'Howard': How one gay man reshaped Disney, the industry's most beloved animation studio
There was a point in time in Walt Disney Animation Studio's history where it came very close to shutting its doors after experiencing a series of box-office flops. The interest in animated films was diminishing and the company, which had also been restructuring at the time, had some intense competition from television. Believe it or not, Disney's animation department had been in complete disarray and if it weren't for one man along with his songwriter partner, Disney would have just been a fleeting name. Howard Ashman was Disney's saving grace who, along with songwriter Alan Menken, gave Disney the boost it needed to get back on its feet, an Oscar-winning commercially and critically successful animated film. The recipient of the said award was 'The Little Mermaid', which at the time was Disney's first film in over 30 years.
Ashman was a gifted lyricist and with his partner he revived a dying movie genre by injecting it with a healthy dose of musical theatre. The film marked the beginning of what we now call the Disney Rennaisance, the period in which Disney Animation was restored to its former glory and confidence. Following this, the company returned to making fantasy animated musical that only garnered them success. But the fact of the matter is that it was because of Ashman, a gay, Jewish man from Baltimore who went to theatre school in Indiana, that Disney stands tall today. Although his brilliance was palpable, his legacy was short-lived. Now, Disney is drawing focus to one of its most celebrated artists in a new documentary titled 'Howard'. The film, directed by Don Hahn, recounts the largely untold story of Howard Ashman, an award-winning and venerable lyricist whose life was tragically cut short by AIDS in 1990.
As a business, Disney's long-standing attitude towards the LGBTQ+ community has been a progressive one. Disney World has organized gay pride events since 1991, and the company also began offering gay health insurance benefits for its partners in 1995. However, all of this wouldn't have been truly possible without the influence of Ashman, an openly gay man who also went on to become an example of the company's tolerant atmosphere. Ashman and his partner Menken were forces to be reckoned with. Ashman was crucial to the redevelopment of Disney. He was renowned for his lyrical work in 'The Little Mermaid' and 'Beauty and the Beast', and in addition, was also closely involved in their production, right from casting actors to holding story meetings with animators.
The remarkable thing about Disney in the later part of the 20th century is that it embodied elements of queerness in noticeable subtlety. The animation giant has for years, in its corporate practices and the contents of its film incorporated a 'gay agenda' which may as well have contributed to its mission to help make the world a better place. Ashman's influence here is also rather evident. His story is an illustration of how the essence of Disney manifests an interest in the LGBTQ+ community and queer people's struggles. While working on 'Beauty and the Beast', Ashman was silently suffering through the worst and final phases of his illness. Menken even went as far as describing the film and its plot to be Ashman's "personal story".
If viewed allegorically, the beast who was shunned from society, bound to a curse that transformed his body hideously and left him wilting away like the enchanted rose, was an ailing Ashman. The Beast was ultimately broken free from the curse with Belle's irrevocable love, which was the fictional cure that Ashman was unable to get. Ashman died at the age of 40, eight months before the film had its theatrical release in March 1991. But by then, Ashman had transformed the animation studios enough so much so that Disney was now able to take over the reins of incorporating inclusivity, where queer children could identify with its protagonist. Every heroine that emerged from the Disney Rennaissance, be it Ariel or Pocahontas, had some quality to her that set her apart.
Even in the case of happy endings in these redefining films, they did portray the quintessential heterosexual, happily-ever-after, but that came after squashing parental and societal expectations. Disney largely promoted the "love who you want" and "freedom to marry whoever you love" spirit that is imperative to gay rights. Another point to take into consideration is the fact that the animation studio has also often depicted cross-dressing and gender subversion. Animators cite drag performer Divine as the muse for Ursula, the sea witch in 'The Little Mermaid'. This is how the stigma of being gay, as well as sick in the early '90s, crept into Ashman's work while he was engaged in a losing battle for his life.
In 2017, the live-action remake of 'Beauty and the Beast' brought Disney's first openly gay character, LeFou, to the spotlight. It became the second-highest-grossing picture that year and earned more than $1.25B. The film's director, Bill Condon, revealed in various interviews that his decision to portray LeFou as Disney's first explicitly gay character was inspired by the heartbreaking story of Ashman. 'Howard' is the story of a young, passionate, heroic man who changed the world with his artistic vision. Even when he faced life's worst trouble, he stuck to his work and changed our perspective of the world.
'Howard' will begin streaming on Disney+ starting August 7.