So Dear to My Heart is a Walt Disney classic that is less well known than it probably should be. Produced in 1948, it combines the best of Disney mediums – animation, and live-action – with a heartfelt storyline, that is sure to be a warm, nostalgic journey to simpler times.
It is based on the 1943 Sterling North book Midnight and Jeremiah, which was later revised by the author, to parallel with the movie, and re-released under the film title. It is a beautiful tale about the meaning of faith, hope, and familial love, and remains a golden nugget in the treasure chest of Disney’s golden age.
We follow the story of young Jeremiah Kinkaid, a farm boy growing up in the American mid-west (Indiana) in 1903. After a passing train stops off with a famed racing horse, Dan Patch (the real horse which portrayed himself in the film), his initial dream becomes owning just such a horse and winning prize ribbons in competition.
But his dream shifts after the birth of a black wool lamb whose mother rejects him. Jeremiah bolts indoors with the lamb and pleads with his Granny to let him save its life, and he promises to take good care of him, while not neglecting his chores. Granny, a tough cookie with a tender heart, ultimately relents and agrees to give him a chance but doesn’t promise that he can keep the lamb – concerned that it will be underfoot and cause trouble.
He comes to name his black sheep “Danny,” after the racehorse Dan Patch. Jeremiah determines to raise him to be a prize-winning sheep so that he can enter him in the Pike County Fair. But Granny is none too keen on the expense of attending the fair, especially since Danny has a habit of racking up damage costs running wreck-loose and ram-shod through the house and yard (not to mention an incident in the general store)!
But, determined to persevere, and with the encouragement of his mentoring Uncle, Hiram, Jeremiah strives to earn the money himself. He decides to track down a bee tree with his supportive cousin, Tildy, and sell the honey they discover to the local grocer. But he will have to overcome the even greater obstacle of Danny’s disappearance, and the crisis of faith which results from it.
The actors are perfectly suited to their roles, especially Bobby Driscoll in the part of Jeremiah, and Beulah Bondi (famous for her role as George Bailey’s mother in “It’s a Wonderful Life”) as Granny. They bring a familial warmth and connectivity to the screen.
Burl Ives clinches his part as Uncle Hiram – always striving to smooth out relations between ‘set-in-her-ways’ Granny and her adventurous grandkids. He is also perfect for musical interludes, in Alan a’ Dale fashion, telling us how the saga of Jeremiah is shaping up.
Ives performs an adaptation of the 17th century English folk song “Lavender Blue” on his guitar, which resulted in the film being nominated for an academy award for best original song. He also plays another English folk song, “Where Have You Been, Billy Boy?”
There are also the delightful animated numbers “Its Whatcha Do With Whatcha Got” and “Stick-to-it-ivity.” These include some of the most memorable moments of the film, with delightful cartoon retellings of the story of Christopher Columbus and Robert de Bruce – complete with a dancing, kilt-clad spider!
The charm of the film comes from the simple yet timeless moral lessons within. While the little black sheep, Danny, might not have “pedigree,” what makes him special is the love and hard work that goes into making him a prized sheep. This is true of anything: we can take the ordinary and turn it into the extraordinary by the love and effort that we put into it. “You do the best with what you’ve got.”
But a greater lesson still, is the essence of love itself, which is self-giving – not looking for glory as its own end, but rather for the welfare of those you love. It is the ultimate willingness of Jeremiah to give up his dreams for the welfare of Danny (without spoiling too much!), that proves his true love for the lamb he saved.
He also came to have a deeper understanding of faith and trust in God through this willingness to sacrifice. This is a testament to Granny’s love for her grandson, instilling him with a virtuous upbringing, and one which can be summed up through the quote from St. Paul in Corinthians 13:4-7:
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
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F&F Winter 2019: Disney