Disney has been known for making movies that are labeled as classics or even masterpieces that have brought people a feel of joy, happiness, and entertainment. One specific area especially known for this is called the Disney Renaissance. According to Wikipedia, The Disney Renaissance made critically and commercially successful musical animated films from 1989 to 1999. My personal favorite movie from this era and Disney in general is Beauty And The Beast.
Wikipedia has also said that “Beauty and the Beast premiered as an unfinished film at the New York Film Festival on September 29, 1991, followed by its theatrical release as a completed film at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles on November 13. The film grossed $331 million at the box office worldwide on a $25 million budget and received widespread acclaim for its romantic narrative, animation (particularly the ballroom scene), characters, and musical numbers.”
If those achievements weren’t impressive enough, Beauty and the Beast won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, the first animated film to ever win that category. It also became the first animated film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture at the 64th Academy Awards (ultimately losing to The Silence of the Lambs), where it won the Academy Award for Best Original Score and Best Original Song for its title song and received additional nominations for Best Original Song and Best Sound.
A review posted on Screen Rant commented “It’s a romance that builds slowly and develops; at times it can be very awkward, but that just adds extra charm. In a way, it’s a very realistic relationship because it’s not based on superficial things like looks. Mutual compassion for one another slowly develops over time. Viewers are rewarded with an emotionally satisfying ending, with the now-human Beast and Belle triumphantly together and accepted.”
That’s probably why Beauty And The Beast got so much attention: because of how real its romance felt, how charming and likable every character was, and how perfectly paced the story was for it’s romance. Its essential message emphasizes valuing characteristics within people like kindness and overlooking superficial qualities.
When I asked my mom what she knew about Beauty and the Beast she said, “Me and my friends sang the song ‘Beauty and the Beast’ at my 6th grade graduation and it was very memorable for me.”
Beauty and the Beast has made an impact on many people, and it was so successful that it got a live action remake in 2017.
In my opinion Beauty And The Beast 1991 is both the golden standard and the crowning achievement that has ever been made by Walt Disney Animation studios. The acting is great, every character in it is charming and likable, the pacing is perfect, the emotional moments hit hard, and every single thing about it to me is perfect, so I recommend we keep watching it, talking about it, and let’s please never let this perfect achievement ever die.
