…and the shining star that stole my heart.
Disney has done it again.
Not only were there frogs falling in love, adorable little girls, strong-women, amazing fathers, singing fireflies, and a backdrop of New Orleans….
THERE IS A CHARACTER IN THE MOVIE WITH THE NAME EVANGELINE!
Not JUST a character, a shining star.
Did I ever tell you my daughters name is Evangeline? Eva is just her nickname.
So we are sitting there in the theater on opening night of the latest Disney princess movie with our little princess and there is a character with her name. There is even a beautiful song with her name in it…”Look how she lights up the sky, Ma Belle Evangeline.”
For those of you that don’t know, Evangeline is the name of a poem written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. It is a very lengthy poem, more of a book really. In the poem Evangeline and Gabriel fall in love but through a series of harrowing events are separated. They spend the rest of their lives trying to find each other again. They both end up finally meeting again in New Orleans but they are old and dying. They die in each others arms and are buried next to each other to be together forever in eternity. “Still stands the forest primeval; but far away from its shadow. Side by side in their nameless graves , the lovers are sleeping.”
Nobody knows for sure if the story is actually true, it was a tale past down through generations, but the name Evangeline was the creation of Longfellow.
Apparently the story of Evangeline and her lover is an important one in New Orleans culture. There are statues of her, restaurants named after her, a parish and even a race track. Which is evidently why it made it’s way into this movie about New Orleans. I knew I was going to love this movie but now it really has a place in my heart.
-I should add that I had no idea the poem even existed when we named Evangeline. The day I told my mom what we planned to name her she wandered into a used book store and saw the poem.
Mom says...
I can’t wait to see “The Princess and The Frog” movie Jill.
Your face must hurt today from so much smiling yesterday.
Thank you for making Princess Evangeline my granddaughter!
I love you,
Mom XO
December 12th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
Keith Wilcox says...
You taught me something today. I’ve read Tales of the Wayside Inn, but I didn’t know about Evangeline. Such an interesting and beautiful name.
December 12th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Dany Linda Sao, Fivein5 says...
I can’t wait to see this movie!! My daughter really wants to see this so bad! I think Evangeline is a beautiful name also! Wish I could have another girl to name her that! Thanks for the background and facts revolving around the movie!
December 14th, 2009 at 7:25 am
Tim Jones says...
We went to see it, yesterday for my daughter’s 4th birthday. I thought it was awesome! Great, old-fashioned Disney-style feature animation (also, happened to be the day that Roy E. Disney passed away, often considered the man that brought feature animation back to Disney).
My daughter was not quite as excited about it as I thought she would be and got a little fidgety near the end. My 6 year old son, however thought it was fantastic. I’m a little worried about him.
Some great visual scenes make this a worthwhile “see in the theater” movie, for sure.
Thank you for the background on the Evangeline story, too!
December 17th, 2009 at 11:00 am
Heidi says...
No, I did not know Eva’s full name is Evangeline. I love the little story about your mom wandering into a used book store and finding the Longfellow poem. So … poetic?
Did you hear that TIME Magazine called The Princess & The Frog the “the best movie of the year?” Last night I saw a trailer for the movie with that tagline? Is it really the movie of the year? I’ve yet to see it, but as far as BESTs go, I’m skeptical.
Joe reviewed “Up in the Air” recently for his paper. He says it’s one of the year’s best. Although, I’m bias.
December 17th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
Michelle Sullivan says...
The poem by Longfellow is set against the backdrop of the English expulsion of the French Acadians from the territory that is now New Brunswick/Nova Scotia in Canada. Women were separated from the men and put on boats sailing off in various directions. Families were separated. While Evangeline and Gabriel are fictional characters, their story represents a very tragic chapter in the history of the Acadian people.
Many of the French who were forced from Acadia in The Great Expulsion of 1755 ended up in Louisiana, which was a French territory under Napoleon at the time.
There is a very special link between French Acadians and Cajuns (the word Cajun is actually derived from the pronounciation of the word Acadian).
Longfellow’s poem has been adapted into a very touching French song. Never fails to pull at my heartstrings. Makes me sob like a baby, frankly
Should you daughter ever visit the Acadian villages of Canada’s martime provinces, I’m sure she’ll be welcomed like a long lost daughter. The name Evangeline is a very special one for people in French Canada.
December 17th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
Jill says...
Heidi,
I cried like a baby through the first half of UP. But I have to say that I like The Princess and the Frog better. Actually, better than both of those was Ponyo. Have you seen that yet? It is the best “made for children” movie I have ever seen, beats a lot of “made for adults” movies too.
December 18th, 2009 at 11:56 am
Jill says...
Michelle,
Thanks for the history on the term Cajun, my husband was just asking me about that. I have wanted to visit Nova Scotia since I was a little girl and read Anne of Green Gables over and over again. We most definitely plan to take our daughter there one day. It’s is strangely poetic, like Heidi said, that I have always had a special place in my heart for Nova Scotia and it has always been a dream of mine to visit, then I decide to name my daughter Evangeline having no knowledge of the poem, then my mom wanders into the bookstore and finds the poem. Like it was meant to be…
December 18th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Jill says...
Tim, I didn’t even know that Roy Disney passed away. Must have missed that one. Disney is another one of those names that is close to my heart. I even asked my husband if we ever have a son if we could name him Walt…the answer was no.
Don’t worry about your son, sounds like a boy after my own heart and his dad’s too for that matter.
December 18th, 2009 at 12:07 pm
Dawn says...
Sounds like a great movie, and how cute your daughter’s name is the name of the shining star in the movie!!
December 21st, 2009 at 11:35 am
Petra aka The Wise (Young) Mommy says...
That is so awesome! The movie looks fantastic and I can’t wait to see it with my daughter, she will love it! And I love that name, how gorgeous.
December 22nd, 2009 at 3:55 pm
Lisa Maria says...
I owned a spa in so. houston, a voodoo queen visited for a massage and facial. She and I connected due to deep spirtuality. She asked me if I had ever visited her great city New Orleans, she said I needed to before the great mother earth teach her people a lesson.
Why not go visit? I told her I would take my children for spring break.(March ‘05)My daughters and I had a wonderful time. While in the french quarter a handsome man named “Ray” told me some amazing personal things while staring at my feet, they were all true. I accepted his invitation to dinner that night. He had a corner table ready for the girls and I, we watched the St.Patricks day parade. That year Katrina took New orleans by surprise, my daughters now 17 and 14, Tiana and Eva, We will never forget. I also have two princesses. We are always “Praying to the heavens”,or wishing upon a star.
December 29th, 2009 at 3:15 am
Jill says...
Wow Lisa, you must have had chills when you watched the movie. I love the name Tiana.
December 29th, 2009 at 11:09 am
Jamie says...
princess and the frog was great!! i also saw the Squeakuel whcih was so adorable!
and i also can’t wait to see Despicable Me (http://bit.ly/5fDDpC)
it’s steve carrell’s voice and it’s so cute with the little guys.. haha
December 29th, 2009 at 7:38 pm
Jen Hodder says...
Hi Jill~
I think your blog is really great and I can’t wait to look around
) Thank you for following along with our family. Of course you can link about all of our “upside down” babies 
) Out of the entire book, this stood out in my mind. Good stuff…..
Love,
Jen
January 16th, 2010 at 4:28 pm