“We Call It ‘Bella Notte'”

Disney’s ‘Lady And The Tramp’: Another Spaghetti Night?

Disney

Movie poster 2019 rendition for ‘Lady and the Tramp’.

Patrick Deliz, Writer

The latest ‘Disney+’ release of ‘ Lady and the Tramp’ is a warm revival of the 1995 classic, although it misses the liveliness of the original.

Set in the 1950’s, we are brought to New Orleans, where we meet an upper-middle-class Cocker Spaniel named Lady, (voiced by Tessa Thompson). Lady, who has been taken in by a sweet interracial couple, befriends the lovable Bloodhound, Trusty (voiced by Sam Elliot), and the fashionable Scottish Terrier, Jock (voiced by Ashley Jensen). Her owners, Darling (played by Kiersey Clemons) and Jim Dear (played by Thomas Mann), care for and pamper Lady, making her feel like a part of the family. Times are starting to change as a new addition to the family is on it’s way. Lady soon meets the independent stray, Tramp (voiced by Justin Theroux), who is hunted day and night by the local dogcatcher. The unlikely duo become friends and Tramp warns Lady about the baby, saying “When the baby moves in, the dog moves OUT!”

Things start to go downhill for Lady as Aunt Sarah comes to help out with the baby and begins to emotionally abuse Lady in the process. The following results in Lady running from home and tags along with her newfound friend, Tramp. During this time, Tramp shows her what it is like to be free and without a home. Lady and Tramp have a special night together revealing their love for each other, however, the dogcatcher is on to the furry couple, causing them to flee. Lady is captured and sees first-hand what life in the pound is like. At the pound, she meets a few of Tramps’ friends, learning more about the mysterious stray. Her family picks her up from the pound, and things are almost back to normal. The dogcatcher goes back to Darling and Jim Dear’s cozy home, accusing Lady of housing a stray. She is locked in a pantry to avoid any sort of interaction where she notices a nasty rat that has been terrorizing her home. Unable to chase after the vermin, she howls in attempt to escape the pantry. Tramp overhears her, and she tells him about the baby being in danger. He catches the scent of the rat and chaos spins off in the nursery. Eventually, in attempts to save the baby from the rat, he is captured and taken back to the pound. Things are finally resolved, and our “Disney happy ending” is brought once again as Darling and Jim adopt Tramp, bringing the two “lovedogs” together, worry-free.

Compared to the 1995 classic, there was more heartwarming moments and parts throughout the film that pulled you in. The 1995 ‘Lady and the Tramp’ classic was the studio’s first CinemaScope animated feature, and it was their first full-length cartoon based on an original story rather than an established “classic”.

While there are some minor errors within the movie, it is a good thing to see that the 2019 adaptation didn’t fail to impress. It helps provide hope for Disney and that they might know what they are doing after all.

Rating: 7.9/10