The Princess and the Frog marks the beginning of the Revival Era for Disney Animation. Disney went back to producing a fairy tale story and it was the beginning of a lineup of some fantastic films. Tiana is an amazing Disney princess and I love her character growth throughout the film. Also, that green dress!
Premiered on: November 15, 2009 at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California
Directed by:
Ron Clements
John Musker
Produced by:
Peter Del Vecho
John Lasseter
Based on: The Frog Princess written by E.D. Baker and The Frog Prince written by the Brothers Grimm
Sequels: none
Cast:
Anika Noni Rose – Tiana
Bruno Campos – Prince Naveen
Michael-Leon Wooley – Louis
Jim Cummings – Ray
Keith David – Dr. Facilier
Jennifer Cody – Charlotte La Bouff
John Goodman – Eli “Big Daddy” La Bouff
Peter Bartlett – Lawrence
Jennifer Lewis – Mama Odie
Oprah Winfrey – Eudora
Terrence Howard – James
Frank Welker – Stella
Corey Burton – Harvey Fenner
Jerry Kernion – Henry Fenner
Ritchie Montgomery – Reggie
Don Hall – Darnell
Paul Briggs – Two-Fingers
Supervising Animators:
Ruben A. Aquino
Anthony de Rosa
Andreas Deja
Eric Goldberg
Randy Haycock
Mark Henn
Duncan Marjoribanks
Nik Ranieri
Bruce W. Smith
Michael Surrey
Music by:
Randy Newman
Ne-Yo
Songs:
“Almost There”
“Down in New Orleans”
“Friends on the Other Side”
“When We’re Human”
“Dig a Little Deeper”
“Ma Belle Evangeline”
“Gonna Take You There”
“Never Knew I Needed”
Academy Awards:
Best Animated Film (nomination)
Best Song – “Almost There” (nomination)
Best Song – “Down in New Orleans” (nomination)
The Story:
The Princess and the Frog begins with the evening star as the prologue to “Down in New Orleans” plays. The La Bouff mansion is shown and inside Charlotte’s room, Eudora is telling the story of The Frog Prince to Charlotte and Tiana. She is making a new princess dress for Charlotte as she tells the story. Charlotte thinks that kissing a frog is romantic, but Tiana thinks that it is gross Tiana declares that she never would something like that and Charlotte tries to get Tiana to kiss the cat dressed as a frog. Charlotte says that she would kiss 100 frogs in order to marry a prince.
Big Daddy comes in and Charlotte begs him for another new princess dress and Big Daddy quickly gives in. He asks Eudora for another dress. Eudora and Tiana head back home because Tiana’s dad should be home from work by then. Big Daddy tells Charlotte that he is not going to be a pushover anymore and then he gives her a new puppy.
Eudora and Tiana take a trolley ride home. They pass by the large mansions of New Orleans to where they live in a neighbourhood filled with small homes. Tiana and her father, James, make shrimp gumbo together when they get home. James says that Tiana has a gift and a gift like that just needs to be shared. They invite all of their neighbours over for some gumbo.
Before bed, James shares his dream of opening his own restaurant with Tiana. He shows her a drawing of an upscale restaurant and writes ‘Tiana’s Place’ on it. Tiana sees the evening star and wants to make a wish. James tells her that a star can only take her part of the way and she will need to put in some hard work of her own, but then she can do anything she sets her mind to. James makes Tiana promise him that she will never lose sight of what is important. Her parents leave the room and Tiana wishes on the star for a restaurant. A frog appears and Tiana screams and runs out of the room
It is daytime and Tiana has grown up and comes back into her room. She is wearing a waitress outfit and is absolutely exhausted. She puts her tips in a drawer and kisses a photo of her father in his army uniform. She falls into bed only to have her alarm wake her up a moment later. She changes into a new waitress outfit and runs outside to catch the trolley as the song “Down in New Orleans” plays.
