History WellDoneSonGuy / AnimatedFilms

* ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda1'':

** ''Simba's Pride'' has Simba forgetting this moving testimonial and [[SingleIssuePsychology unable to get over his past]], refusing to trust Kovu or see him as anything but a reincarnation of Scar, all in the mistaken belief that this is what his father would do (and therefore, would make Mufasa proud of him). Luckily, Nala, as usual, is the voice of reason while Kiara, [[BrutalHonesty with typical bluntness]], makes it quite clear to her father that he is not and never will be Mufasa. And just to hammer the point home that Simba does not have to emulate his father's reign (or his perception of it) in order to receive his love and pride, Mufasa's ghost actually says the words, "Well done, my son," after the prides are united and peace is declared.

* ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'':

* In ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'', part of Tai Lung's motivation is feeling betrayed by his de facto father, Shifu, for not standing up to Master Oogway after he refused to dub him Dragon Warrior, this after having spent his entire life, night and day, pouring everything he had into training until his "bones cracked" to earn the title; he even says during his climactic fight with Shifu that all he ever did, he did to make him proud. Conversely, Shifu feels profoundly guilty for having neglected to ever teach Tai Lung humility and only finds peace in training Po, who effectively becomes a new son for him. For his part, Po grows to see Shifu as a second father and strives to live up to his hopes, although Po loves his (obviously) official adoptive father no less.
** And true to form, while the pride Po's father has for him is mostly implied by his acceptance of the panda as a Kung Fu warrior instead of a noodle-maker, Shifu actually comes right out and tells Tai Lung that he was always proud of him and that he'd had his respect all along -- and you immediately can see a flicker of doubt cross Tai Lung's face.
** Also, it is implied that Tigress has been training her entire life to earn Shifu's approval, but he has been too guilty over his failure with Tai Lung to give it to her.
*** This is explained in the short film ''Secrets of the Furious Five'' -- Shifu actually adopted Tigress from her orphanage. She ''is'' his daughter for all intents and purposes.
*** There is more than that. Tigress clearly sees herself as an unloved, unpraised, second-rate ReplacementGoldfish for Tai Lung and blames Tai Lung for breaking Shifu's heart and making him the {{jerkass}} he is in the beginning. Funny that Tai Lung accuses Shifu of exactly the same lack of love and approval (except that being the EvilCounterpart he actually snaps as a result). While they are wrong about Shifu, the latter's parenting techniques clearly suck.

* Gru from ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe'' has struggled for a long time to earn his mother's approval. Even in his youth, he did things like build a model rocket (a functional one that he launched), but he was left with an "eh" from her. It's after he saves the girls from Vector and hosts a private recital for them that she tells him that she's [[SoProudOfYou proud of him]].

* The direct-to-DVD movie ''[[WesternAnimation/TheEmperorsNewGroove Kronk's New Groove]]'' is focused around Kronk desperately attempting to impress his father -- who expects Kronk to have a big house on the hill and a beautiful wife. Kronk isn't even looking for verbal praise, but simply wants one of his father's elusive thumbs-up.

* In an interesting variation, happens twice to Simba of ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'' (though [[{{Sequelitis}} with decidedly less subtlety the second time around]]). Although anything but an emotionally distant father, Mufasa is often preoccupied with the duties of the throne, and little Simba certainly sees him as a hero, worshiping the ground his paws tread upon. But there is no indication Simba ever doubts he has his father's love or respect... until Scar convinces him he is to blame for his father's death. Then, overcome with remorse and believing no one could ever forgive him, he voluntarily goes into exile. It is Mufasa's ghost, reminding him of his place in the Circle of Life and telling him, "You are my son and the one true king," that sets him back on the right path again. And with a simple, single word, "Remember..." he lets his son know he is very proud of him, indeed. However...

* The Once-ler from ''WesternAnimation/TheLorax.'' His family, especially his mother, [[{{Jerkass}} enjoys making fun of how much of a failure he is.]] Oncie proves them wrong...at least until the last Truffula Tree is cut down.

