The following contains spoilers for Snow White, now playing in theatersSnow Whiteunnecessarily added a second group of supporting characters instead of just nailing one. Although they don’t appear in the title of theSnow White and the Seven Dwarfsremake,Snow White’s dwarfs are still instantly recognizable from the original versions who appeared in the 1937 animated film. They are largely the same characters in form and function to their previous iterations, even as they play less of a central role in the film to make room for new characters likeSnow White’s new love interest, Jonathan.
Further muddying the waters for the seven comic relief characters isSnow White’s inclusion of a second group of seven characters, who likewise play a largely supporting role in the film. Both groups end up distracting from one another when the time spent on both could have been better used by streamlining them or cutting down on Jonathan’s supporting cast. Here is why the dwarfs should have gotten more focus over Jonathan’s acting troupe and how the movie could have been improved by their removal from thecast ofSnow White.
Jonathan’s Acting Troupe Gives Snow White Another Version Of The Seven Dwarfs
All These Supporting Characters Distract From One Another
Snow Whiteincludes two different groups of seven minor characters, which end up stealing focus from one another and preventing either of them from reaching their true potential. In the context of the main narrative, the dwarfs will be very familiar to the ones who were established inSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy, and Dopey all appear in the film, with very similar designs to their animated counterparts. The only dwarf who gets any real change in their role inthe story is Dopey, who gains the confidence to speak thanks to Snow.
While the dwarfs are crucial allies for the princess, Snow White’s love interest Jonathan also has seven supporting characters. Established as an acting troupe who have found themselves labeled thieves by the Evil Queen, the troupe hides in the woods and proclaims themselves to be champions of the deposed king. Like the dwarfs, the seven appear largely as supporting characters, with no clear arc except as a group coming together to help their friends. Similar to the way Dopey gets a minor plot beat,only one of the actors — Quigg — gets anything resembling a clear personality.
Jonathan’s Friends Are Unnecessary To Snow White
Only One Of Them Is Remotely Memorable
The seven dwarfs, while very minor characters inSnow White, at least serve a narrative purpose. They give Snow their protection in the woods, showcase her abilities as a unifying leader, and mourn her apparent death in a manner that allows Jonathan to revive her. By contrast, Jonathan’s friends are largely window-dressing in the film, with Quigg’s desire for a crossbow and unrequited feelings for one of his fellow actors being the only touch of personality any of them get.These seven don’t really add much to the film, and could have been cut without impacting much of the plot.
Snow White’s Prince Replacement Is Practically A Carbon Copy Of Another Disney Animated Hero
Snow White’s love interest basically replaces the original Prince with a carbon copy of another Disney love interest from the 21st century.
This could have kept the focus on Jonathan during their scenes instead of cutting away to characters who the audience couldn’t name. Jonathan could have easily been alone and his arc with Snow would have been the same. He could even have a friend or two like Quigg, turning a few actors into a “band of rebels” that could have highlighted the themes about surface-level appearances only being one layer to people. Instead,Jonathan’s group of friends simply don’t work in the larger story ofSnow White, creating plot holes around the character and overloading an already pretty stuffed film.
Snow White Should’ve Given The Actual Seven Dwarfs A Bigger Role Instead
The Dwarfs Could Have Really Used The Extra Focus
The biggest problem with this second group of seven friendly supporting characters is that they end up jockeying for time with the seven dwarfs. On top of the film’s split focus on Snow, Jonathan, and the Evil Queen,Snow Whitesuffers because the film can’t keep the focus on the same characters. Cutting most of Jonathan’s acting troupe could have resulted in more time being devoted to named characters like Quigg or give more time to flesh out Jonathan.
The biggest missed opportunity is to have that screen-time focused on the acting troupe shift to the dwarfs. While they get some wacky moments, they don’t get nearly as much characterization as they should. By cutting Jonathan’s acting troupe, more time could have been spent humanizing the dwarfs and giving them full arcs. Dopey’s storyline could have landed better if his place in the group dynamic was more naturally showcased by giving them more scenes.
Snow Whitecould have fused the groups together to make a single stronger group of supporting characters.
On top of improving Dopey,this could have benefited the other dwarfsas well. For example, Grumpy could have gotten his full arc as seen in the original animated film instead of speeding through his growth from Snow’s biggest critic to one of her staunchest defenders. This could have humanized the dwarfs, and given the film more reason to cast live-action actors like George Appleby to play characters more central to the plot beyond minor players like Quigg.Snow Whitecould have fused the groups together to make a single stronger group of supporting characters.
