We all know that one bad apple can spoil the bunch–and Snow White probably knows that better than anyone. After all, the fact the kingdom’s been reduced to Dark-Ages-esque poverty and Snow White herself to a life of servitude all falls on the shoulders of the Evil Queen.
Snow White’s origin story is classically Disney: a girl experiences her idyllic childhood prematurely cut short by the death of her mother, followed by her kind father somehow remarrying a beautiful psychopath. The new wife is soon queen with the father’s inevitable “disappearance,” and Snow White grows up watching the once vibrant kingdom of her noble parents disintegrate into despair. Even her own strength seems to crumble as the kindness of her mother and father becomes a distant memory.
One memory does remain strong, however. As a child, Snow White’s father often told her the story of her birth in a raging blizzard–proof of her destiny to survive the coldest storms life had to offer. If Snow White can remember that, amid the hopeless, helpless, rotten state her kingdom finds themselves in, maybe there’s a different ending to the classic story.
If one bad apple can spoil the bunch, Snow White wonders what one good apple could do.
Heigh-Hos and Lows
As any good revolutionary knows, you can’t start a world-shaking, transformative restoration of a kingdom without help. When the Evil Queen commissions the royal Huntsman to murder Snow White, he lets her escape into the woods instead. When Snow White is alone in the forest, a band of 7 magical miners lets her stay in their cramped cottage. And when Jonathan, the dashing, down-on-his-luck Robin Hood of the forest needs a hand in outrunning the Evil Queen’s guards, it’s Snow White herself who’s there to help.
As she continues to explore how to rescue her kingdom, Snow White learns two seemingly competing truths: one person’s kindness can change the course of the world and yet we each need each other in profound ways. If it weren’t for the Huntsman, there would be no Snow White. Without the big personalities and hard work of the magic miners, there would be no gems for the kingdom. Without Jonathan, there would be no true love–and no true love’s kiss.
Snow White’s world is one of magic and jewels buried in mines. Before the Evil Queen, it also used to be one of kindness and generosity, where each citizen shared their talents, however small, to help their neighbor. Even if that kindness was a single red apple, Snow White remembers a time when sharing a basket of fruit could help someone feel hope. Despite the bashful, sleepy, grumpy etc. perspectives of her new friends, and Jonathan’s own unique brand of jadedness, Snow White believes she can restore the spirit of hope to her people.
Unlike the Evil Queen, Snow White still believes in fairness.
Fairest Of All
When Snow White hit theaters this year, it came with a (snow) flurry of opinions. Some praised its lead actress Rachel Zeigler’s vocal talent and the writers’ reimagining of the classic fairytale, while many others had a bone to pick with Disney. Complaints ranged from superficial (many disliked the leading actress’ haircut) to serious (legitimate controversy was stirred when the classical dwarves were turned into CGI magical beings, limiting roles for actors with dwarfism.)
To be honest, I love Snow White. I find it earnest and sweet in a nostalgic, Thomas-Kinkaid-glow kind of way, complete with new songs and a few unexpected plot twists, including a romance sweeter than the original. Gal Gadot’s portrayal of the Evil Queen is over-the-top in a fun way, and Dopey has new significance. In addition, Rachel Zeigler (Snow White) delivers a princess who is both kind and bold, doesn’t take herself too seriously, and stands up for the rights of others in a admirable display of courage. To be fair, however, the legitimate criticisms about animating the dwarves instead of providing roles for actors is a bitter reality. It’s one (quite serious) thing I wish Snow White’s directors had improved on. The conversation about this is important, and I’m glad that the chaotic reception of Snow White at least highlighted the issue.
Still, whether Snow White has you feeling icy or not, there’s still some rather positive gems in this cinematic controversy. As mentioned before, the power of one life to dramatically shape the world for the better is the message at the core of this film. Snow White has experienced enough heartache to account for anyone turning a little grumpy: her mother passes away, her father disappears, and she’s forced in a life of servitude cut off from her people.
Her small acts of kindness throughout the story in the face of her suffering are the true beauty of the film’s message. Snow White teaches Dopey, who’s too afraid to speak, how to whistle to communicate with others; despite his jaded perspective, she encourages Jonathan to see the good things of the world again. From the Huntsman to the kingdom to her seven new magical friends, Snow White positively impacts more people in a few days than the Evil Queen has with her entire reign.
And that’s what’s got the Evil Queen bitter down to her core. She might be the most beautiful, but Snow White will always be the fairest of all.
Conclusion
Being kind and making a difference can sometimes feel like trying to drain the ocean with a teaspoon. There’s just not enough apple pies to make the world feel “okay,” and we all know it. It’s something that Snow White communicates, and that (apple) seed of truth resonates because it’s the human experience. Equally, however, Snow White also shows us a truth beautifully Biblical: God uses small things to tenderly redeem the world.
He sees and works through every Christ-like action, every smile given to a coworker, or a kind word given to a classmate. God beautifies the world like a master Gardener in an orchard, even if the fruit sometimes feels long in coming. It’s the little stuff that we don’t see that sometimes make the biggest difference. God Himself came as a carpenter in humility and (literally) Earth-shattering love.
So at the end of the day, those apple pies and kind gestures are important after all. If there’s one message we can learn from Snow White, it’s that there’s no small apples in His Kingdom. 🍎
Thanks for joining us on the fairytale adventure where fairness and kindness are uniquely powerful, both when given and when received. (By the way, I’m completely out of any more apple puns 😜).
Join us next week as we finish out the summer with a film that’s quintessentially “summer:” from sweet coming-of-age romance, to summer holidays filled with treasure hunts, to the odd interdimensional quantum travel (you know, the usual), it’s a movie about the depth of an ordinary life and the tiny miracles we take for granted everyday.
Credits
Main image: From CBR.com, edited in Canva
Joy H. Books 
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