[[WellDoneSonGuy People seeking parental approval]] in animated movies.

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Epic}}'' it first seems like this when it's revealed that Mandrake is Dadga's father, but it's averted in the next second.

* In ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'', part of Tai Lung's motivation is feeling betrayed by his de facto father, Shifu, for not standing up to Master Oogway after he refused to dub him Dragon Warrior, this after having spent his entire life, night and day, pouring everything he had into training until his "bones cracked" to earn the title. Conversely, Shifu feels profoundly guilty for having neglected to ever teach Tai Lung humility and only finds peace in training Po, who effectively becomes a new son for him. For his part, Po grows to see Shifu as a second father and strives to live up to his hopes, although Po loves his (obviously) official adoptive father no less.
->'''Tai Lung:''' All I ever did, I did to make you proud! Tell me how proud you are, Shifu! ''Tell me!'' '''TELL ME!'''\\

->'''Tai Lung:''' All I ever did, I did to make you proud! Tell me how proud you are, Shifu! ''Tell me!'' '''TELL ME!'''
*** And true to form, while the pride Po's father has for him is mostly implied by his acceptance of the panda as a Kung Fu warrior instead of a noodle-maker, Shifu actually comes right out and tells Tai Lung that he was always proud of him and that he'd had his respect all along -- and you immediately can see a flicker of doubt cross Tai Lung's face.

** And true to form, while the pride Po's father has for him is mostly implied by his acceptance of the panda as a Kung Fu warrior instead of a noodle-maker, Shifu actually comes right out and tells Tai Lung that he was always proud of him and that he'd had his respect all along -- and you immediately can see a flicker of doubt cross Tai Lung's face.

* In ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'', part of Tai Lung's motivation is feeling betrayed by his de facto father, Shifu, for not standing up to Master Oogway he refused to dub him Dragon Warrior after working day and night for effectively his entire life to earn the title. Conversely, Shifu feels profoundly guilty for having neglected to ever teach Tai Lung humility and only finds peace in training Po, who effectively becomes a new son for him. For his part, Po grows to see Shifu as a second father and strives to live up to his hopes, although Po loves his (obviously) official adoptive father no less.

* In ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'', part of Tai Lung's motivation is feeling betrayed by his de facto father, Shifu, for not standing up to Master Oogway when the turtle refused to dub him Dragon Warrior after working so hard to impress him. Conversely, Shifu feels profoundly guilty for having raised such a bully and only finds peace in training Po, who effectively becomes a new son for him. For his part, Po grows to see Shifu as a second father and strives to live up to his hopes, although Po loves his (obviously) official adoptive father no less.
** And true to form, while the pride Po's father has for him is mostly implied by his acceptance of the panda as a Kung Fu warrior instead of a noodle-maker, Shifu actually comes right out and tells Tai Lung that he was always proud of him, that he'd had his respect all along ([[SelfFulfillingProphecy then he had to go and ruin it by turning evil]]).

** ''Simba's Pride'' has Simba forgetting this moving testimonial and [[SingleIssuePsychology unable to get over his past]], refusing to trust Kovu or see him as anything but a reincarnation of Scar, all in the mistaken belief that this is what his father would do (and therefore, would make Mufasa proud of him). Luckily, Nala, as usual, is the voice of reason while Kiara, [[SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped with typical bluntness]], makes it quite clear to her father that he is not and never will be Mufasa. And just to hammer the point home that Simba does not have to emulate his father's reign (or his perception of it) in order to receive his love and pride, Mufasa's ghost actually says the words, "Well done, my son," after the prides are united and peace is declared.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Tarzan}}'': Tarzan is constantly seeking the approval of Kerchak, who refuses to accept Tarzan as a member of the gorilla pack, much less as his adopted son. That all changes when Tarzan [[BigDamnHeroes comes back to save them]]. Sadly, it doesn't last that long, as [[spoiler:Kerchak receives a fatal bullet wound from Clayton. After Clayton's death, Tarzan kneels over Kerchak, who passes on leadership of the pack to Tarzan and acknowledges Tarzan as his son [[FamousLastWords with his last words]].]]

