Disney Movies Ranked: (Round 9) The "Modernist Age"

Disney Movies Ranked: (Round 9) The "Modernist Age"

Hello everybody! I'm back with round 9 of ranking Disney movies. Just a reminder this is part of a series where I critique every single Walt Disney Animation Studios film, and "rank" them on a number of things such as music, character development, etc. If you'd like to visit past rounds, you can do so by clicking the link(s) below:

Round 1 "The Golden Age"

Round 2 "The Silver Age"

Round 3 "The Gilded Age"

Round 4 "The Shadow Age"

Round 5 "The Forgotten Age"

Round 6 "The Neo-Classical Age"

Round 7 "The Epic Age"

Round 8 "The Progressive Age"

This round introduces what is commonly known as the "Post-Renaissance Age" of Disney Animation. Some go to the extreme and call this the "Second Dark Age" of Disney. This era in Disney roughly covers the year 2001 to about 2008 or 2009. There are many important advancements and transitions that occurred during this era. For one thing, CGI became Disney's number one choice by the end of this era, and this round is the last round which contains a majority of traditional, hand-drawn animation. After this round, Disney would only create three more movies with traditional animation: Home on the Range, The Princess and the Frog, and  Winnie the Pooh.

This age in Disney saw steep declines in box office performance (with a few exceptions). Most of the movies in this round received good reviews (with the exception of Brother Bear), but they received only moderate or mediocre profits. The movies in this round are pretty good in my opinion, so I don't blame this poor performance on quality. There are three major factors that can be blamed (in part) for Disney's waning profits during this time frame:

 

Disney was facing enormous competition at this time. Franchises like Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings were released during the same times as Disney movies were, and stole a lot of Disney's theatrical thunder. The big thing about these franchises is that they were largely seen by families, which is Disney's target audience. Then, Dreamworks came along with their animated bombshell, Shrek. With the ascension of the Shrek franchise, Dreamworks cemented its position as a bonafide animation rival to Disney. Not to mention, Pixar was in its heyday with masterpieces like Toy Story, Monsters Inc., and Finding Nemo. It would take Disney Animation nearly a decade to catch up with its competition.

Despite their financial under-performance, the movies in this round have a unique, creative style behind them. I decided to name this age in Disney Animation the "Modernist Age" because it follows some of the main themes of the Modernist art movement. Modernism started after the Industrial Revolution's charm began to wear off. People, especially artists and authors, began to realize that the old-ways of the world weren't exactly the best, and that things were not all right with the world. Artists and writers started moving away from traditional styles and themes, and started creating more "modern" art. Pieces from this movement include Orwell's novels 1984, and Animal Farm, Salinger's, Catcher in the Rye, and others. 

All four of these movies throw off the old, traditional Disney trappings in favor of new, and unique themes and styles. Atlantis: The Lost Empire is an almost steampunk story about finding a lost civilization that talks about more mature themes such as cultural extinction, linguistics, and corruption. Lilo & Stitch (the only financially successful movie during this age) is a Sci-fi, family movie mash up that had an entire ad campaign centered around poking fun at older Disney movies. Treasure Planet is a pure-bred Science Fiction space adventure that tells the story of a troubled teen and features one of Disney's rare redemptive villains. And Brother Bear subverted the classic "Disney parent death" trope by making the main character responsible for murdering another main character's mother. These movies have generally darker, more complicated themes.

You can find out more about this age of Disney here


1. Best Male Lead

4th Place: Kenai (Brother Bear)

Kenai is what happens when you take Kuzco from The Emperor's New Groove and suck the heart and soul out of him. He basically follows the exact same character arc, except in a less charming or heartfelt way. Kenai is a teenager who's selfish, sarcastic and doesn't care about other people's feelings (sound familiar?) He gets turned into a bear to learn a lesson about loving others (also sound familiar?) Admittedly, his transformation is a little different since it happens after he kills a mother bear he blamed for the death of his brother, Sitka. I must admit that the decision to have Kenai kill someone at the beginning of the movie was a bold move (and is probably the only bold move this movie makes). 

Kenai spends the remainder of this movie attempting to make up for what he's done--or at least, that's what he's supposed to be doing. Whereas Kuzco showed genuine remorse about halfway through the film, with plenty of movie left to develop that character change, Kenai spends the majority of the movie being the same selfish jerk he was at the beginning of the movie. When he meets Koda (who is the son of the bear he killed), he's mean, punitive, and sometimes downright cruel towards him for the majority of their time together.