The title card appears. Tiana is reading a cooking magazine on the trolley and gets to her job to work real hard. Dr. Facilier is outside using voodoo to swindle people. Big Daddy is riding in his car through the streets of New Orleans and is reading a newspaper which reads that Prince Naveen is coming that day. He picks up Charlotte. Prince Naveen arrives on ship and immediately joins in a jazz band. He leaves Lawrence to carry all of the bags.
Big Daddy and Charlotte arrive at the café Tiana is working at. Dr. Facilier is watching them. Tiana’s friends want her to go dancing with them that evening but Tiana says no because she needs to work a double shift to save for her restaurant. Her friends are annoyed because all she does is work. The cook teases Tiana about wanting her own place and says that will never happen. Tiana congratulations Big Daddy for winning the role of King of the Mardi Gras parade. Charlotte is very excited about Naveen coming to New Orleans. She says that Big Daddy invited him to their Mardi Gras masquerade ball and he will be staying at their place. Charlotte wants Tiana to make 500 beignets for their ball to win over Naveen. She gives Tiana a lot of cash to cover for it and Tiana is excited because she has the rest of what she needs for a down payment for her restaurant.
The Fenner brothers are taking away the ‘For Sale’ sign at the old sugar mill where Tiana wants to buy her restaurant. They agree to sign the paperwork that evening at the masquerade ball. Eudora shows up with James’ old gumbo pot as a gift for Tiana to get started. Tiana is very excited about the rundown building, but Eudora has her worries. She thinks that Tiana should ease up on working so hard, but Tiana doesn’t want to let her father down. Eudora reminds Tiana that her father might not have gotten his dream, but he did have love and that is all she wants for Tiana. Tiana insists that she does not have time for that and sings “Almost There” and envisions about her future restaurant.
Lawrence is racing through town looking for Naveen. He finds the prince still playing jazz. He tells Naveen that they are going to be late for the ball. Naveen declares that first he is going to buy everyone around a drink! Lawrence reminds the prince that his parents have cut him off and he must either marry a rich young lady or get a job. Naveen decides that he is going to dance instead. They are approached by Dr. Facilier who leads Naveen down the shadowy streets. Lawrence follows and is very suspicious. Dr. Facilier sings “Friends on the Other Side” and tempts them both with becoming who they want to be. Naveen wants to be rich again and Lawrence wants to not be pushed around anymore.
At the masquerade ball, Tiana is busy making all those beignets. Charlotte is anxiously waiting for Naveen to come and she runs inside crying that she never gets anything she wishes for. Tiana follows to calm her friend down and Charlotte starts to wish on the evening star again. Tiana tells her that she cannot wish on the star and expect things to happen, but then it is announced that Naveen is there. Charlotte makes a big show of greeting and dancing with the prince. The Fenner brothers come for some beignets and tell Tiana that she has been outbid. She has until Wednesday to top the bid if she wants her restaurant. They then tell her that it is better that she doesn’t have her hands full trying to run a big business like that and they leave with stuffed pockets filled with beignets. She tries to stop the Fenner brothers but ends up following into the beignet table and making a huge mess. Charlotte finds her and brings Tiana inside to change into a clean dress.
Charlotte is gushing over Naveen when Tiana appears in a new dress. She thinks that Tiana looks beautiful and heads back to the party. Tiana is still looking very sad and stays in Charlotte’s room. She sings a reprise of “Almost There” and goes out onto the balcony. She sees the evening star and wishes on it, despite not truly believing in it. Tiana sees a frog nearby and sarcastically asks if he would like a kiss. The frog responds that he would and Tiana screams and runs away from the talking frog. She crashes into a bookshelf in Charlotte’s room. The frog introduces himself as Prince Naveen and Tiana wants to know who is dancing with Charlotte then, but the frog does not remember anything. He suddenly was a frog. Tiana is about to squish him with a book, but Naveen stops her because he knows that story which is The Frog Prince. He tells Tiana that she must kiss him. Tiana refuses and so Naveen promises a reward if she does. Tiana kisses him and magic fills the room. But Naveen is still a frog.
