Disney’s The Little Match Girl (2006) (Special Review)

    Hans Christian Andersen’s 1845 tail “The Little Match Girl” is something of a childhood staple for me. I distinctly remember my sister and I as kids visiting my grandparents, and always asked them to read us a story from this big book of fairytales of theirs. 

For all the cheerful, exciting, and upbeat stories at our disposal, we commonly requested “The Little Match Girl”, which isn’t the most cheerful of kid’s stories … in fact it’s downright tragic. However, my sister and I always excepted it as facing the sadness that comes with life in general, and it always made us feel a little more grown-up. Plus, for as sad as the story got, it was also very warm, and even beautiful in its own distinct way. Over time, the story was present in our household, and regularly resurfaced around the Christmas season. In 2006, Disney animation released a seven-minute short of “The Little Match Girl”, and it was a unique moment in which this meaningful story I grew-up with finally got some form of a digital special, one that could be viewed annually during the holiday season. The result is nothing short of perfect, as this animated special respected its source material, didn’t change the ending, and allows younger viewers to face challenging emotions, while also sustaining the warmth and beauty of the fable.       

   Originally, this short was developed as a segment for a third “Fantasia” picture, which was slated for release in 2006, but that movie was unfortunately scraped, despite a number of finished story-boards. It’s very clear this was meant as a “Fantasia” short, as there’s no dialogue or sound design, and it’s all matched to classic instrumental music. Set in the cold streets of Saint Petersburg, a homeless little girl sets out to make money selling matches, but unfortunately, no one is buying. With the weather baring down hard, she seeks warmth from the vary matches she was trying to sell, and begins to imagine warm fantasies emanating from the flames. She pictures herself receiving a delicious meal, a warm cabin, a beautiful Christmas tree, and sharing the holiday with her late grandmother. Andersen's original intention with the story was to call immediate attention to the plight of Europe's suffering children, but it’s also a story of hope, and finding comfort in ones darkest hour. The music accompanying this short is Alexander Borodin’s “String Quartet No. 2” in D Major, which complimented the Russian setting.  

    There have been a number of animated Disney adaptions of Hans Christian Andersen’s fables, with the two most famous being “The Little Mermaid”, and “The Ice Queen”, which was re-molded into “Frozen”. However, I honestly feel “The Little Match Girl” captured the tone and spirit of its source material better than any of the other animated adaptions. Sense this was a short, it didn’t need to make any drastic alterations to pad the run-time to feature length, and it could get away with more dramatic details which wouldn’t have worked as well in a theatrical feature film. The one important element missing from this short is the backstory of the girls strict and abusive father. 

In fact, the whole reason the girl was out in the cold was due to her fear of returning home without enough money, and how her dad would punish her. One other noteworthy difference is the change in setting, as the story was originally set in the author's native Denmark, while this short is set in Russia, mainly because Saint Petersburg allowed for beautiful scenery, and was associated with snow and harsh winters. On that note, the animation is gorgeous, and looks like theatrical Disney animation quality. The visuals are especially effective in making you feel the cold surroundings, while also providing the warm atmosphere of her imagined fantasies. One of my favorite details from the story is when the girl imagines herself by a Christmas Tree … but not just any Christmas Tree ... the biggest, grandest, most stunning Christmas Tree you could ever imagine. This short respectfully downplays the trees size and grandeur, and yet, through its own simplicity, and the mood, it still feels like the most breathtaking Christmas tree I’ve ever seen … at least in an animated Christmas special.  

   Now we come to the point where I issue a spoiler warning because, there’s no discussing “The Little Match Girl” without addressing the ending … which never fails to get me all teary-eyed. In general, Hans Christian Andersen is no stranger to sad endings … but their always laced with a sense of beauty and purpose. The ending to his novel of “The Little Mermaid” for example is very sad, as Princess Ariel dose in-fact die, but she also archives her goal of gaining a human soul, and thus is able to go to Heaven, unlike all the other mermaids who just turn to kelp. As such, we have an ending that’s sad, yet very beautiful, and even profound. “The Little Match Girl” in many respects combines a tragedy with something beautiful. Our titular Match Girl passes away during the cold night, but she’s also reunited with the soul of her loving grandmother, and the two ascend into Heaven together, which is symbolized by a shooting star. Had the girl simply died, and the short ended, it would have felt cold, and empty. Yet, seeing her reunite with a loved one, and knowing she’s gone to a better place makes it feel beautiful. Tragedy alone makes me feel dismal, but combining something sorrowful with something warm and uplifting is what makes me cry. This short, as well as the story in general always leaves a powerful impact, and I feel the best stories are the ones that combine sadness and joy into a seemingly whole. Back when I was a kid, the concept of death terrified me, as it’s something we’ll all face some day, yet this story always gave me a sense of hope, that something warm and beautiful awaits us afterword.           

   In this regard, I feel the story of “The Little Match Girl” is a very important one to share with kids, and this short is an excellent way for newer generations to get familiar with the story. At the 79^th Academy Awards, Disney’s “The Little Match Girl” was nominated for Best Short, but lost to a different animated short titled “The Danish Poet” … which is kind of ironic sense Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish Author himself. Still, the Disney short has gained new found attention over the years, and I’m noticing it on more lists of best Christmas specials. 

It’s absolutely one of my favorites, and one I make a tradition of re-watching every year. I was first introduced to the short as an extra on Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” Platinum Edition DVD, which is fitting as their both adaptions of Andersons literature. It has sense found a home on the Walt Disney Animation Studios Short Films Collection, which is equally fitting as there’s a “Frozen” short attached (yet another Anderson adaption), and it’s a great way for new viewers to discover it. There’s also another Christmas short added to the mix titled “Operation Prep and Landing”, which focuses on two of Santa’s Elves finding a gift belonging to Mrs. Claus. It’s a little more disposable, but an enjoyable watch all the same. It’s actually a great comparative peace, as you can show kids the more fun and fluffier “Operation Prep and Landing”, but it probably won’t stick with them the same way “The Little Match Girl” would. Yes, it has more of an edge, but I still feel it’s important for kids to face challenging emotions that are common in everyday life.   

   Overall, I’d say “The Little Match Girl” is simply Disney at its finest. It’s got great animation, heartfelt drama, and takes chances focusing on the fragile nature of human life. It’s a tail that challenged me, helped me grow, and is also laced with personal memories and feelings of my own late grandparents. I’ve always felt this story deserved its own holiday special, and I’m happy to say that in the absence of a motion picture, it has a near-perfect short to represent it. The special absolutely ranks among my favorites of the season, and it’s one that I highly encourage others to discover.

Thanks for reading my review of Disney's animated short “The Little Match Girl” … and continue to enjoy the Holiday Specials you Love!