Kenai's one saving grace is when he finds out that the bear he killed was Koda's mother. The horror and guilt that he feels after this revelation, and the agonizing, but brave, decision he makes to tell Koda, is definitely the highlight of the movie. This character conflict makes him far more interesting and dynamic. The problem is that it occurs during the last 15 minutes of the movie. Kenai would have been a much more interesting character if this was a conflict he struggled with for more of the movie.

3rd Place: Stitch (Lilo & Stitch)

"This is my family, I found it all on my own. It's little, and broken, but still good. Yeah, still good".

Stitch, or Experiment 626 as the aliens call him, is an interesting, fluffy little weirdo who has found his way into the hearts of audiences everywhere. I think Stitch is the very first Disney protagonist to ever truly be a bonafide weirdo. All of their other protagonists were sort of outcasts, but Stitch is the first one to be completely alien (forgive the pun) from everyone else.

He was created with the sole purpose to destroy. You could say that he was bred to be a killer. Yet, he's placed in a story that's about broken families and healing from familial strife. This weird combination of science fiction and family drama makes for a very interesting character. On the one hand, you have all of the cool science-fiction aspects of Stitch. He's got four arms, a weird (but surprisingly very intuitive) alien mind, super strength, all while being adorable and fluffy at the same time :).

On the other hand, it's the family side of Stitch that makes him such an endearing character. At first, he basically misbehaves and destroys everything. He's viewed as a trouble-maker, and the opposite of a "model citizen". There are many children in today's world who are looked at the same way. They're labelled as the ones who "ruin everything". Throughout the movie though, Stitch learns how to be part of a family, and the other characters learn how to love him. All that was needed was a little patience and genuine compassion.

2nd Place: Milo Thatch (Atlantis: The Lost Empire)

Aw, Milo. Those of you who've seen this movie will know that Milo is perhaps one of Disney's most likable protagonists. He's quirky, comical, and intelligent. I don't know much about what it takes to be a linguist, but I'm sure that someone who can just pick up a dead language and translate it like Milo can has to be pretty dang smart. An intelligent protagonist is a rare thing for Disney movies (especially for the male ones it seems), so that's one thing that makes him pretty unique.

Beyond that, Milo is also incredibly passionate about his beliefs, and has a strong moral compass. His enthusiasm for discovering Atlantis, and discovering its secrets is infectious, and is one of the best things about his character. He isn't interested in Atlantis for fame, or riches, he just wants to learn about their culture. When his companions start to exploit the Atlantians for their own selfish desires, Milo is the one who stands up to them, even in the face of retaliation. The fact that he's able to stand up to Rourke is one thing, but the fact that he was able to stand up to his own friends is a pretty powerful example of his passion and courage. Milo represents the truth, and those who honestly seek it. It's when the other characters choose to follow him, following the truth in the process, that the story hits its high point.

Winner: James Pleiades Hawkins (Treasure Planet)

I find Jim's character arc really cool and touching. On the surface, he looks like he's just a whiny, trouble-making teenager. At his heart though, Jim just wants to feel loved, and know that he's someone of worth. Yes, he's kind of irresponsible at the beginning, but he doesn't really go out of his way to cause trouble, and most of his problem behavior is ameliorated once he gains a sense of purpose.

Early on, Jim demonstrates that he's intelligent, good under pressure, and has a sincere desire to do the right thing. Unfortunately, with the abandonment of his father, and the disapproval and stress of his mother, he feels like nobody really cares about him, and worries about being able to measure up to his potential. He does his best though to be helpful to other people. When Billy Bones crash lands on Montresser, Jim rushes to help him out, and when he finds the map to Treasure Planet, he yearns to use the treasure to rebuild his mother's inn and make up for his mistakes.

Near the end of the movie, Jim grows as he starts to realize his worth, and gains the trust of others. He risks his life to save the lives of others, even when they were previously his enemy. His character arc shows that sometimes those who appear unmotivated or no good just need to feel loved and feel like someone believes in them.



2. Best Female Lead

4th Place: Tenana (Brother Bear)

This movie has a distinct lack of female characters, which I think is a little sad. I wish that Tanana didn't have to be at the bottom of this list, since she was one of the few characters I actually enjoyed from Brother Bear. Unfortunately, this round has some great female characters so she's facing stiff competition.

