(1991) 5 Perry Seibert The most important aspect of any musical is the songs. Songs in a musical should be both memorable and somewhat functional. One or the other is fine, but if most of the songs advance the plot or reveal character andmake the audience want to sing along, then you have a truly great musical. Alan Menken and Howard Ashman composed an arguably perfect set of songs for Disney's Beauty and the Beast. The opening number that encapsulates both Belle and her hometown, the hilarious tune illustrating how formidable a man Gaston is, and the warmly charming "Be My Guest" are just three high points from one of the great soundtracks in movie history. The title track, which is as sappy as Ashman ever got as a lyricist, charmingly acknowledges its own banality ("Tale as old as time/song as old rhyme/beauty and the beast") without minimizing or mocking its inherently sweet description of true love. Belle herself sidesteps most of the clichés surrounding Disney heroines. Her love for the beast is unexpected, mostly because she dreams of independence and adventure, not romance. She is a strong female character whose love is won through kindness, selflessness, and honesty, and not given away just because the lead male character is attractive. Classic songs, memorable characters, and adult (for Disney) love combine with such joy and skill in Beauty and the Beast that it became the first animated Best Picture nominee in Academy history. This is not just a great animated film; this is a great film. Period. [In January of 2012, a new 3D version of Beauty and the Beast was released into U.S. theaters after playing on screens throughout Europe and Asia. Though the film looked and sounded as good as ever, the 3D effects were largely of the forgettable "View-Master" variety, offering the film a pleasant but ultimately unnecessary sense of depth that did little to dazzle outside of the classic "Be Our Guest" and ballroom sequences. Following The Lion King 3D and preceding Finding Nemo 3D, Monsters Inc. 3D, and The Little Mermaid 3D, Beauty and the Beast 3D proved that even with 21st century film technology, it's difficult to improve upon perfection. -- Jason Buchanan]

cast-crew for Beauty and the Beast on AllMovie

Beauty and the Beast (1991)

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Beauty and the Beast

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flags

Child Classic

genres

sub-genres

category

Animated

directed by

countries

USA

release date

November 13, 1991 (USA)
January 13, 2002 (USA - IMAX)
January 13, 2012 (USA - 3D)

run time

84 min.

produced by

Buena Vista, Silver Screen Partners IV, Walt Disney Productions

released by

Walt Disney Pictures

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cast

Paige O'Hara: Belle

Robby Benson: Beast

Jerry Orbach: Lumiere

Angela Lansbury: Mrs. Potts

Richard White: Gaston

David Ogden Stiers: Cogsworth/Narrator

Jesse Corti: Le Fou

Rex Everhart: Maurice

Bradley Michael Pierce: Chip

Jo Ann Worley: Wardrobe

Kimmy Robertson: Featherduster

Tony Jay: Monsieur D'Arque

Alvin Epstein: Bookseller

Alec Murphy: Baker

Mary Kay Bergman: Bimbette

Albert Tavares

Hal Smith: Philippe

Frank Welker: Footstool

Brian Cummings: Stove

Vanna Bonta

Kath Soucie: Bimbette

crew

Gary Trousdale: Director
Kirk Wise: Director
Don Hahn: Producer
Brenda Chapman: Screen Story
Brian Pimental: Screen Story
Bruce Woodside: Screen Story
Burny Matinson: Screen Story
Chris Sanders: Screen Story
Joe Ranft: Screen Story
Kelly Asbury: Screen Story
Kevin Harkey: Screen Story
Linda Woolverton: Screenwriter
Robert Lence: Screen Story
Tom Ellery: Screen Story
Alan Menken: Composer (Music Score)
Ellen Keneshea: Editor
John Carnochan: Editor
Brian McEntee: Art Director
Ed Ghertner: Art Director, Animator
Sarah McArthur: Associate Producer
Howard Ashman: Executive Producer, Lyricist
Ariel Velasco Shaw: Sound/Sound Designer
David Pruiksma: Animator
Glen Keane: Animator
Jim "Jimbo" Hillin: Animator
Lisa Keene: Animator
Pres Romanillos: Animator
Randy Fullmer: Animator
Roger Allers: Animator
Vera Lanpher: Animator