japan today > japan > newsmakers

Once upon a Times Square

By Chris Betros

Kevin Lima, left, Patrick Dempsey, center, and Alan Menken

TOKYO — When you go to see "Enchanted," it will feel like you are seeing four different movies in one. The Disney film is part animated, part musical, part comedy and part romantic drama. That’s the challenge director Kevin Lima, stars Patrick Dempsey and Amy Adams, and music writers Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz have taken on to try and wrest the animation crown back from Pixar. 

A tribute to Disney’s golden oldies, "Enchanted" starts off as an animated tale when the beautiful Princess Giselle (Adams) is banished by the evil queen (Susan Sarandon) to our world via a  magical wishing well that leads to a place "where there are no happy endings." Giselle reappears in live action form right in the middle of New York's Times Square. Raised in a world of happy endings and helpful talking animals, Giselle can't reconcile what she sees. But she soon begins to change her views on life and love after meeting a disillusioned divorce lawyer (Dempsey) and his young daughter, who reluctantly take the vivacious princess into their New York apartment. 

Lima, who cut his teeth on Disney films such as "Tarzan" and "102 Dalmatians," said the biggest challenge was filming in Central Park. "There were 300 extras, 150 dancers and crowds were screaming for Patrick," he said during a visit to Japan with Dempsey and Menken.

Everywhere they went, there were displays of gorgeous dresses worn by princesses in the various Disney films, and of course, hordes of screaming girls trying to get near 42-year-old Dempsey who has developed a huge following in Japan thanks to his role as Derek "McDreamy" Shepherd in the TV series "Grey's Anatomy." 

"When I first read the script, I thought it was a great idea," said Dempsey. "I had good chemistry with Amy and the music was infectious. It was a magical experience. I think the reason why it has been such a hit is because three generations of families are going to see it, grandparents, parents and kids. We can all regress back to our childhood."

"Enchanted" has been a box office success in many countries. "Its joy transcends nationalities," said Lima. "I've watched audiences all over the world leaving the theater elated. It's a wonderful escape. And, of course, it shows the genuine affection for Disney everywhere."

Menken, a prolific song writer with eight Oscars to his credit for films such as "The Little Mermaid," "Aladdin," "Pocahontas" and "Beauty and the Beast," churned out three Oscar-nominated songs for "Enchanted" with Schwartz (but they lost to the film "Once"). Menken said his goal this time was to start off with music associated more with Walt Disney's early animations, then have the score change as the characters come into the modern world, reflecting a more cynical society. "Other than that, there is not a big difference in writing music for a live action or animated film," he said. "I write for the character and try to tell the story with a musical vocabulary that hasn't been used before."

Dempsey said his task was to play a serious guy. "I had to stay grounded in reality while everyone around me was having a great time," he said. "One thing I like is that with all the music and comedy, there is a serious message about love, as well. You can have a magical relationship, you can have the 'happy ever after,' but it comes with a price and you have to work at it."

Since making "Enchanted," the heartthrob star said that he often gets asked the weird question of what it would be like to date an animated woman. "This is a Disney film, so I better not answer. Anyway, I'm a married man, so I don't really want to enchant any other woman. If I had the power of enchantment – whatever that may be – I would take all war out of this world."  

"Enchanted" opens in Japan on March 14.

March 6, 2008

Bookmark to:

Login to post your opinion or register now for free.