Beauty and the Beast (1991)
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A spirited young woman must win the heart of a cursed prince before the last petal falls from an enchanted rose.
The story
Set in 18th-century France, a selfish prince is cursed to remain a beast forever unless he can earn the love of a spirited young woman named Belle before the final petal falls from his enchanted rose. Ten years after the curse, Belle, the bookish daughter of an inventor, finds herself in the Beast's castle after her father becomes lost in the forest. She is taken prisoner in his place, and the castle's enchanted servants attempt to help the Beast win her heart while she navigates the dangers of the castle and the growing bond between her and the beast.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In a faraway land, a selfish prince is cursed by an enchantress to remain a beast until he learns to love someone and earns their love before the last petal falls from an enchanted rose. Years later, Belle, a bookish girl, enters the castle to save her father, Maurice, who was captured while lost in the woods. She becomes a prisoner in his place. While the castle's enchanted servants try to mediate their relationship, Belle and the Beast begin to develop a rapport after he rescues her from wolves. Meanwhile, a local hunter named Gaston schemes to marry Belle by declaring her father insane. After a romantic dance, the Beast releases Belle to save her father from a mob led by Gaston. Belle reveals the Beast's existence to the town, and a battle ensues. Gaston is killed during the fight, and Belle confesses her love for the Beast just as the last petal falls. The curse is broken, restoring the prince and the servants to their human forms.
- First release year
- 1991
- Runtime (minutes)
- 84
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Gary Trousdale; Kirk Wise
- Writers
- Linda Woolverton · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Paige O'Hara · Belle; Robby Benson · Beast; Richard White · Gaston; Jerry Orbach · Lumière; David Ogden Stiers · Cogsworth; Angela Lansbury · Mrs. Potts; Bradley Michael Pierce · Gaston; Rex Everhart · Chip
- Genres
- animated; musical; romantic; fantasy
- Themes
- inner beauty; sacrifice; transformation
- Tone and mood
- romantic; fairytale
- Premise and plot tags
- curse; enchanted objects; romance
- Source material / true-story basis
- Beauty and the Beast by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve
- Franchise connections
- Beauty and the Beast
- Reception
- The film received widespread acclaim for its story, characters, music, and animation, specifically for the ballroom sequence. It was considered one of the greatest animated films of all time.
- Awards and nominations
- Golden Globe Award · Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy · win; Academy Award · Best Original Score · win; Academy Award · Best Original Song · win
- Production trivia
- The film was the second fully made with Computer Animation Production System (CAPS).; It was the first Disney film adapted into a Broadway musical.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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