Charlotte La Bouff

Charlotte La Bouff – dizzy blonde debutante

Charlotte La Bouff is unique to her role in the movie The Princess and the Frog as she is between two archetypes. Despite being both extremely wealthy and spoiled, she is not a villain in the movie – or even portrayed as a bad person. She is very kind and generous, and is Tiana’s best friend throughout the movie, as well as being very supportive, such as leaving Naveen at the ball to take care of Tiana, whose dress was ruined and was very upset. She also accepted the fact that Tiana and Naveen are in love, and let them live happily ever after.

The Princess and the Frog

Ever since early childhood, Charlotte has been doted on and given everything she wanted, and thus gained a very spoiled and superficial personality, but though she can act self-centered, the lovely debutante is generous and is by no means selfish. She has always dreamed of marrying a prince and living a storybook life, thus would wear beautiful princess dresses as a little girl, made for her by Eudora, the finest seamstress in New Orleans, who also happens to be the mother of her best friend Tiana.

She’s a ditzy, implusive diva filled with spunk and flare. She shows no ill will to Tiana even though Prince Naveen wanted to wed Tiana rather than her, and kisses a frog for her even though she won’t get to marry Naveen, thinking she is the princess who must kiss the frog to break the spell.

Charlotte La Bouff, a débutante and childhood friend of Tiana, hires her to provide beignets for the Mardi Gras masquerade ball being thrown by her rich father, Eli “Big Daddy” La Bouff. Eli, the perennial King of the Mardi Gras, seeks to welcome the recently-arrived Prince Naveen of Maldonia as an eligible suitor to his pampered daughter. Tiana is thrilled to finally have enough to purchase and renovate the old sugar mill into her restaurant (“Almost There”).

The disinherited Prince Naveen, penniless and unskilled, is nevertheless intent on marrying a wealthy woman rather than learning a trade. He and his valet Lawrence encounter Dr. Facilier, a voodoo witch doctor who convinces the pair that he can improve both their lives. Instead, after reading their fortunes, Facilier transforms Naveen into a frog and gives Lawrence a voodoo charm, filled with Naveen’s blood, which when worn transforms his appearance to that of Naveen’s. Facilier intends for Lawrence, under the guise of Naveen, to marry Charlotte in order to gain access to her father’s fortune (“Friends on the Other Side”).

At the ball, Charlotte unknowingly flirts with Lawrence as Tiana discovers she may lose the mill to a higher bidder. Tiana then meets Naveen, who, believing her to be a princess because of her costume, asks her to kiss him and break Facilier’s curse. Tiana reluctantly agrees, in exchange for the money needed to outbid the other buyer. However, instead of Naveen turning back into a human, Tiana is turned into a frog herself. A chase ensues, and Naveen and Tiana escape to a bayou.

Lawrence (still disguised as Naveen) later proposes to Charlotte, who happily agrees, but soon the magic in Facilier’s charm wears off and Lawrence reverts to his original form. Facilier tells Lawrence they need another sample of the prince’s blood in order to prolong the spell, but discovers that Lawrence had foolishly released him. Facilier turns to the voodoo spirits for help, with the promise that once Lawrence marries Charlotte, he will have total control over New Orleans and will be able to offer the citizens’ souls as payment. The voodoo spirits give Facilier shadow demons, who are then dispatched to locate Naveen.

At the bayou, Tiana and Naveen meet Louis, a trumpet-playing alligator, who offers to lead them to Mama Odie, an ancient and good-hearted voodoo priestess who they believe can undo the curse (“When We’re Human”). Later, they meet Ray, a Cajun firefly, who joins them on their journey (“Gonna Take You There”). Ray tells Tiana about his love, Evangeline, who is later revealed to be the Evening Star (“Ma Belle Evangeline”).

When the four at last meet Mama Odie, she tells the frogs that Naveen must kiss a true princess for them to become human, and that since Eli La Bouff is King of Mardi Gras, Charlotte is a princess, but only until the stroke of midnight, when Mardi Gras is over (“Dig a Little Deeper”). Naveen soon realizes that he loves Tiana, but before he can admit his feelings, he is captured by the shadow demons and brought to Facilier.

Before Lawrence (disguised as Naveen) and Charlotte can marry, Ray helps Naveen escape and steals the charm. Ray gives the charm to Tiana in order to hold back Facilier’s minions, but is killed by Facilier. Facilier then confronts Tiana and transforms her back to her human form. He then offers to make her restaurant dream come true in exchange for the charm, but she refuses upon realizing that true love is more important and attempts to destroy the talisman. However, Facilier’s shadow grabs hold of its shadow and hands it back to Facilier himself. Tiana is changed back to a frog and Facilier mockingly declares that she is fated to remain that way forever. Tiana quickly uses her frog tongue to grab hold of the talisman and smashes it upon the ground. The angered voodoo spirits come forth and claim Facilier himself as payment for his debts and drag him into the underworld forever.

Tiana and Naveen reveal their love to each other and explain the situation to Charlotte, who agrees to kiss Naveen so he and Tiana can be together. The clock strikes midnight before she can kiss him, but the two decide they are content to live together as frogs. At the end of a funeral for Ray, he appears as a new bright star next to Evangeline.