I took two of our girls to see The Lion King last weekend.
3 and 5. About the age I was when the film came out in 1994.
I loved the film and saw the musical too...
I glossed over the heavy stuff, because at 5 - you don't have the life experience to understand it.
If you think you know the story from the film alone. Beware.
It's a different experience. Almost twice as long. And the highest-grossing musical of all time.
Seeing it again as an adult hit me like a freight train - not the obvious stuff (circle of life, hero journey etc.).
The deep stuff that you don't grapple with until you've seen it in real life.
Here are 3 you might have missed.
1. Hakuna Matata is a trap
As a kid, it sounds like great advice.
You drop your lollipop or lose a basketball game. Relax. Don't worry about it!
But as an adult - you see what actually happens to Simba.
He runs from the worst moment of his life, and Timon and Pumbaa hand him a way to never think about it again.
Eat some grubs and put your worries behind you.
That scene looks a lot like things you don't see until you're in your 20s and 30s. Drugs, alcohol, and other vices that allow you to distract yourself from the uncomfortable realities you can find yourself in.
There's a time to switch off and grieve. But a problem you never face doesn't go away.
Simba doesn't heal. He hides it for years. He gets physically stronger but emotionally, he is still that little lion that ran away. It's Nala and Rafiki who care enough to make him face reality.
It might be an intervention, hitting rock bottom, or parenthood that triggers you to re-assess where you're at.
That's the real lesson that a 5-year-old isn't ready for - don't hide behind Hakuna Matata.
2. Scar is just a lost little brother
As a kid, the bad guy is the bad guy. The evil one who gets defeated at the end.
But Scar is no simple Disney villain. He's spent his whole life in his big brother's shadow.
When I started high school, my brother was already known as a great sportsman and an incredible student. I was not.
Many teachers held it over my head and it led me to compare myself to him constantly.
It hurt and it often brought out the worst in me.
I'm older and over it now. But I recognised something in Scar that I never would have seen at 5.
It's repeatedly put in Scar's face that he won't be king, and that his brother is better than him. If you're told you're not good enough over and over, people can eventually snap.
The stage show doesn't stop at the tragedy. Scar gets the throne and he is empty. You see his paranoia, the imposter syndrome, the craving for more that never gets satisfied.
As you watch him spiral, you can't help but feel for him. He got stuck on viewing someone further along than him with jealousy rather than inspiration.
It cost him everything.
3. Mufasa's struggle as a dad
In the film, Mufasa is gone before you're ready.
On stage, he gets a quiet goodbye when telling Simba about the kings of the past.
As a child, it's a nice lesson about stars and people watching over us. As a parent, it's heartbreaking.
You get to see that Mufasa knows his time is limited and struggles with parenthood. Trying to encourage Simba to be curious and brave while struggling with how to keep him safe at the same time.
You see a great dad questioning himself. Is he making the right decisions for his child's future?
Simba is out of focus on the stage while you watch Mufasa come to grips that he won't always be there.
We've got three girls. Beyond them, there are nephews, nieces, parents and friends.
You have to put on a brave face and be there for them, even when you're struggling with your own challenges. You only get so much time with them!
The scene made me realise that when you were a kid, your parents did the same thing.
Revisiting this story as an adult was confronting in the best way.
If you saw it as a child, go again. I guarantee parts of the show will hit different.
