Top 10 Disney Movies that Dealt with Serious Issues

“A Bug’s Life” (1998)



Nature has a certain order, and according to Hopper and his gang of grasshoppers, that order includes a colony of ants giving them food every summer in exchange for protection. Of course, this whole setup is more fascist than they make it sound – basically, a gang of bikers ruling over an entire village through threats and intimidation to keep them in line. The truth is that the ants outnumber the grasshoppers –and Hopper knows it, but the colony’s become too scared to realize that they can overpower their bullies at any time. Fortunately, like anyone forced to live in a dictatorship, sometimes it just takes one brave soul to take the stand against the crushing supremacy.

“Cars 2” (2011)



“Cars 2” has been dubbed the worst Pixar movie of all time due to its lackluster writing and having Mater be the focus character, but that doesn’t mean we should overlook the underlying conflict of the story. The world of sentient automobiles is slowly converting to clean-burning alternative fuel instead of gasoline. This threatens the livelihood of a gang of oil tycoon lemon cars until their ringleader promotes a fake “clean energy source” to make alternative fuel look bad so that the oilers can stay in business. It may be another “big oil companies are bad” plot, but it really shows that, especially in a world populated by cars, pollution and climate change are still relevant issues that some are taking the steps to change.

“Pocahontas” (1995)



“Pocahontas” was a very mixed bag in the eyes of critics, but it does do an admirable job at showing the hazards of colonialism between two feuding races. The English settlers arrive in the new world and claim it as their own, and no indigenous “savages” will take it away from them. Meanwhile, the native tribe is threatened by these “white demons” invading their home and is prepared to fight for their land. Until our leading couple can end the war, neither side is willing to make peace with the other – as far as both sides are concerned, “difference” is just another word for evil… which, unfortunately, is a concept that hasn’t truly gone away.

“Finding Dory” (2016)



When we first met the lovable Dory in “Finding Nemo,” we saw her complications with her short-term memory loss, but it was used more for laughs. But the sequel “Finding Dory” brings a more serious light to her forgetfulness while she continuously searches for her forgotten parents. Her impairment can be challenging to work around, but it’s even more difficult when surrounded by those who don’t understand that she doesn’t think as others do –but she never lets it bother her. More importantly, the film demonstrates that the best way to help someone with a mental impairment is with acceptance and patience, and to trust that they’ll overcome any obstacle as only they can.

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#6: Child Custody & Loss

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“Lilo & Stitch” (2002)



With their parents’ tragic death, Lilo’s older sister Nani is left to be her guardian… but a social worker threatens to separate them if the home environment seems unsafe. Lilo’s estranged behavior doesn’t help, but it’s not her fault – losing her parents at such a young age left a huge mark on her emotionally and mentally. Outside of the heartwarming story of our titular misfits coming together to become best friends, part of the film’s success stems from its mature, realistic portrayal of a broken family and the effects that loss can have on children and young adults. Their family is little and broken, but they make sure that no one gets left behind –including their newest family member, Stitch.

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#5: Death

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“Coco” (2017)



It only seemed fitting considering how the whole film is set during Día de Muertos – an entire holiday dedicated to paying tribute to and remembering those we have lost. Death is usually a taboo subject in films for younger audiences, and is usually shown as something to be feared –Disney’s been guilty of this multiple times. However, “Coco” acknowledges that it’s an unavoidable subject that viewers must learn about no matter how young they are –understanding the concept may just help them accept it when it eventually comes. Not only that, but the film also makes it clear that there is a fate worse than death – being forgotten or unwanted by those you loved in life.

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#4: Mental Health

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“Inside Out” (2015)



The buddy-comedy plot between Joy and Sadness teaches the value of respecting your teammates, but there was one very important message behind the film – the importance of mental health. Joy only wants 11-year-old Riley to be happy, but denying her a chance to be sad only makes things worse, and when both Sadness and Joy are out of commission, Riley slowly falls into a lonely, bitter depression. This perfectly demonstrates the hazards of not only bottling up your feelings but also suppressing even one of them. It’s perfectly fine to be sad, and you should always be able to express your feelings – letting them out may be the best way to keep your mind perfectly balanced and find inner peace.

“The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1996)



If it weren’t for the gargoyles, there is NO WAY this could be classified as a “kids” movie. Judge Claude Frollo considers himself a righteous and pure Minister of Justice who can do no wrong. He’s pretty much lying to himself as not only does he hold extreme prejudice against the “vulgar sinners” beneath him, but he has no qualms with sexually lusting after younger women, wrongfully imprisoning citizens, mass genocide and murder, and even infanticide – all while arrogantly claiming that everything he does is in God’s will. Unfortunately, there ARE people like Frollo who take advantage of their position of power for their own needs in the worst ways; thankfully, they almost always get what’s coming to them.

“WALL-E” (2008)



Along with being a visual spectacle able to tell a compelling story with little dialogue, “WALL-E” really set the bar high for Pixar in terms of social commentary. The whole film is set in a post-apocalyptic future where rampant consumerism and environmental pollution has gotten so bad that the Earth has become uninhabitable – forcing all humans to evacuate into a space colony and become complacent while robots try and fail to clean up the mess. This was a definite eye-opener for anyone of any age about the dangerous road humanity is traveling down if it doesn’t shape up –unfortunately, WALL-E won’t always be there to give us a hand.







Before we unveil our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions that REALLY opened our eyes.



Parental Abuse or Isolation

“Tangled” (2010)





Political Alliances

“Brave” (2012)



Government Regulation

“The Incredibles” (2004)







Abandonment & Growing Up

“Toy Story 3” (2010)





Desperate Business Taking Immoral Actions

“Monsters, Inc.” (2001)

“Zootopia” (2016)



Even in a world where animals can live in harmony, no one is safe from facing the divide that prejudice causes. Predators are put into the unfair stereotype of being deceitful, savage killers, and even our heroine Judy is scoffed at for being a bunny cop – a FEMALE bunny cop, no less. With Disney’s target audience being much younger, they usually have to teach the terrors of bigotry either in a black-and-white manner like with “Pocahontas” or as an analogy –such as “The Fox and the Hound” (Elimination: lack of education). But with “Zootopia,” they managed to hit all the right notes about prejudice in ANY sense, and still managed to appeal to their target audience. Not bad for a dumb bunny and sneaky fox… oops.