Why Descendants Means So Much To Me

This month, one of my favorite movie series-- and stories-- came to an end.

Today, I want to talk about why the Descendants movies mean so much to me. I know, I literally just talked about Descendants a few weeks ago. And yeah, it might seem kind of silly to be talking some kids' movies like this. But now that the third movie has premiered and the Villain Kids' stories are officially over (at least onscreen), I'm feeling pretty sentimental and I want to share my thoughts.

(prepare yourself for a gif dump because I do what I want)

Four years ago when the first movie was on, I liked it a lot but didn't fall in love with it right away. It was a cute movie, with some super likeable actors, and it broke some stereotypes. I loved the idea of Evie ditching her need for a boy and discovering her love and talent for chemistry and sewing. The movie had great messages, but nothing really struck a chord with me on a personal level.

Then two years later the second one came out.

Honestly, Descendants 2 blew me away. No, not in the same way Lord of the Rings would. And there are probably some people reading this thinking "man, this girl's really got to raise her standards."

But this movie totally surpassed all of Disney Channel's standards! I love a lot of Disney Channel movies, specifically musicals, but this was the first one that really deeply touched me. As a writer, I found inspiration in the deep storylines and the character relationships.

And I have to stop there for a minute to talk about the relationships. These guys care so much about each other. There's Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos who have grown up together and been through so much. Mal and Evie are power best friends. And then there's Mal and Ben, who are possibly THE cutest couple I've ever seen in my life. I LOVE watching their relationship grow in the second movie, and it's so obvious how much they care about each other. OTP, guys. OTP.

IN WHICH BEN IS THE MOST PRECIOUS HUMAN

And then. Then there was that finale.

I've already talked more in depth about this in my other Descendants post, so I'll try not to stay here too long. But this song inspired me as a person and even as a Christian (even though its intended message is not religious in any way). We can make change, guys. We can do so much if only we're bold enough to start.

And now we move on to Descendants 3.

I was already somewhat emotional going into this movie because of Cameron Boyce's death a few weeks before. That and knowing that this would be the last movie gave it a very melancholy feeling.
I was going to post a full review of this movie, but I decided that this post was more important for me to write and I didn't want to drown you guys in Descendants posts. If any of you would be interested
in a full review of Descendants 3, though, let me know and I might still do it!

Anyway. I've only seen it twice so I'm not as familiar with it yet. But Descendants 3 builds on those relationships and shows our characters doing things that are important to them, to change the world around them. (It also has some darn good musical numbers, but I digress.) And again, this movie has a song that speaks to me in a big way. "My Once Upon A Time" tells Mal's story of hard decisions and thinking she was in the right only to discover that she was being selfish and everything crashed down around her. But in this part of the movie, she sees her mistake and realizes she can still make it right.

Here's what this song says to me. It says that we're all in control of how we live and that we have the power to make the right choices.

Life is not a storybook, but life unfolds in chapters
Turn the page and start to make amends
There's no prewritten guarantee of happy ever after
Step into your greatness before your story ends

I think this part is especially poignant in light of the premature death of one of the stars of this movie.

Start living the way you want to now. Start treating people right and showing love now. Live for God to the fullest now. Don't wait until it's easy or convenient, or you have more time. I'm talking to myself, guys, and hoping that if someone else out there needs to hear it too that it might help them. I am so guilty of everything I just said. But I'm trying to get better.

So overall, what do I get out of these movies besides some great entertainment and fantastic music? A taste of the kind of characters and relationships I want to write. Inspiration and encouragement for building your own future. Most importantly, a reminder of the change we can all make.

I get that these movies might not be for everyone. I grew up watching Disney Channel, so this kind of thing has always been near to my heart. And maybe my bias has me seeing things that aren't there. But as readers and writers, we are always talking about how stories can affect us and even change our lives. And I really felt the need to share how these stories are changing me.

Goodbye Mal, Jay, Evie and Carlos. You're special and your story has been quite a ride. I'll miss you and I'm sad to see you go.

And once more for Cameron-- I wish it hadn't taken your leaving this world to make us aware of how special you were. But I'm sure you and your loved ones would be happy to know that something good has come out of this tragedy. I continue to try to live in a way that people could look back on with admiration if I left this earth.

Now, I want to hear from you guys. What's a story, song, or anything that has unexpectedly inspired you? What change do you want to make in the lives around you? Also, who would be interested in a Descendants 3 review?