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Disney’s The Little Mermaid live-action remake has been dominating the news for weeks now. Audiences are positively reviewing the re-imagination of the 1989 animated original, praising Halle Bailey‘s beautiful voice, and loving Rob Marshall’s updates.
Credit: Disney
Eagle-eyed fans noticed another way The Little Mermaid slipped in even more representation, by including a little mermaid with only one full arm. The Lucky Fin Project, a charity organization that celebrates people born with limb differences, shared a picture from the end of the film on Facebook.
In the image, a young mermaid with red hair and bright blue scales sits smiling on a rock. The compelling part of the shot shows that the mermaid is differently limbed. She has one full left arm, while her right stops mid-forearm.
Credit: Lucky Fin Project, Facebook
The organization’s name was inspired by Disney/Pixar’s Finding Nemo (2003), whose titular character has one underdeveloped fin that he and his dad call his “lucky fin.” Lucky Fin Project started in 2010 and creates a support network for parents around the world, links parents to medical information and resources, provides education on limb differences, and hosts events and financial support efforts for children. Support efforts include specialized camps, obtaining prosthetics, and funding other organizations within the limb different community.
Credit: Pixar Animation
Here’s a quote from their founder, Molly Stapelman:
A child being born with a limb difference is not tragic. It’s extremely important to show our children how capable & wonderfully made they are. If we treat them as flawed or limited that is who they will believe themselves to be- and that would be the tragedy.
The Lucky Fin’s Facebook post showed the differently limbed mermaid in Disney’s most recent live action film and now has over 3000 likes and almost 500 shares. Here are some of the top comments of people grateful for the conscious inclusion.
Credit: Lucky Fin Project
Facebook user PĂ©sla GarcĂa commented, “I missed that. Love the direction these movies are going!”
Another user, Nathan Esposito said, “This is why I loved this movie, so many different forms of representation, from race, to disabilities, heck there may have been some LGBTQ mermaids in there they just didn’t speak.”
Sarah Upton Grassi wrote, “We were so excited when we saw her!!!”
Poetically, Mark Winters added, “And in the case of a merperson, I think it’s literally a lucky fin!”
The Little Mermaid has already made millions of dollars worldwide and also stars Melissa McCarthy, Javier Bardem, and Daveed Diggs. Have you seen it yet?
Keep your eye out for that lucky fin!
