Nothing says spring like sun, flowers, and bright colors. For generations of Americans, the same has held true for \u201cThe Wizard of Oz,\u201d repeated viewings making it even more than the groundbreaking classic we know today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Released originally in 1939, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer\u2019s adaptation of L. Frank Baum\u2019s epic novel is celebrated for its brilliant technicolor graphics, vocals, and Judy Garland\u2019s performance as the heroine Dorothy. However, for years it would come to be strongly associated with Easter and spring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Decades of viewings held on and around Easter Sunday helped cement \u201cThe Wizard of Oz\u201d as an icon of the vernal season. As Religion and Humanities Professor Amanda Hayden recalled, it was a must-see TV event that captivated her family as well as millions around the United States. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen I was a kid, growing up in the 70s and early 80s, it came on once a year. It was always around Easter. I remember getting really excited about it each year, being enthralled by the music, the characters, and even the Wicked Witch of the West,\u201d said Hayden. \u201cIt really was an event where the family gathered, you popped the popcorn, and sat down. There was a specialness in viewing a movie like that many today will not understand.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This year, Professor Hayden and her family sat down for a special movie night. Their choice? \u201cThe Wizard of Oz.\u201d She would be seeing it for the first time in around 30 years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWatching it last night as a parent with my daughters was really exciting,\u201d she said. \u201cThere were a few spots in the movie where I distinctly remembered comments my mother or father made, things I had not thought about until I watched it with my children.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hayden was surprised that her children were interested in the movie. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI wondered if it would hold their attention but they loved it; they were really enthralled and it was enjoyable to watch it through their eyes,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like many adults watching the classic, there was plenty Hayden noticed for the first time. Its bits of wisdom, depth, and Dorothy\u2019s role as a leader all stood out to the professor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI really appreciated Dorothy\u2019s role, that despite being a young girl she had a powerful voice,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was her journey and in the end, she found the strength within herself to make it back home. As a mother of three daughters, it was a powerful message I was happy to share with them.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The fact that Dorothy and her friends\u2019 quest for the Emerald City should inspire such awe over 70 years after first gracing the big screen should come as no surprise. Beyond the technical wizardry of director Victor Fleming and the joyous melodies performed by its cast, its message has helped cement its place as an icon of Easter and the spring season. An epic tale showing darkness leading to light, rebirth, and the hope of a better future? No wonder it has stood the test of time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ismael Mujahid<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Reporter<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Nothing says spring like sun, flowers, and bright colors. For generations of Americans, the same has held true for \u201cThe Wizard of Oz,\u201d repeated viewings making it even more than the groundbreaking classic we know today. Released originally in 1939, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer\u2019s adaptation of L. Frank Baum\u2019s epic novel is celebrated for its brilliant technicolor graphics, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10416,"featured_media":33973,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3613,2112,5354],"tags":[3215,5302,5353,5375],"class_list":["post-33972","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","category-films","category-magazine-articles","tag-easter","tag-ismael-mujahid","tag-magazine-article","tag-wizard-of-oz"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"cc_featured_image_caption":{"caption_text":false,"source_text":false,"source_url":false},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/panthereye.news_.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5s3vR-8PW","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33972","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10416"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33972"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33972\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33974,"href":"https:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33972\/revisions\/33974"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33973"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33972"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33972"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33972"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}