My favorite Disney movie

I am a Beauty and the Beast fanatic. Belle is my favorite Disney heroine, in part because she is a reader, like me. She's also brave and stands up for herself, but she isn't childish about it. Ariel and Jasmine strike me as headstrong, willful, spoiled teenagers, but Belle acts more like an adult, even when she's breaking the rules. (And she apologized to the Beast very nicely.) She's also graceful, sensitive, and thoughtful.

One of the women involved in animating Belle said that she thinks of her as serious young girl, mature for her age, about fifteen. Come on! Aside from the fact that a relationship with twenty-one year old Beast would be against the law in this country, have you ever met a fifteen year old who looked and acted like that???

Speaking of Beast, I think he is one of the most inspiring heroes, too. Rather than riding in at the end and kissing the princess to live with her happily ever after in his castle in the clouds, Beast actually grows and changes as a character. And that transformation scene where he changes from beast to man is absolutely stunning.

Another absolutely gorgeous page devoted to Beauty and the Beast.

I was given a book for Christmas a few years ago about Disney Animation (I forget the name) and the second half is all about the making of Beauty and the Beast. It's amazing how many people are involved in creation of an animated film. This link explains how Disney makes use of computer animation , primarily in Beauty and the Beast.

If you like stories with a beauty and the beast theme, visit my Cyrano de Bergerac page, or for something more contemporary, Kacia's Phantom Shrine.

Check out my Hunchback of Notre Dame page for a review of the latest Disney film.

The Sequel: Too Much of a Good thing.
We may be seeing a Beauty and the Beast sequel some time in the future. I have to agree with the author of this page, though; I think the movie is complete in itself. Any sequel would be a second-rate production looking for a quick buck.

Upcoming Features
This page gives descriptions of works-in-progress for Disney, as well as for other animation companies.

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