Whereas other animated movies portray spiritual leaders as zany and comedic, Tanana is portrayed as wise and thoughtful. She's witty to be sure, but she doesn't let her wittiness overrule her spirituality. Tanana is a respectful portrayal of shamanism. She is deeply respected by the characters in the movie (even by the usually disrespectful Kenai), and adds a lot of sincerity and flavor that the movie desperately needed. She represents everything that this movie should have been, but ultimately chose to replace with gags.

3rd Place: Captain Amelia Smoliet (Treasure Island)

Captain Amelia is a pretty cool character. Straight from the get go, it's not at all difficult to see why she's the captain of the Legacy. For one thing, she's a skilled navigator and great fighter. She's resourceful in a pinch and good at giving orders. Plus, she has an awesome talent for using British insults. "A ludicrous parcel of driveling galoots". Sometimes, when movies try to have female characters in leadership positions they make them come across as absolute jerks, however, Captain Amelia thankfully doesn't fall into that trend. Even though she definitely has a dominant personality, she never feels like she's arrogant, and she's more than willing to acknowledge others' strengths. 

2nd Place: Kidagakash (Atlantis: The Lost Empire)

The one complaint I have about this movie is how underused Kida is as a character. In the 2nd act, she's set up as this really cool, proactive, interesting character, who seems like she's going to play a central role in the story's climax. However, during the third act of the movie, she's reduced a damsel in distress--a damsel in distress who gets fused with a giant ball of blue energy that represents the collective conscious of her entire civilization, but a damsel in distress nonetheless. We don't really get to see her use this power until the very end of the movie, and only then for a few minutes. I get that the writers weren't deliberately trying to shorthand Kida, but I still feel like she got the short end of the stick.

All of that aside, Kida is a great character. It's really cool that she's a princess who wants to improve the lives of her people, rather than just whine about how limited her own life is. Of course, she's curious to learn more about Milo and the modern world, and feels stifled when her father forbids them from staying, but, that's not her central conflict. She knows that her people's culture and way of life are dying, and she wants to find a way to save them. Although stories of self-discovery can be enlightening and inspiring, it's also inspiring when a character is actively concerned with other people's lives and how to improve them.

Winner: Lilo Pelekai (Lilo & Stitch)

It's hard to say which character is better, Lilo or Stitch. A lot of people on the internet have pointed out that the best thing about Lilo is how genuine and passionate she is. Right off the bat it's clear that she's the odd one out of her peer group. She earnestly believes in things that others find ludicrous--like how she believes a fish controls the weather. However, she also passionately believes in more uplifting ideas as well--she readily believes in people, like her sister Nani or Stitch, and sees the good in them. It's her faith and belief in Stitch that help transform him from a destructive, confused creature into a loving member of a family. She's also the driving force behind every other character learning to accept him.

I'm sorry that I don't have a lot to say about Lilo. I think a big part of that though is that her character is centered on simple purity. She's not complicated or heavily thematic. She's just a struggling girl who holds onto hope and faith. That's what makes her so great.



Best Villain/Antagonist

4th Place: Captain Gantu (Lilo & Stitch)

This movie doesn't really have a clear cut antagonist, but Captain Gantu is the closest thing to one (and he becomes more of a villain in the sequels). I wouldn't say that he's evil, he's just kind of a jerk. I mean, he seems to have no qualms with endangering the inhabitants of earth as he attempts to capture Stitch. When he accidentally catches Lilo along with Stitch, he calls her a "snack" for Stitch, which is kind of messed up. Beyond that though, he's just kind of the guy who's doing his job, whilst being a jerk doing so.

3rd Place: Lyle Tiberius Rourke (Atlantis: The Lost Empire)

Rourke is a pretty good villain in my book. His villainy feels natural and organic, despite him being a twist villain. He represents those who only want to be at the top of the food chain, regardless of how it effects others. He doesn't necessarily go out of his way to hurt others simply for the sake of causing harm, but when they get in the way of him reaching his goals, he has no qualms with doing unspeakable things to them. Rourke believes in the corrupted version of Darwinism--laissez faire, or survival of the fittest. He takes something that is true (natural selection) and twists it to fit his own selfish agenda. This is in direct opposition to Milo, who uses the truth to help others and to enrich society as a whole.