Tiana had been turned into a frog. She attacks Naveen and they both go flying out the window and into the party below. Big Daddy tells Stella the dog to get the frogs and they run away from the dog. This destroys the party and the two frogs escape using helium balloons. Dr. Facilier sees this and follows the prince who is running way. The prince is revealed to be Lawrence in a magical disguise and he finds an empty jar where the frog was kept. Dr. Facilier is furious that he let the frog go. Lawrence says that he can’t go through with this and rips off a necklace that is filled with Naveen’s blood. He tries to give it back to Dr. Facilier as he is turned back into Lawrence. Dr. Facilier reminds him that all he needs to do is marry Charlotte and they will split Big Daddy’s future. Lawrence is turned back into the prince.
In the bayou, Tiana is mad at Naveen for messing with Dr. Facilier and Naveen is mad at Tiana for not actually being a princess. Tiana realises that Naveen is actually broke and is mad about that. The two frogs argue as they run away from frightening bayou creatures. Alligators attack them and Tiana helps Naveen escape into a tree if he promises to help her get the restaurant once he and Charlotte are married. They hide in the tree for night.
The next morning, Tiana is eager to get back to New Orleans to be turned back into a human. She makes a raft and they travel down the bayou. Naveen is playing a makeshift ukulele while Tiana rows. Another alligator follows them and is very excited about the music. His name is Louis and he wants to play along with his trumpet. He tells the frogs a story of how he tried to join a riverboat jazz band once, but everyone screamed in terror and shot at him. Tiana says that they must be off to find someone to break the spell to turn them back into humans. Louis tells them about Mama Odie and the frogs want him to take them there. Louis refuses to go into the deepest and darkest part of the bayou. Naveen convinces Louis that maybe Mama Odie can turn him into a human as well so he can play jazz without scaring people. They all take off down the bayou singing “When We’re Human.”
At Charlotte’s mansion, she is having champagne in the gardens with Lawrence disguised as Naveen. Lawrence’s ear bulges out as he is losing Naveen’s blood for the spell. He is turning back into Lawrence so he quickly proposes to Charlotte. She is so excited and runs off to play their wedding that she does not notice the chance. Dr. Facilier comes and says that he will now to ask for help from his friends on the other side.
Louis is asking Tiana questions about her restaurant and Naveen is starting to feel very hungry. He tries to use his tongue to catch some flies but realizes that it is harder than it looks. Tiana’s own instincts take over and she joins in. They end up getting their tongues tied together. Louis tries to help but only makes things worse. He then goes off to find a sharp stick to help them.
Ray appears and turns on his firelight to see. He undoes the knocks and they all introduce themselves. Ray comments that if they are going to Mama Odie’s, they are heading in the wrong direction. Louis appears and sheepishly admits he was confused by the topography and geography. Ray whistles and his family appears to guide them in the right direction. They sing “Gonna Take You There.”
Dr. Facilier is asking for help from his friends from the other side. He says that soon they will be rid of Big Daddy and he will have New Orleans in the palm of his hand. His friends can have all the souls from the city that they want. The friends agree and the shadows take off to search for the frog.
Tiana, Naveen, Ray, and Louis are saying goodbye to the rest of the fireflies. Ray then tells them about his girl Evangeline. Louis gets a prickle and starts to panic. Ray stops to help him and the frogs go ahead. Some hunters see the frogs and plot on how to catch them.
The frogs make their way through the bushes and Naveen tells Tiana that she does not know how to have fun. Tiana calls Naveen lazy. Naveen then gets caught by a hunter, but Tiana is able to escape. Louis notices the hunters and falls into a whole prickle bush. Ray notices Naveen was caught and attacks the hunter. Tiana is caught in a cage and Naveen escapes. He goes back to rescue her. The hunters attack each other while trying to get the frogs back so both frogs are able to escape. The hunters freak out when Tiana speaks and they take off.
Ray helps Louis by pulling out all of the prickles. Tiana offers to make them some swamp gumbo and makes Naveen help her out.
The shadows find the balloons and follow the trail of the frogs.
