Disney's "Frozen" has made its mark as the highest grossing animated film of all time, and according to star Kristen Bell, that isn't the only way the big screen cartoon has set itself apart — it stands out for the way it tackles the tough topic of love, too.
"It's about the love of family, and also a really nice tip of the hat to ... ok, all of the old cartoons were amazing, but you don't meet someone on the street and marry them the next day," the actress, who voices Princess Anna in the movie, told TODAY Wednesday. "You've got to get to know them."
So kids who've seen "Frozen" have seen a different take on cartoon love, and given its big box office numbers, a lot of kids have seen it — and grownups, too. In fact, the film is a hit on a level Bell never imagined.
"You can never anticipate this kind of success for a project," she said. "But what's funny is the original script wasn't anything like this. It went through a lot of big metamorphoses. ... The whole team behind it were so committed to making something different and modern. And they were committed to making it not about romantic love. They wanted it to be about this really relevant battle between love and fear. ... In the end, it just kind of blossomed into this really beautiful project."
Bringing joy to cartoon-loving children means a lot to Bell, who's gone out of her way to put kids first in recent months. Earlier this year, the actress teamed up with husband Dax Shepard to urge fans to boycott publications that use paparazzi photos of celebrity children, a move that prompted some magazines to address their concerns.
"I just simply thought, you know, we should be talking to the consumers, 'cause I think there's nothing better than an informed consumer," Bell said of their approach. "And I think people want to know what they're purchasing. You vote with your dollars; you support things."
While Bell understands the public's interest in seeing their favorite stars out and about with their kids, she stressed that the kids don't understand any part of it.
"The thing is, you cannot explain to a child this media mechanism," she said. "All they feel when they're followed by strangers is that predatory sense."
Follow Ree Hines on Google+.