2nd Place: Denahi (Brother Bear)

I really like some of the twists Disney did with their antagonists in this round. Denahi plays the role of a simple antagonist, rather than a full-blown villain. But he really does role well--he's the only other character that I really liked in this movie.

At first, Denahi is the brother that teases Kenai, and they engage in some typical brotherly antagonism. Things get interesting after Kenai gets turned into a bear though, because Denahi thinks that Kenai is a real bear who killed Kenai. We see Denahi feel conflicted as he struggles to decide whether he should seek revenge or not. He eventually chooses to seek revenge, and also redemption, as he blames himself for Kenai's supposed death.

For the remainder of the film Denahi tracks Kenai and tries to kill him on multiple occasions. The dramatic irony is so strong, as we see Kenai desperately try to both flee from Denahi and convince him that he's really his brother. It's such an interesting conflict because we know that Denahi doesn't hate Kenai, and thus, he's an antagonist who is unwittingly opposing the protagonist in an attempt to make up for his previous prior antagonism towards the protagonist. Such a powerful, dynamic conflict is how you make a non-villain antagonist truly work, and it is by far one of the best parts of this movie. I'd give Denahi first place for being able to buoy up such a boring movie if the next villain/antagonist wasn't so awesome.

Winner: John Silver (Treasure Planet)

"Sometimes, you give up a few things, chasing a dream."

This quote makes up the core of John Silver's character. Silver is such an intriguing villain in that he's one of the few Disney villains to actually experience growth and dynamic change. At the very beginning, it seems like Silver is nothing but a ruthless pirate chasing after the "treasure of worlds". He burns down the Hawkins' inn, and joins the crew of the Legacy with the intention causing a mutiny.

The key to changing all of this is Jim. At first Silver doesn't seem to have much interest in Jim, and feels insulted that Captain Amelia places him in his care. He initially just tries to keep Jim busy to avoid him learning about the future mutiny. However, as Jim reveals more and more about himself to Silver, he begins to warm up to him, and maybe even empathize with him. He starts to treat Jim more like a protege than a nuisance. He helps Jim begin to see his worth and potential. He becomes the loving and supporting father figure Jim never had.

As Silver's mutiny comes to light however, his newfound relationship with Jim is put to the test. We see Silver begin to wrestle with himself. What does he truly want? What's worth more to him? Jim, or the treasure he's been seeking for his whole life? During the film's climax, Silver finds the treasure of worlds with Jim's help, and for a moment it seems like he's finally gotten everything he ever wanted. However, as the planet begins to collapse, Silver's forced to make a decision--to hold onto the scraps of treasure he can, or to save Jim's life. At first, he tries to do both, but quickly discovers that he will have to give one up in order to have the other. In the end, Silver willingly gives up the treasure he spent his whole life searching to save Jim's life. Silver brushes it off as if it's nothing, however this choice becomes the most defining decision in his entire life. Silver is truly an awesome, and even inspiring, Disney villain.

Plus, he has the cutest minion ever...Morph!  

4. Best Side/Supporting Character(s)

4th Place: Jumba and Pleakley (Lilo & Stitch)

You know, these two really remind me of Mike and Sully from Monsters Inc. You've got Jumba, the big, confident alien/monster thing, and then Pleakley, the one-eyed neurotic alien/monster thing. 

So these two are pretty funny. I particularly like how they "disguise" themselves as humans, and nobody seems to even notice. I also find Pleakley's belief that mosquitoes are endangered species to be quite hilarious as well (I wish they were). Other than being some decent comic relief, they don't really offer much else, besides the fact that Jumba provides some exposition on Stitch's abilities. 

3rd Place: Crew of The Ulysses (Atlantis: The Lost Empire)

One of the best parts of Atlantis is its rich and diverse cast of side characters. For the most part, they serve as comic relief, but they also contribute to the plot and themes of the movie in meaningful ways. First of all, they have an intriguing mix of backgrounds that add a lot of character to them. There's Vinnie, the flower-shop owning explosives expert, Audrey, the mechanic prodigy, Mole...who has a weird obsession with dirt and digging, Joshua Sweet, the medical doctor who looks like the Rock, a southern cook, and of course, the sarcastic Mrs. Packard (who is coincidentally the very last animated character to ever smoke on screen). The movie does a great job of making each of them likable and engaging.

