Disney embodied the true meaning of friendship with its fantasy film “Aquamarine” which came to movie theaters on March 3, 2006.
“Aquamarine” was directed by Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum. It is the make-believe film about two soul-tied best friends Claire and Hailey. Taking place at the end of their summer in Florida, the two girls are trying to soak up their last days together before Hailey is forced to move to Australia due to her mom’s job, while also trying to get the handsome lifeguard, Raymond’s, attention. During one of their last sleepovers together, a big storm causes a magical rift between their world and under the ocean, leaving the two to find a mermaid in the pool behind Claire’s house. The mermaid’s name is Aquamarine, and her one mission on land was to get a boy to fall in love with her so she wouldn’t have to be forced into marriage by her father, who was the king of all the ocean. When she catches the eye of Raymond, she becomes dead set on who she wants. While only having three days to do this, Aquamarine explains to the girls that if they help her to get Raymond, they would get one wish. Although what they would wish for would be for Hailey to stay in Florida instead of moving, the next three days teaches them that being friends isn’t about always being together, but being with each other in their hearts. This mindset will change what they want their one wish to be, and the two learn the true meaning of having a best friend.
One highlight of this story is the way Aquamarine acted towards Claire and Hailey. Because the two were only thirteen years old, they were unfamiliar with having boyfriends, what the latest fashions were, and how to become popular. But, when Aqua came along, she was clearly much older than the two and began giving them life and friendship advice that they would remember forever. She acted almost sisterly to them and taught them how to have more confidence in themselves–inside and out. By the end of the movie, the three were so close that they promised each other they would see each other again and even made set plans. It was super cute, and great for the younger audiences.
Another beautiful asset to this movie was its ending. When Aquamarine gets pushed into the water in front of Raymond by his jealous ex-girlfriend, she begins to turn her true form: a mermaid. Raymond is astonished, but still decides that he wants to be with her. Before he could say he loves her, Hailey and Claire jump into the water to save Aquamarine because of how much their friendship has become. When they do this, Claire faces her fears of going into the ocean, which shows enough to prove to Aquamarine’s dad that true love on land is real. As a result of this, Aquamarine is no longer forced to marry a stranger and can stay on land with the people she truly loves who make her happy.
To close, “Aquamarine” shows the true meaning of love and friendship through a truly entertaining story. There are many mermaid movies on Disney, but this one continues to be the most watched one to ever come of the franchise. The way Rosenbaum portrayed that true love can come from your best friends instead of a boy is one of the many lessons a young girl should learn in her life. It is rated PG and receives a very worthy five-star rating. This movie convinces many that there is nothing better than the message of true friendship.
