Have you ever noticed someone in the background of one of your favorite Disney movies and thought, what’s going on there? We definitely have, and now we would like to speculate on what exactly is happening with those really random characters in the shadows that make the stories of the main characters that much richer.
Let’s start with this scene from High School Musical:
We’d like to direct your attention to the kid in the viking helmet, to the right of Gabriella. What is happening there? It’s a New Year’s Eve party and everyone is dressed pretty casual, but this kid rolls up in a viking hat. And we respect him for that. He also appears to be busting out some sweet dance moves to the sounds of Troy and Gabriella. We suspect he is the class clown and has made numerous viking jokes throughout the night. It may be the Bolton and Montez show, but this viking kid has our hearts.
Let’s move on to The Pirates of the Caribbean:
It’s hard to look past the handsome smolder of Commodore Norrington and the newly pirated Will Turner, but if you shift your gaze to the far right, you will glance upon the most noble soldier of the King’s Navy that you have ever seen. We can tell that he is wholly committed to looking straight forward and avoiding eye contact with the awkward encounter between the two men who love Elizabeth Swann. He also has a slight look of concern in his eyes, which makes us think that maybe he too is in love with Elizabeth.
Now let’s look at one of our childhood favorites, Heavyweights:
There’s a whole lot of amazing wardrobe choices going on in this scene. The beret and Les Miserables shirt ensemble is quite possibly the most amazing outfit in the entire film. And that’s saying a lot. However, we’d like to direct your attention behind the beret, to the kid in the yellow and white striped shirt, who is giving off the most sass we have ever seen, in the most subtle way. Now that is what we call discreet background character attitude.
Now let’s check out this scene in Enchanted:
Okay, we know it’s hard to pry your eyes off the majesty that is Prince Edward checking out his reflection and perfect teeth, but we urge you to move your eyes to the left, and take a look at the business lady walking behind him. She is walking with purpose, has a pantsuit on, and an entire newspaper under her arm. Anyone who reads the actual newspaper is probably very important. She has so many urgent things to do, she doesn’t even have time to notice that a Prince dressed in a maroon doublet is not but 10 feet from her. We are in awe of her focus.
Let’s move to another fairy tale, the live action version of Cinderella:
Lots of great background action going on here, but what really draws our eye is the guy with the enormously tall hat to the left of Cinderella. Everyone else is wearing a bonnet or sensible hat, but this guy said, “Nay, I shall wear the tallest hat in all the kingdom.” He’s also sporting a serious jacket that we can only assume is velvet. We like to think that he is a really important person and probably hangs out with Prince Charming all the time.
Let’s move on to some animated, random characters, starting with Aladdin:
We of course recognize our pal Al and his sidekick Abu, but the scene is made better by the three amazing crowd members around them. We’re pretty sure we can read their minds. The man on the left with the red beard is deep in complex thought. The man in the middle with the grey moustache seems suspicious of something that he is seeing. And the man on the right with the black moustache does not care one bit about any of this, and is probably daydreaming about his next vacation.
Here’s another movie with a lot of amazing background characters, Hercules:
What is striking about this scene is that these townspeople have the pointiest noses we have ever seen. If they didn’t look so merry, we might be concerned for the safety of those around them. Except for Hercules, who would never be afraid of a pointy nose.
Not to be out shined, the opening scene of Beauty and the Beast also has some amazing characters:
Our favorite is the lady to the left of the frame, holding up a fish. Not only is she rocking a bun of considerable height, but she’s also holding a fish that a squirrel clings to and doesn’t even pay it any mind. She just wants to buy that fish for a bargain and no squirrel will stop her, or her majestic bun.
Now let’s take a look at one of the final scenes of The Little Mermaid:
Your gaze will probably automatically be directed to the man with his fist in the air. This man knows how to party at weddings. He is having the time of his life and is really excited that Ariel and Eric finally got together. As are we.
We invite you to watch your favorite Disney movie and pause during a crowd scene. We assure you that there will be a random in the background, giving the performance of a lifetime. Thank you, random characters, for the brilliant work that you do. We will be watching you, in the shadows.
What’s your favorite Disney background character? Tell us in the comments!
The post Who’s That Random? appeared first on Oh My Disney.
