"A Lifetime of Great Stories"

17 November 2025

60s

Reasons to be Cheerful.

As a few of this year's Christmas ads have reminded us, there are lots of reasons to feel miserable at this time of year. Or, at any time of year, if we watch the news. But, that's not really the idea we should have in our heads as we approach the festive season, and this unapologetically sentimental ad for Disney+ provides an alternative to the Noël Vérité being served up elsewhere.

VCCP sensibly asked Academy's Frédéric Planchon to remind us that the shared enjoyment of film is a central part of Christmas for so many of us, and he does this through the well-worn technique of watching someone move from childhood to adulthood to parenthood. And, on this occasion, with Mickey Mouse by their side.

Planchon is a brilliant conductor marshalling all the instruments of his orchestra to land an emotional punch. The tune may be familiar but when this director waves his baton, the piece will be played as though it has never been heard before, and the audience will be gripped by the emotional connectivity.

Disney is a brand that can and ought to flex when it comes to providing family entertainment, but through the choice of clips in this ad, they remind us that there's more to their streaming service than cartoon animals and fairy princesses (though, for the record, there are cartoon animals and fairy princesses in abundance). They have enough variety that we hardly need look anywhere else for entertainment this Christmas... not that that'll stop us.

UK

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