"Beauty and the Beast"

“Cause who could ever learn to love a beast”

In 1991 the beloved Disney classic, "Beauty and the Beast" was released to the world.  The movie starts with an old beggar woman who casts a spell on a prince.  He was too busy with judging people by their outside appearance, to give them a chance to see the person within.  The woman puts a spell on the prince, which turns him into a hideous beast.  The only way to break the spell is for someone to fall in love with him or he will stay this way forever if the last petal falls.

            We met Belle (voice of Paige O’Hara) a beautiful young girl who loves to read books.  She is the daughter of Maurice, an inventor.  Gaston, the stud of the town has his eye on Belle and will do whatever it takes to get Belle to marry him.  Once Maurice gets his new invention working, he goes off to the fair and on the way gets lost and comes across an enchanted castle.  Upon entering he meets Cogsworth and Lumiere the talking clock and candlestick.  The Beast (voice of Robby Benson) throws Maurice into the dungeon as his prisoner.  Belle gets word of her father being in trouble and finds him.  She finds him in the castle and makes a deal with the Beast that she will stay as his prisoner if he lets her father go.

            Belle now lives in the castle as the Beast prisoner, at first resenting everything about him.  She is forbidden from the West Wing, which is where the enchanted rose is.  She slowly begins to see a different side of the Beast and allows him in a little.  As they both begin to get to know one another, they start to fall in love.  As all this is going on, Maurice has made his way back to town and is letting everyone know about the Beast and how he has Belle.  Gaston, with the help of the town’s people, plan an attack on the castle.  It’s a battle against, furniture who can speak and humans.  The big battle is against the Beast and Gaston.  In the end the Beast wins, but it’s too late, the last petal has begun to fall.  Belle sees her love beginning to die in front of her eyes and she leans in for a kiss, and with that the spell is broken.

--Ally Laudage