‘Snow White’ is the fairest rewrite of them all

BY RUTH L. NAVARRA

MARCH 21, 2025

Snow White (Rachel Zegler) may need a true love's kiss from Jonathan (Andrew Burnap) but she fights her own battles for the most part. —PHOTO COURTESY OF DISNEY

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The new live-action film “Snow White” didn’t stay faithful to Disney’s 1937 animated classic—and thank goodness for that. In the rewrite of one of Disney’s most iconic (and most passive) princesses, the adaptation is trading all the prince-pining for girl power.

Some say it’s a betrayal of the source material, but it is a necessary evolution of the character, especially at a time when audiences crave more than just fairy-tale romance. Let’s all agree that the sensibilities of the ‘30s will no longer fly today.

Actress Rachel Zegler embodies that shift. She steps into the role not as a damsel in distress, but as a heroine ready to write her own story. And as shallow as it sounds, it begins with her looks.

Only in the Philippines...

 

Only in PH: Mickey Mouse in barong Tagalog, Minnie Mouse in a terno

BY RUTH L. NAVARRA

OCTOBER 1, 2024

Minnie Mouse in a pink terno and Mickey Mouse in a barong Tagalog --RUTH NAVARRA

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Mickey Mouse walked out of the character dressing room wearing a barong Tagalog, following Minnie Mouse who was twirling in a pink terno. My plan to skip the meet and greet during the preview of the Disney Store at SM Mall of Asia went out the window as soon as I saw the duo. It’s not every day that you see these childhood icons dressed in Philippine national costumes.

Our family once paid for an expensive dinner for three at the Enchanted Garden at Hong Kong Disneyland. This was right after the reopening of borders after the COVID lockdowns. The character dinner wasn’t as dynamic as we remembered it because only Mickey and Minnie were present that night. Typically, there would be at least four characters. The cast members tried to make us feel better by telling us that Minnie and Mickey were wearing special outfits that day: Minnie was in a formal gown while Mickey was in a black tie. They were in their Valentine costumes.