At first, all of these characters admit to Milo that they are only on the expedition for money's sake, and they spend most of the first scenes either blatantly harassing him or just plain ostracizing him. However, their consciences get the better of them, and they finally welcome Milo into their circle, and begin letting him influence them for the better. This is directly mirrored by their decision in the final act to leave Rourke, and try to save Atlantis. They help highlight the purity and innocence of Milo, and the truth of his cause.

2nd Place: Dr. Delbert Doppler

"Go Delbert, go Delbert, go Delbert"

Yes, I chose Delbert over B.E.N. My main reason for choosing Delbert over B.E.N. is that Delbert offers more to the story than just comic relief. Delbert is definitely one of the more comical characters, and his bookish clumsiness in action and speech is quite funny during the first half of the movie. However, he's also the first person to believe in Jim and give him a chance. He's the one who encouraged Jim to find Treasure Planet in the first place. He serves as a welcome dose of comedy and warmth during the sometimes gloomy first half of the movie.

Once B.E.N. is introduced as the secondary comic relief, Delbert is allowed to develop more as a character. He begins to overcome his clumsiness, as he helps fight off the mutinous pirates, he begins to develop a relationship with Captain Amelia, and generally becomes more respected and appreciated. He's a truly heartwarming character who I think is sorely underrated.

Winner: Koda (Brother Bear)

I was sorely tempted to put Koda in last place here, but I ultimately decided that he has some redeemable qualities that I couldn't ignore. For one thing, despite being annoying at times, he is a cute little baby bear. He's annoying, but at least he's cute.

The best thing about Koda though is the conflict he represents. When he firsts meets Kenai, he tells him that he got separated from his mother, and seems to have a lot of experience with hunters. Right off the bat, we're tipped off to the fact that Koda is the cub of the bear Kenai killed at the beginning of the movie. Usually, if a character loses their mother, they're the protagonist of the movie, and the person who killed their mother is the villain. However, Koda is a supporting character, and the hero of the film is the one who murdered his mother. This throws in some emotional complexity to the film that I wasn't expecting from a side character.

All of this comes to a point when Kenai tells Koda that he's the one responsible for his mother's death. The horror and betrayal on Koda's face feels so real and is very poignant. It's hard not to feel terrible for him, and the scene where he's just by himself hiding from Kenai is just heart-breaking. It makes it all that more special when Koda comes back to help Kenai in the end, and calling him his brother. It's a beautiful character arc, a character arc which is unfortunately wasted by the movie. However, sometimes a character is great even if the rest of the movie fails to capitalize on it. Thus, despite being a character in one of the most boring Disney movies I've watched, Koda proves to be a very interesting, deep, and emotional character.



5. Best Music/Songs

4th Place: Atlantis: The Lost Empire

Atlantis didn't really try that hard with their music. There's really only atmospheric stuff here. It's fine, but there's not really anything memorable or powerful. Definitely the weakest part of this movie.

3rd Place: Brother Bear

The only reason this movie didn't have last place in this section is because of Phil Collins' "On My Way". This song is fun, catchy, and helps add some entertainment to the otherwise dull second act. The rest of this movie's music is kind of insulting. For one thing, the tribal music and singing in the beginning of the movie that's supposed to be Inuit (Alaskan natives), is really just a choir of Bulgarians from Eastern Europe--you know because Disney figured that some random European language was more important than the language of the people they were portraying in this film :\. Then, there's the awful "Welcome to our Family" which just sounds like the writers needed some filler, and so decided to write a meaningless mound of fluff. 

2nd Place: Treasure Planet

I really, really, really wanted to give this movie first place in the music section. "I'm Still Here" is one of the best character themes of all time. It fits Jim perfectly. It helps establish the father-son dynamic between Jim and Silver, and does a great way of giving us background information on Jim that adds to the emotional core of the story. Unfortunately, this is the only musical piece that stands out in the film. The orchestral music is kind of good, but not particularly memorable. 

Winner: Lilo & Stitch

As good as "I'm Still Here" is from Treasure Planet, I feel like Lilo & Stitch does a better job of using all of its music. The movie has some of the "Taco-Bell" of Hawaiian music in it (music that's not really Hawaiian, but made popular enough by American tourism companies that everyone thinks it is). Those songs help add some interesting contrast to the genuinely Hawaiian Aloha O'e, which was written by the last Hawaiian Queen during the U.S. government's take over of Hawaii. The song beautifully captures both the pain of Lilo and Nani's broken family, but also the hope they cling onto. Plus, the movie has some Elvis songs to add some interesting moments to it :).

