Animation Celebration Saturday - Beauty and the Beast

Disney, 1991
Voices of Paige O'Hara, Robby Benson, Angela Landsbury, and Jerry Orbach
Directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise
Music by Alan Menken; Lyrics by Howard Ashman

If The Little Mermaid kicked off the Disney Renaissance of the 90's, the tremendous success of this movie codified it. This was one of the biggest hits of 1991, the first animated film to be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, and one of the most talked-about films of the early 90's. Is it worthy of that legacy, or should it be run out of the castle? Let's head to a small town in France and find out...

The Story: Belle (O'Hara) may live up to her name, but she's still an outcast in her town, due to her love of books and sharp mind. Most of the residents don't know what to make of her. Handsome but obnoxious hunter Gaston (Richard White) wants to marry her, not because he's especially interested in her, but because she's the prettiest girl and he's the best-looking guy. She wants to expand her horizons, and she gets her chance when her inventor father (Rex Everheart) is held prisoner by a fearsome beast (Benson). She offers herself in exchange. She's upset and lonely at first, until she meets the moving objects who acts at as the Beast's servants, including Lumiere the candelabra (Orbach), Mrs. Potts the teapot (Landsbury), and Cogsworth the clock (David Ogden Stiers). The entire castle is under a spell, and all the objects are desperately hoping that Belle is the one who will break it and get through to the Beast. Gaston, however, has his own plans for Belle and her father...

The Song and Dance: I've loved this movie since my family went to see it on it's release in November 1991. Belle is still one of Disney's best princesses. She's not only smart and beautiful, but is sensible enough to figure (most) of what's going on with the castle and the enchantment well before the end of the film.

It also has one of the best male villains of any Disney movie. I used to dismiss Gaston as a vainglorious idiot when I was younger, but after having seen the live-action version, I've come to realize that he's one of the most frightening antagonists in the Disney canon. He's scary because not only because people like him exist, but because they're considered normal, where good people like Belle and the Beast who don't look or act as society dictates are not. The entire town follows him without question after one glimpse at the mirror, just because he says the Beast is bad, and they encourage his pursuit of Belle despite her obvious disinterest.

The Animation: Bold and colorful, the fabulous work on this movie was a big part of the reason for that Oscar nomination. From the sweeping shots of the Beast's gloomy Gothic castle to the bustle of the town, every detail is as perfect as one could wish. The animation on the human characters is even better. I've always loved Belle's facial expressions; she's still one of the most expressive female Disney characters. She says more with raise of an eyebrow than most animated characters say with tons of dialogue.

Favorite Number: The music codified the Broadway style of Disney films for the rest of the decade. As lovely as the Oscar-winning title song is (and the swirling pas de deux performed during it), my favorite song has always been the rollicking Busby Berkley parody "Be Our Guest." I have to hand it to the enchanted objects. For things that have barely been used in 10 years, they sure can put on one heck of a show! I'm also fond of the charming "Something There" for Belle and the Beast, and the opening number that introduces Belle, Gaston, and most of the town.

Trivia: Walt considered Beauty and the Beast for an animated film after the success of Snow White in 1937, but the studio couldn't figure out the story then and shelved it. They tried again briefly in the 1950's, but decided it was too close to Cinderella. It started up again after Who Framed Roger Rabbit was a hit in 1987, but was originally scripted as an action fantasy, not a musical. The music didn't come in until after the success of The Little Mermaid in 1989.

Lyricist Howard Ashman was ill with AIDS during the pre-production of Beauty and the Beast. He died in March 1991 and never got to see the finished film. The movie is dedicated to him, in a moving line at the end of the credits.

Along with the Best Picture nomination, the movie was nominated for Best Sound and won for Best Score and Best Song ("Beauty and the Beast"). "Be Our Guest" and "Belle" were also nominated.

What I Don't Like: The blending of CGI and 2-D animated elements was revolutionary in 1991, but it occasionally looks fake or weird nowadays. I always wondered exactly what Belle does in the town, besides read and help her father. We don't get to know many of the other objects in the castle besides Mrs. Potts, Lumiere, and Cogsworth.

The Big Finale: Not only one of my favorite animated movies, but one of my favorite movies, period. I loved the 2017 live-action version too, but this is the one you really need to see.

Home Media: Probably thanks to the release of the live-action version last year, this one is currently in print and is very easy to find in most formats.

DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime (Buy Only)

There's more Beauty and the Beast to come! Look for the direct-to-home media follow up Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas later this month!