Tiana, Naveen, Ray, and Louis are laughing and eating the gumbo. Ray introduces them to Evangeline and everyone else realizes that she is actually the evening star. Ray sings “Ma Belle Evangeline.” Tiana and Naveen dance. Tiana then reminds Naveen that they best be going. Naveen is caught by the shadows and Mama Odie appears and saves him.
They follow Mama Odie to her home and Tiana explains their story. Mama Odie guesses that they want to be turned back into humans. She panics that her gumbo is burning and Tiana gives her some tips on the flavour. She then asks the frogs if they have figured out what they need and Tiana answers that it is to be human. Mama Odie says that is what they want but not what they need. She sings “Dig a Little Deeper” and at the end asks if Tiana now understands what she needs. Tiana says that she does; she needs to work even harder to get her restaurant. Mama Odie and the bayou creatures just sigh.
Mama Odie stirs the gumbo and images appear in it. They see Charlotte being crowned Mardi Gras princess and realize that if Charlotte kisses Naveen by midnight, he will turn into a prince again and Tiana will also become human again. Louis asks to be a human as well, but Mama Odie just tells him to dig a little deeper.
They then sneak onto a riverboat heading to New Orleans. Louis joins in a jazz band because all of the members are dressed in costumes and don’t realize Louis is a real alligator. Tiana and Ray go to watch and Naveen says that he will catch up with them later. He makes a ring out of beads and a wire. Naveen practices proposing to Tiana with Evangeline and Ray sees this. He is jealous but then excited when Naveen explains that he is in love with Tiana. He tells Ray not to tell Tiana but Naveen wants to. He is planning on finding another way to get her the restaurant.
Naveen brings Tiana to a romantic dinner to celebrate their last night as frogs. He is very nervous and is about to propose when Tiana excitedly shows him her restaurant as their sail by. She is very thankful that Naveen is helping her make her dreams come true. Naveen realizes that he has to help her soon because she was outbid and marrying Charlotte is the only way. He does not propose and sadly leaves Tiana. Tiana talks to Evangeline and does not realize that Naveen is being captured by the shadows.
Charlotte knocks on Naveen’s door and tells him that they need to leave for the wedding. Lawrence calls out that he needs a few more moments. Both he and Dr. Facilier are panicking about what they are going to do but then the shadows come with Naveen. Lawrence pricks his blood.
The riverboat docks and Tiana cannot find Naveen. Ray asks Tiana where her ring is and Tiana does not know what he is talking about. Ray explains everything about Naveen being in love and not wanting to marry Charlotte.
The parade is happening and Tiana looks for Naveen in the crowd. She sees Naveen and Charlotte getting married and sadly leaves the parade to sit by herself. Ray finds her and says that something cannot be right about this and they should go back there. Tiana disagrees and then yells at Ray that Evangeline is only a star and he needs to open his eyes now before he gets hurt. She hops away.
On the wedding float, Naveen is locked up in a box and is trying to object to the wedding. Ray buzzes by and realizes what is going on. He finds Naveen trapped and lets him out. Dr. Facilier is nearby with a voodoo doll of Big Daddy, waiting to destroy him once the wedding is over. Naveen interrupts the wedding and Lawrence falls of the float. He runs away with the frog and hides in a church nearby. Naveen asks why Lawrence is doing this and Lawrence says that it is payback for how he was treated. Dr. Facilier appears and Naveen grabs the blood necklace. He gives it to Ray who escapes with it. Dr. Facilier calls his shadows to get Ray. Louis goes to help and everyone realizes that he is a real alligator.
Ray finds Tiana to show her what they saw was not true. He gives the necklace to her and says to make sure Dr. Facilier does not get it. Tiana takes off and Ray attacks the shadows. Dr. Facilier squishes Ray and leaves him. Louis finds the hurt firefly.