6. Best Romance

4th Place: Nobody (Brother Bear)

Yeah, there's no romance to be found in this movie. In fact, I couldn't even think of any sort of  romance in this movie...I mean that one moose loves dew, but that's about it.

3rd Place: Nani & Daniel (Lilo & Stitch)

Daniel and Nani are an often forgotten, but really likable couple. Nani tries her hardest to provide Lilo, despite the stress that it brings into her life. Daniel is a guy who's both a friend and love interest to Nani. What I mean by that is that while he's interested in dating Nani, he also continues to help her and Lilo out selflessly, even when she rejects his earlier advances. Daniel helps bring stability to Nani and Lilo's home. Even though we don't see much actual romance between the two, it's safe to say that a relationship between them is bound to be one of the stablest relationships Disney's ever done.

2nd Place: Amelia & Delbert (Treasure Planet)

I really love the relationship between these two. Both of them add a lot to the relationship. Delbert helps fill in the void left by the death of Mr. Arrow, and she adds a sense of stability to Delbert and helps him feel needed and useful. Plus, they're one of the rare Disney couples where the question, "what would their kids look like" actually gets answered :).

Winner: Milo & Kida (Atlantis: The Lost Empire)

Kida and Milo are an interesting couple. On the one hand, they really only get the second act to be together, since Kida gets merged with the crystal during the final act, so they don't have quite as much screen time as other couples do. One thing they do have going for them though is how sincere their relationship is, and how well they complement each other.

Right off the bat, Kida shares one of her greatest desires with Milo--to save her people's culture and livelihood. Although Milo doesn't share this same desire at first, he quickly adopts it once Kida tells him about her people's plight. They share this passion with each other and work together to achieve Atlantis' security. Their shared passion and interests helps them create a relationship built on respect and equality. The  To see a couple adopt the same mission and work together so powerfully is really touching and inspiring.


7. Best Overall

4th Place: Brother Bear

The truly sad thing about this movie is that it has an amazing premise and message. I love what they did with the conflicts between Kenai, Koda, and Denahi. I think the ideas behind this movie are some of Disney's most innovative. Unfortunately, the rest of this movie is just plain dull and uninspired. The movie feels like a beautiful Pixar movie that had its soul sucked out by a dementor. Perhaps if Disney had been bolder with this movie as a whole, rather than just bits and pieces, it could have been a great movie. Sometimes, having a good idea isn't enough, it's the execution of said idea that really counts.

3rd Place: Atlantis: The Lost Empire

An interesting adventure movie that has some really good characters. I liked the altruistic themes embedded in this movie, and I feel like it does a pretty good job with developing those themes. The one thing I would say though is that the final half of this movie feels a little...off. I'm not sure exactly what it is, but it just doesn't deliver on the emotional buildup set up in the beginning of the movie as well as I hoped it would.

2nd Place: Lilo & Stitch

I really enjoyed this movie. I feel like it did a great job of mixing sci-fi with themes about Family and belonging. The friendship that Stitch has with Lilo is touching, and really inspiring as well. I enjoyed the music from it and felt like they did a good job of using it to tell the story. A well-made movie all around.

Winner: Treasure Planet

I feel like this movie did a great job in every aspect. First off, the visuals were quite well done for their time, and many of them remain stunning to this day (That black hole picture at the beginning of this round comes from this movie). I think they did a great job of melding the story of Treasure Island to space travel. The music does a pretty good job of setting the mood, especially Jim's song. The characters go well together, and have some excellent character arcs. Overall, a heartwarming, action-filled, well-done film :). 

***

Well, with this round completed, there's only three rounds left! After that, we'll  be getting to the finals! Can't wait :).

Next round, I'll be discussing Home on the Range, Chicken Little, Meet the Robinson's, and Bolt!

The organization I'd like to spotlight this round is Youth Futures! Youth Futures is a shelter here in Ogden, Utah that provides a safe place for homeless youths in and around the city. They provide food, socialization, help with finding jobs, help with getting education, and other resources. Right now they could really use a donation, as they're attempting to start a second location in St. George, Utah!