Disney’s classic tale as old as time, Beauty and the Beast, begins with a spoiled, shallow prince. Prince Arrogance refuses to help an ugly old woman. She warns him not to judge her based on appearance, he ignores her, she reveals herself to be beautiful, he tries to apologize, too little too late, and boom: he’s an ugly beast. He has until the last petal on an enchanted rose to get someone to fall in love with him. The enchantress also transforms his staff into household items, yet his parents are nowhere to be seen (so I’m not sure why he’s a prince instead of a king and how no one in the town seems to notice, but I’ll save those questions for Law and Order: Disney Parent’s Edition).
Transformed into a Beast
Then we are introduced to beautiful Belle. She lives in a small, small-minded town with her inventor father (because moms are magically absent or evil in most Disney movies). There’s a musical number: Belle wanting more out of life and the town calling her a funny girl because she likes to read (great job, Disney, set the stereotype early on that girls who like to read are weird). But apparently Belle and the townspeople can’t hear each other’s words when singing, or a lot of people would be insulted.
With Her Nose Stuck in a Book
Gaston—a big, hairy douche—tries to force Belle into marriage, despite his complete lack of respect for her and the superficial-minded adoration of literally every other woman in town. He makes fun of Belle’s love of books and her father’s inventions, but invites all of the townspeople to their “wedding,” which Belle is pretty uninterested in, shoving him out the door and into the mud.
Gaston Sniffing Around Belle
Belle is more concerned for her missing father. When Belle finds him imprisoned in the Beast’s castle, she offers herself as a replacement prisoner for her father’s trespassing. Unsurprisingly, the Beast agrees to take the pretty young girl in the place of her old father. Locked in a castle with a hairy beast for the rest of her life seems like a harsh punishment for trespassing, but Disney movies are apparently not confined to ordinary logic.
New Castle-mates
Belle is then introduced to the Beast’s household items/staff—Mrs. Potts, Chip, and the hilarious duo Lumiere and Cogsworth, who fulfill the roles of traditional Disney sidekicks.
Sidekicks
There is an attempted escape thwarted by wolves, a heroic rescue, and the blossom of friendship, which turns into romance once Belle and the Beast dance around in a ball gown and tuxedo (which fit perfectly and appear without explanation).
Beauty and the Beast
Humiliated by rejection, Gaston shadily convinces the town to charge the Beast’s castle and lock away “crazy” Belle and her dad. The townspeople fight feather dusters and silverware, while Gaston attacks the Beast. Gaston stabs the Beast in the back before falling to his death,
Gaston vs. The Beast
Belle admits she loves the Beast right before the final flower petal falls, which breaks the spell. He is transformed back into a human (named Adam, according to IMDB trivia) and they all live…you know the rest.
Happily Ever After
DramaDogz 