There is nothing stronger than the bonds of family. Despite their differences, Maleficent (Angelina Jolie), an all-powerful dark fairy, and Aurora (Elle Fanning), a human and the queen of the moors, found a way to look past that to form a mother and daughter bond. This bond allowed the dark fairy, viewed by many to be the embodiment of evil, to be a kinder and gentler being, while still retaining much of that deliciously wicked personality.
Now the two are back for Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil. Though the two have been through a lot, their mother and daughter bond will be put to the test when Maleficent learns that Aurora is to be wed to Prince Philip (Harris Dickinson). It is an engagement that the dark fairy will simply not allow because of what happened to her when she lowered her guard to love someone. However, Aurora appeals to Maleficent’s motherly nature, and as such, she gives her surrogate daughter her blessing to wed. Little does she know that Prince Philip’s mother, Queen Ingirth (Michelle Pfieffer), is hatching a plan that could wipe out all moorkind.
ThatsItLA had a chance to sit down with their fellow bloggers to talk to the cast and crew of Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil, where they talked about the sequel’s themes of family and how our differences make us stronger.
A few years have passed since we last saw Aurora, who had become the queen of the moors of the enchanted forest. She’s a young woman now and is ready to move on to the next phase of her life. “She’s learning how to gain her independence,” Fanning said.
Of course, when she says yes to Prince Philip’s proposal, she would have to get her mother’s blessing, which won’t be easy considering how protective she is of her and how she was disfigured by a human. It’s very much what sons and daughters have to go through today when they reveal that they are to be wed.
“I love the family theme in the movie because it is very realistic to the real life of growing up, separating, leaving the nest, making your own choices in life,” Fanning said. “But we know that Aurora stands up to Maleficent, which is a very strong moment in the film, too, I think it might be shocking for fans to see that, but Aurora is taking charge of her own life, but with kindness, which is the most powerful of all.”
Jolie agreed but saw that family is much more than a theme in Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil. “Aurora and Maleficent were first brought together and became a family,” Jolie said. “They weren’t really expecting it, but we are different. We’re different creatures and so there are metaphors in the film. There are metaphors in the film, and not to be heavy about it, but I think a good film, for young people, has these messages.”
“There’s a real question in the film – we get pulled apart, and people tell us because you are not the same, you are not family,” she said. “Because you are not exactly like you, you are not her mother. That certainly strikes a chord with me. I think Maleficent questions whether or not she is good enough to be a mother and whether she is her mother.”
It’s true that Maleficent isn’t Aurora’s blood mother, and that they couldn’t be any more different. However, Jolie sees those differences more as a strength than a weakness. “There’s a real push to say this is not how it should be and this is not how to live,” she said. “Diversity makes us stronger, and there must be a better way forward and we have to come together.”
But the idea of a child leaving the nest is hard enough for any parent to bear. And it is about to happen for Maleficent, who sees Aurora growing up and becoming more independent. It is something that she can relate to when she dropped off Maddox, her son, off to college.
The actor recalled how she helped get her son ready for college, including making sure that he had the right shoes, jacket, and glasses. As a mother, it is something she put a lot of effort into. But little did she know, Maddox was doing all of that to spend a little more time with her before he made the big move.
“At the airport, he stayed with me a little longer, and I kept thinking, ‘He wants to be with me a little longer, that’s so sweet,” Jolie said. “I realized, at some point, he looked at me and he said, ‘Are you okay?’” Jolie said. “And I said, ‘Yeah, I’m fine.’ And I realized the entire week was all for me, and he was just making sure I was okay. And he gave me a really big hug because he knew I needed it. And I knew that he was okay because he was the kind of man that knew what I needed. And he gave it to me in a loving way. So I left feeling proud, but I did cry, a few times.”
Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil opens in theaters on October 18, 2019.
