What on earth is “Family Friendly Widescreen”? Is the film NOT in its original aspect ratio?
“Family-Friendly Widescreen” is simply a marketing phrase used by Disney on DVD packaging since 2002. It is often used on films in the 1.66:1 or 1.78:1 widescreen aspect ratios. One can deduce the implication is that a film wider than that (like 2.39:1 widescreen) is “family-unfriendly” because those dang black bars might just give the young’uns nightmares. Nevertheless, the only instance in which a “family-friendly” widescreen transfer has modified the original dimensions of a film is Disc 1 of Brother Bear, which curiously cropped the 2003 animated film from its widescreen theatrical aspect ratio (which is preserved on Disc 2) to 1.66:1. Other times, just be aware that Disney likes to use the term “Family” as a euphemism for “unlearned individual”, as in the “Family Disc” of a 2-disc set which contains the cut-up version of the film. How does 1.66:1 anamorphic widescreen work? Why do the DVDs that are labeled “1.66:1” look like regular 1.85:1 widescreen to me? Anamorphically-enhanced