* The Interquel ''WesternAnimation/BambiII'' converts the title character to one in something of a RealityEnsues of his offscreen upbringing by the Great Prince in the first movie. Both characters are still traumatised by the death of Bambi's mother and the Great Prince's mate, while the Great Prince himself is not only TheAce but a fairly aloof guy who is wary to fathering Bambi (as he lampshades, stags do not naturally raise young). Just as the Great Prince submits to bonding with Bambi, he attempts to send him off with a SurrogateParent, leading an upset Bambi to [[CallingTheOldManOut Call The Old Man Out]]. He ultimately changes his mind after a series of heroic events from Bambi.

** This is Master Thundering Rhino's old motivation for street-fighting, and later for taking Master Oogway's offer of a bandit-capturing job, in the Short ''Secrets of the Masters''; all he wants is his father's - Master Flying Rhino's - words of pride.
* In an interesting variation, happens twice to Simba of ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'' (though [[{{Sequelitis}} with decidedly less subtlety the second time around]]). Although anything but an emotionally distant father, Mufasa is often preoccupied with the duties of the throne, and little Simba certainly sees him as a hero, worshiping the ground his paws tread upon. But there is no indication Simba ever doubts he has his father's love or respect...until Scar convinces him he is to blame for his father's death. Then, overcome with remorse and believing no one could ever forgive him, he voluntarily goes into exile. It is Mufasa's ghost, reminding him of his place in the Circle of Life and telling him, "You are my son and the one true king," that sets him back on the right path again. And with a simple, single word, "Remember..." he lets his son know he is very proud of him, indeed. However...

* Gru from ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe'' has struggled for a long time to earn his mother's approval. Even in his youth, he did things like build a model rocket (a functional one that he launched), but he was left with an "eh" from her. It's after he saves the girls from Vector and hosts a private recital for them that she tells him that she's [[SoProudOfYou proud of him]].

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen|2013}}'':
** PlayedForDrama for [[TragicVillain Prince Hans of the Southern Isles]], as it serves as his FreudianExcuse behind his actions in Arendelle, as seen in the TieInNovel ''Literature/AFrozenHeart''. [[spoiler:He fears being a disappointment to his [[JerkAss neglectful father and abusive 12 older brothers]], who frequently ignore or bully him for being a weakling. This suggests his more villainous actions are actually [[InferioritySuperiorityComplex a massive veneer of self-loathing and depression]]. Despite this, the primary motivator for all the great lengths that Hans goes to, and the terrible decisions he makes, is to get the approval of the family that frequently looks down on him, even if it meant attempting to usurp another kingdom's throne.]] To say that he has daddy issues is a big {{understatement}}.
*** [[spoiler:This is also the prime motivation behind Hans' brothers as well, as they want their father to be appreciative of them. Even their abuse of Hans seems to be out of a desire to make their father favor them for showing no tolerance for "weakness."]]
** This trope also applies to Queen Elsa of Arendelle as well: During "For the First Time In Forever", the way she looks up at the painting of her father while she is mentally preparing herself for her coronation suggests that she fears being a disappointment to her deceased parents. Not to mention her coping mantra involves the phrase "Be the good girl you've always had to be".
* The Interquel ''WesternAnimation/BambiII'' converts the title character to one in something of a RealityEnsues of his offscreen upbringing by the Great Prince in the first movie. Both characters are still traumatised by the death of Bambi's mother and the Great Prince's mate, while the Great Prince himself is not only TheAce but a fairly aloof guy who is wary to fathering Bambi (as he lampshades, stags do not naturally raise young). Just as the Great Prince submits to bonding with Bambi, he attempts to send him off with a SurrogateParent, leading an upset Bambi to [[CallingTheOldManOut Call The Old Man Out]]. He ultimately changes his mind after a series of heroic events from Bambi.
* The Once-ler from ''WesternAnimation/TheLorax.'' His family, especially his mother, [[{{Jerkass}} enjoys making fun of how much of a failure he is.]] Oncie proves them wrong...at least until the last Truffula Tree is cut down.
* ''WesternAnimation/BarbieAsRapunzel:'' Hugo is hardly the nicest father, and has high expectations for Penelope to grow into a mighty dragon. He disapproves of her friendship with Rapunzel and her CuteClumsyGirl tendencies. He gets better after she demonstrates her UndyingLoyalty and overcomes her fears, admitting he was wrong.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretOfNIMH2TimmyToTheRescue'': Done poorly. "So, Timmy, your dad was practically a living god. We just can't stop praising him and, since some random prophecy said you were going to be the hero of this movie, we WILL make you be just like him. No complaints. Questions?"