Tiana is running away. She is stopped by Dr. Facilier and she threatens to smash the necklace. Dr. Facilier gives Tiana the illusion of being human again and running her restaurant. He says that all of this could be a reality if she hands over the necklace. He tells her that she can finally give her father what he always wanted. Tiana remembers that her dad never got what he wanted, but he had what he needed which was love. She is about to smash the necklace but a shadow grabs it from her.
Tiana is changed back to a frog. She grabs the necklace back and smashes it. Dr. Facilier now cannot pay back his debt and a reprise of “Friends on the Other Side” plays. He is then dragged to the other side.
It is almost midnight. Charlotte is trying to get Naveen out of the church. She sees Lawrence who runs away. Naveen introduces himself as a frog to Charlotte. Tiana arrives in time to see Naveen explain everything to Charlotte. Naveen asks Charlotte to give Tiana all the money she needs for her restaurant if he marries her. They are about to kiss when Tiana stops them. Naveen says that he has to because it is the only way to get Tiana her dream. Tiana says that her dream is not complete without him in it and that she loves him. Charlotte is touched and happy that Tiana found her true love. Charlotte wants to turn them both back into humans without needing to marry Naveen and so she kisses him. But it does not work.
Louis comes up to them with Ray. They tell Ray that they are staying frogs and are staying together. Ray likes that and thinks that Evangeline would like that as well. He stares up at her before he dies. Everyone cries and it starts to rain.
Tiana, Naveen, Louis, and the fireflies have a funeral for Ray in the bayou. A second star appears next to Evangeline.
They have a frog wedding officiated by Mama Odie. Once they kiss, they both turn back into humans. Tiana is now a princess so the spell was broken.
They then have a wedding in the church and Charlotte catches the bouquet.
Tiana and Naveen give money to the Fenner brothers and Louis scares them into handing over the key to the restaurant. They fix up the old sugar mill into ‘Tiana’s Palace’ and open it up. It is a very popular restaurant. Louis plays jazz there and a reprise of “Down in New Orleans” plays. Charlotte dances with Naveen’s younger brother. Tiana and Naveen dance on the roof.
The end credits play to “Never Knew I Needed” to scenes of the bayou and New Orleans.
Trivia:
- At the beginning of the film, the restaurants Tiana works at are Cal’s Diner and Duke’s Café.
- Tiana has more costume changes than any other Disney princess, despite being a frog for more than half the film.
- There are cameos of Ron Clements and John Musker in the Mardi Gras parade.
- The street signpost Tiana hops up on to see the parade is of Royal Street and Orleans Street. It looks very similar to a signpost in Disneyland’s New Orleans Square.
- The jazz band Louis plays in at the end of the film is called Firefly Five Plus Lou. This is a reference to the 1950s Dixieland band Firehouse Five Plus Two which featured many Disney animators as members.
- Madam Leota makes a cameo in the graveyard.
- The ship Prince Naveen arrives on from Maldonia is called the S.S. Beesknees.
- Tiana was made left handed because her voice actor, Anika Noni Rose, is also left handed.
- The Princess and the Frog was the first film to be traditionally hand drawn after a string of CGI films from Disney Animated Studios.
- Mama Odie’s pet snake is named Juju.
Representation in the Disney Parks:
Tiana is a regular meet and greet character along with the other Disney princesses. She also often rides aboard the Mark Twain in Disneyland with guests. Naveen, Dr. Facilier, and Louis are also sometimes meet and greet characters. Dr. Facilier is often found wandering around New Orleans Square in Disneyland.
Tiana and friends appear in the shows Mickey and the Magical Map in Disneyland, Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire in Magic Kingdom, and Mickey and the Wondrous Book in Hong Kong Disneyland.
There is a lot of theming around The Princess and the Frog at the Port Orleans Resorts at Walt Disney World.
On June 25, 2020, Disney Parks announced Splash Mountain will be rethemed to The Princess and the Frog at Disneyland and Magic Kingdom. No announcement yet on if this change will also be coming to Tokyo Disneyland.
Check out the other films of Disney’s Revival Era:
This is one of my absolute favorite movies, but there was still a lot of that trivia I didn’t know!
The making of this film is really interesting!