This story begins in the same way most great stories do, in childhood.  Both for myself the viewer, and for the main character, young Simba.  That’s right, I’m talking about The Lion King.  

After the animated film’s initial release on VHS in 1994, it was played on repeat in my home as soon as the tape finished rewinding.  While that obviously contributed to its memorable factor (yes, I can still recite all the songs), it was the story itself that made the movie so engaging. 

How engaging you ask?  So much in fact that it has been remastered into a broadway show, had many sequels made and recently completely remastered.  With so many adaptations, it is clear the story and its characters resonate with a broader audience.

So, what set this story apart from the rest Disney released at the time?  While Disney and Pixar were still two separate entities at the time, we will take a look at this movie through the lens of the Pixar story spine. 

Beginning

Once upon a time… a lion cub was born to be the heir of the animal kingdom.

Everyday… he grew and explored the land with his best friend Nala.

Who hasn’t reenacted the “reveal” with poor unsuspecting pets?  The story begins with the epic scene of the animal kingdom coming together for the celebration of the birth of a new heir.  The importance of the cub is solidified as you watch them grow and explore, rooting for their success through their everyday (mis)adventures. 

The Event

But, one day… his jealous uncle Scar, killed his father Mufasa, and blamed young Simba (then attempted to have Simba killed as well)!

Ahhh the twist- greed and envy grabbed hold of his uncle.  This brings in all sorts of moral dilemmas and makes you question the moral compass of THAT uncle everyone has.  

This event went so far as becoming a way for young children to express sadness.  One clever three year old recently utilized the emotional impact this event has had on people… in hopes of not sharing her birthday cake. 

Middle

Because of that… He ran away and was raised by a meerkat and warthog.

Because of that… His uncle became king and decimated the land he was to rule over and protect.

Because of that…  His best friend searched for help after his lion pride (yes, it's the collective noun for lions) was starving and found him!

Now, time to overcome adversity. Simba built a new and happy life with his friends based on adventures and bug eating.   He never processed the event and was encouraged to just push the feelings down and move on.  While things weren’t so rosey back home, Simba was oblivious to the decay and destruction.  Yet, this all came to a head when Nala found him and forced the past and present to collide. 

The Climax

Until finally… Simba realized that he needed to return and take his rightful place on the throne...after fighting and killing his uncle!

Time to learn a lesson and fight for what you believe in and your family!  We now all love Simba, are proud of him for accepting forgiveness and want Scar out of the equation.  Especially since we are budding environmentalists who can see how quickly greed can take over and ruin the land we rely on.  So, they fight an epic fight and we flinch when coals get tossed into Simba’s eyes and we cheer for a young cub to kill his uncle (very confusing, but still we do). 

End

And, ever since then… The land regenerated, he married his best friend and they had themselves their own heir to the throne lion cub. 

Ahhh the circle of life!  You sang it a bit, didn’t you? We see the land restored and justice served.  Simba understands who he is and he takes his place in the whole animal kingdom.  It’s a pretty great role, but you can’t say he didn’t work hard to get there!

It ends with a similar scene to the one that started this whole journey in the first place; the reveal of the heir to the animal kingdom throne.   Now, all that’s left to do is hit rewind…