Beyond its manic presentation, Alice in Wonderland has also been well-regarded as a comfort movie classic. I may be biased in this denomination, as I grew up surrounded by Alice in Wonderland-themed house decorations, as it was my mother’s favorite movie. Nevertheless, the charm of older Disney animation continues to persist and, in my opinion, be more likable than modern animation styles. Not to say that I don’t enjoy the intricate and unique animation of movies like Spiderman: Into the Spider-verse, but they don’t offer the same appeal as a Disney classic. I believe this can easily be explained with one word: nostalgia. Looking back at childhood events like Halloween parties and birthdays, an important aspect of comparing the ‘then’ to ‘now’ is that I can’t recreate those moments from my childhood. College doesn’t have Halloween parties with dry sugar cookies, and I’m certainly not dressing up as a Disney princess on my birthday. However, with movies, I can recreate the emotions I felt when I watched Alice in Wonderland for the first time. Everything down to the animation, voices, and storyline is just like how I remembered it. The nostalgia of the movie provides a blanket of comfort teleporting me back to a time when things were just more fun. Understanding the psychological component of nostalgia in terms of movies is a key factor in discussing why comfort movies have the effect they do. Now I believe specific movies offer different comforts, which is what I’m going to analyze within each chosen movie. Now that you understand a bit more about nostalgia, let’s really dissect Alice in Wonderland.

The most important theme in Alice in Wonderland, and I believe what makes it so appealing, is the idea of escapism from the mundane. It may seem pretty apparent, after all, the story starts when a bored and curious Alice follows a rabbit into a hole and explores a chaotic world. But it’s not just freedom that Alice portrays, but the idea of childhood freedom. As Alice explores Wonderland, she does so with a childlike curiosity, something that many adults can’t relate to, but still desire. Somewhere between graduating elementary school and middle school, the concept of following the status quo became ingrained in us. The thought of following our childlike curiosities became taboo, and suddenly following a rabbit in a hole was too ridiculous to fathom (as a rational adult would see safety concerns rather than potential adventure). The appeal of Alice in Wonderland is essentially childhood whimsy, to be able to indulge in childlike inquisitiveness without the worry of missing a deadline or responsibility. It’s comforting because it offers something we as adults can’t seem to recreate in our faced paced modern world. Simply put, it’s an escape from reality. Like many other comfort movies Alice in Wonderland preys on what we desire in our lives, in this case, the freedom to explore. If Alice in Wonderland is a movie that really resonates with you, consider taking a break to look at the world around you, and discover something crazy and new.