An Ode to Halloweentown
It’s a story about fall and home, and mothers and daughters, and sisters and brothers, and what makes us different, and what makes us all the same. I first watched this movie in elementary school, there was one Halloween where it was entirely too rainy to go out trick-or-treating, and so my best friend and I hunkered down in my basement, eating all the candy my mom had bought to hand out. Coming of age stories are wonderful no matter the age you watch them, but especially so when you’re going through the same things. All of a sudden, you don’t feel so alone in the question that you have or the feelings you’re feeling. Basically Disney’s Halloweentown (1998) is a intergenerational, feminist masterpiece and here’s why:
She’s self-assured, a go-getter, and not afraid to say no. We absolutely stan Marnie Cromwell Piper. She does not hesitate for a second to tell Luke The Goblin (henceforth, LTG) that she isn’t interested, and that she wants to do witchy-shit with her grandmother. I think it’s extremely important that children (or teens or recent college grads, aka me) watching the movie saw how quickly Marnie turned LTG down. She wasn’t coerced into turning back on her decision when she saw how dejected he was. Most importantly, though, she doesn’t blame herself,or her initial decision to turn down his request for a date, for his actions.
This is groundbreaking stuff for kids to see and hopefully internalize in some way: there is no need to apologize when you turn down a date, and you don’t have to be sorry that you don’t want to be romantically involved with someone. And even though I still apologize for that kind of thing now and again, it’s helpful to have Marnie in the back of my head, all spooky and halloweeny and confident in what she wants to do and say.
What does it mean to reject the way you grew up, in exchange for the way your significant other lives? Gwen, Marnie’s mom, leaves Halloweentown, her mother, and the life she knew, behind to live with the man she loved in the mortal world. I don’t know if I could do that, if I’m being honest. To sacrifice the things you’ve always known in exchange for love is brave and scary.
I am Arab-American and Muslim, and come from a tight-knit community with very specific and particular traditions and customs — I guess that’s redundant; what culture doesn’t have particular traditions and customs? To date or marry outside of my culture and religion is to leave it behind, or so it feels. I, like many children of immigrants, have felt torn between what we feel and what we’ve been told, between the new and the old. I’m still trying to build a bridge between the two, but I’m building it in the dark. I don’t want to one day be so removed from my culture that my mother has to beg me to come back and save my hometown with our shared magical powers.
First and foremost, Rest in Peace, Aggie Cromwell (Debbie Reynolds). Second of all, I truly admire Aggie’s love and sense of responsibility towards her community. To be able to put aside interpersonal conflicts and prioritize the collective was impressive. Aggie has concerns about her hometown-- people are moving away and changing in demeanor-- and so she takes it upon herself to find the solution. She’s a great example of taking action and standing up for things (or against things) even if you’re standing alone. In committing to a cause, she also brings her family back together, proving that engaging in social justice encourages empathy and improved relationships.
This Halloween, I urge you to stand up for yourself, take risks for love, and defend the things you care about, that’s what the Cromwells would do.
About the Author
Luna Homsi (she/her) is a recent Anthropology graduate from the University of Maryland. She believes the world is made better and brighter when people share their experiences. Her main academic/research interests are in health equity and social justice. Feel free to connect with her on Twitter!
