Since Disney announced plans to do a live-action remake of their 1937 feature “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” the disabled community had questions. How would the Dwarf characters be handled in a way that wasn’t offensive? Some, like actor Peter Dinklage, even questioned whether the movie could even be remade considering current progressive attitudes about people with disabilities. I always go in with trepidation to movies that have a historically sticky attitude about the disabled, specifically the little people (LP) community. Films like the recent “Wonka” have been met with mostly shrugs from those who don’t take notice of disability representation in movies, while “Wicked” tried to do something new by authentically casting actress Marissa Bode as Nessarose, but didn’t really grapple with the fractured legacy of the Munchkins.
Where does Disney’s new “Snow White” fall? Surprisingly, it aims a bit higher than either “Wonka” or “Wicked,” though it doesn’t acknowledge the problem with the Dwarfs so much as it pivots away from it. This isn’t unexpected. The movie is titled “Snow White,” period, with billboards and other promotional materials prioritizing stars Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot front and center. A billboard for the movie in Los Angeles simply shows the Dwarfs’ feet along the bottom.
