Mmm. Gumbo smells good, Tiana.The Princess and the Frog · 2009 — Chapter 2 of 14 · 2'04" · B1
Tiana's Father Teaches Her to Dream, Explained: set your mind to
Over a pot of gumbo, a father praises his daughter's gift and tells her it should be shared. Later, under the evening star, he gives the lesson the whole film turns on: wishes can only take you part of the way. "And then, yeah, you can do anything you set your mind to."
What happens
Tiana cooks her first gumbo, and her father declares it the best he has ever tasted. Neighbors gather to share the food, and the family talks about the restaurant she wants to open. That night, father and daughter wish on the evening star, and he teaches her that wishes only go halfway.
Listen for
set your mind tomake a wishall walks of lifelose sight of
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Phrase of the scene
set your mind to
to decide firmly to do something and commit yourself to it
爸爸在厨房里对蒂安娜说，晚星只能帮她走一半路，剩下得靠自己努力，只要下定决心就什么都能做到。
If you set your mind to learning the guitar, a year is plenty of time.
Also in this scene
- make a wish
to silently ask for something you want, as on a star or before blowing out candles
- all walks of life
people of every background and occupation
- lose sight of
to stop paying attention to something important
Everything marked in this scene
16 notes across 37 lines
- Yeah? Are you sure? - Mmm-hmm.- Absolutely positive? - Yes.Okay, I'm about to put this spoon in my...this is the best gumbo I've ever tasted!Come here. Eudora, our little girl's got a gift.Mmm-hmm. I could've told you that.A gift this special just got to be shared.You know the thing about good food?It brings folks together from all walks of life.It warms them right up and it puts little smiles on their faces.to silently ask for something you want, as on a star or before blowing out candles
if you make a wish on the Evening Star, it's sure to come true.Well, you wish on that star, sweetheart.You got to help it along with some hard work of your own,to decide firmly to do something and commit yourself to it
and then, yeah, you can do anything you set your mind to.Get some sleep.Tiana's Father Teaches Her to Dream, explained
What's really going on
The scene plants the film's central idea in a warm, ordinary moment. A father could simply praise the food, but he turns praise into purpose — the gift must be shared — and then, under the star, he separates wishing from work: "that old star can only take you part of the way." The lesson is not that dreams are foolish; it is that they need effort to land. His final promise — never to lose sight of what really matters — is the line the rest of the movie tests, as Tiana grows up chasing a restaurant and nearly forgets why. It is a gentle scene doing heavy lifting.
Theme
Family loveA father passes on his values to his daughter in a quiet kitchen-and-starlight moment, part lesson and part blessing.
DreamsWishing on the evening star is allowed, but the film insists dreams only arrive through hard work.
What you'll learn
- Use about to in the same situation
- Hear all walks of life as pressure, not small talk
- Catch who the line is aimed at
and then, yeah, you can do anything you set your mind to.The moral of the lesson: with the wish made and the work done, effort is what turns a dream into something you can reach.
that old star can only take you part of the way.Wishes are useful but limited; the rest of the distance has to come from your own effort.
A gift this special just got to be shared.Praise becomes instruction: talent is not for keeping, and the father ties his daughter's gift to generosity.
this is the best gumbo I've ever tasted!Warm, unqualified praise that opens the scene and makes the kitchen feel like a happy home.
Mmm-hmm. I could've told you that.Dry humor from the mother, who saw the gift coming and refuses to be surprised by it.
Questions about this scene
What lesson does Tiana's father teach her?
That wishing is fine but incomplete. The evening star can only take you part of the way, and the rest comes from hard work — so a dream needs both hope and effort.
What does he ask Tiana to promise?
That she will never lose sight of what is really important. It is the film's warning against chasing a goal so hard that you forget why you wanted it.
Why does he correct my restaurant to our restaurant?
Because the dream is shared: the food, the work and the reward belong to the family. The correction keeps Tiana's ambition tied to the people who love her.
What does the gumbo scene establish?
That food brings people together — it is introduced as something that gathers every kind of person and puts smiles on their faces, which is why Tiana's restaurant matters to her.
The Princess and the Frog · 14 chapters
All chapters →
Up next · Chapter 3two left feetTiana Works Toward Her Restaurant
Chapter 1lived happily ever afterMama Reads the Frog Prince
Watching · Chapter 2set your mind toTiana's Father Teaches Her to Dream
Chapter 3two left feetTiana Works Toward Her Restaurant
Chapter 4do you one betterTiana Dreams of Her Restaurant
Chapter 5friends on the other sideThe Shadow Man Offers a Deal
Chapter 6cutting a rugTiana Meets the Frog Prince
Chapter 7had the gall toTiana and Naveen Argue as Frogs
Chapter 8would give anything toThe Frogs Meet a Jazz Gator
Chapter 9a stick in the mudTiana Teaches Naveen to Cook
Chapter 10dig a little deeperMama Odie Tells Them to Dig Deeper
Chapter 11do whatever it takesNaveen Confesses to Tiana
Chapter 12forever hold your peaceThe Wedding Gets Interrupted
Chapter 13the crown jewel ofFacilier Tempts Tiana with Her Dream
Chapter 14Warts and allTiana Chooses Love Over Her DreamChapter 2 of 14 · about 35 min to go