%%* Anastasia is rewritten into this in ''Disney/CinderellaIIIATwistInTime.''

* The direct-to-DVD movie ''[[Disney/TheEmperorsNewGroove Kronk's New Groove]]'' is focused around Kronk desperately attempting to impress his father -- who expects Kronk to have a big house on the hill and a beautiful wife. Kronk isn't even looking for verbal praise, but simply wants one of his father's elusive thumbs-up.

* In an interesting variation, happens twice to Simba of ''Disney/TheLionKing'' (though [[{{Sequelitis}} with decidedly less subtlety the second time around]]). Although anything but an emotionally distant father, Mufasa is often preoccupied with the duties of the throne, and little Simba certainly sees him as a hero, worshiping the ground his paws tread upon. But there is no indication Simba ever doubts he has his father's love or respect...until Scar convinces him he is to blame for his father's death. Then, overcome with remorse and believing no one could ever forgive him, he voluntarily goes into exile. It is Mufasa's ghost, reminding him of his place in the Circle of Life and telling him, "You are my son and the one true king," that sets him back on the right path again. And with a simple, single word, "Remember..." he lets his son know he is very proud of him, indeed. However...
* ''Disney/TheLionKingIISimbasPride'':

* Implied with Melody in ''Disney/TheLittleMermaidIIReturnToTheSea'' towards Ariel in a few scenes. This exchange at the end also helps:

* ''Disney/{{Mulan}}'': Although they don't actively ''dislike'' her, it's obvious that Mulan's parents don't exactly...''understand'' her. The last words she speaks to her father before running off to join the army are... ''strained''. At the end of the movie, though, he changes his tune. Beautifully.

* ''Disney/{{Tarzan}}'': Tarzan is constantly seeking the approval of Kerchak, who refuses to accept Tarzan as a member of the gorilla pack, much less as his adopted son. That all changes when Tarzan [[BigDamnHeroes comes back to save them]]. Sadly, it doesn't last that long, as [[spoiler:Kerchak receives a fatal bullet wound from Clayton. After Clayton's death, Tarzan kneels over Kerchak, who passes on leadership of the pack to Tarzan and acknowledges Tarzan as his son [[FamousLastWords with his last words]].]]

* ''Disney/{{Frozen}}'':

* The Interquel to ''Disney/{{Bambi}}'' converts the title character to one in something of a RealityEnsues of his offscreen upbringing by the Great Prince in the first movie. Both characters are still traumatised by the death of Bambi's mother and the Great Prince's mate, while the Great Prince himself is not only TheAce but a fairly aloof guy who is wary to fathering Bambi (as he lampshades, stags do not naturally raise young). Just as the Great Prince submits to bonding with Bambi, he attempts to send him off with a SurrogateParent, leading an upset Bambi to [[CallingTheOldManOut Call The Old Man Out]]. He ultimately changes his mind after a series of heroic events from Bambi.