Starring: Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Kevin Kline, Josh Gad, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Audra McDonald, Ian McKellen, Emma Thompson
OUR RATING: ★★★☆☆
Story:
Romantic fantasy musical live-action adaptation of the 1991 Disney animation directed by Bill Condon. Beauty and the Beast (2017) follows Belle (Emma Watson), a bright, beautiful and independent young woman who is taken prisoner by a beast (Dan Stevens) in his castle. Despite her fears, she befriends the castle’s enchanted staff and learns to look beyond the beast’s hideous exterior and animal like anger, realizing the kind heart and soul of the prince within.
Our Favorite Quotes:
'People say a lot of things in anger. It is our choice whether or not to listen.' - Mrs. Potts (Beauty and the Beast) Click To Tweet
Best Quotes
Agathe: Once upon a time, in the hidden heart of France, a handsome young prince lived in a beautiful castle. Although he had everything his heart desired, the prince was selfish and unkind. He taxed the village to fill his castle with the most beautiful objects, and his parties with the most beautiful people.
Agathe: Then one night, an unexpected intruder arrived at the castle, seeking shelter from the bitter storm. As a gift, she offered the prince a single rose. Repulsed by her haggard appearance, the prince turned the woman away. But she warned him not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within. When he dismissed her again, the old woman’s outward appearance melted away to reveal a most beautiful enchantress. The prince begged her for forgiveness, but it was too late, for she had seen that there was no love in his heart. As punishment, she transformed him into a hideous beast, and placed a powerful spell on the castle and all who lived there. As days bled into years, the prince and his servants were forgotten by the world, for the enchantress had erased all memory of them from the minds of the people they loved. But the rose she had offered was truly an enchanted rose. If he could learn to love another and earn their love in return by the time the last petal fell, the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time. As the years passed, he fell into despair and lost all hope. For who could ever learn to love a beast?
Belle: [singing] There goes the baker with his tray like always, the same old bread and rolls to sell, every morning just the same since the morning that we came to this poor provincial town.
Villager: Good Morning, Belle.
Belle: Morning, Monsieur Jon. Have you lost something again?
Villager: Well I believe I have. The problem is I can’t remember what. Oh, well, I’m sure it’ll come to me. Where are you off to?
Belle: To return this book to Père Robert. It’s about two lovers in fair Verona.
Villager: Sounds boring.
Villagers: [singing] Look there she goes that girl is strange, no question, dazed and distracted, can’t you tell. Never part of any crowd cause her head’s up on some cloud. No denying she’s a funny girl that Belle.
Gaston: Look at her, LeFou. My future wife. Belle is the most beautiful girl in the village. That makes her the best.
LeFou: But she’s so well-read! And you’re so athletically inclined.
Gaston: I know. Belle can be as argumentative as she is beautiful.
LeFou: Exactly! Who needs her when you’ve got us?
Gaston: Yes. But ever since the war I’ve felt like I’ve been missing something. And she’s the only girl that gives me that sense of…
LeFou: Hmm, je ne sais quoi?
Gaston: I don’t know what that means.
Gaston: It’s the ones who play hard to get that are always the sweetest prey. That’s what makes Belle so appealing; she hasn’t made a fool of herself just to gain my favor. What would you call that?
LeFou: Dignity?
Gaston: It’s outrageously attractive, isn’t it?
Belle: Papa, do you think I’m odd?
Maurice: Odd? My daughter, odd? Where did you get an idea like that?
Belle: I don’t know. People talk.
Maurice: This is a small village, you know. Small minded as well. But small also means safe. Even back in Paris, I knew a girl like you, who was so ahead of her time. So different. People mocked her. Until the day they all found themselves imitating her.
Belle: Please, just tell me one more thing about her.
Maurice: Your mother was fearless. Fearless.
Gaston: You are the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen. Nobody deserves you.
[we see he’s looking at himself in the mirror]
Lumière: [as Belle enters the castle] Cogsworth, look! A beautiful girl!
Cogsworth: Yes, I can see it’s a girl. I’ve lost my hands, not my eyes.
Lumière: But what if she is the one? The one who will break the spell?
Belle: Who said that? Who’s there?
Belle: Papa, is that you?
Maurice: Belle! How did you find me?
Belle: You’re hands are ice. We need to get you home.
Maurice: Belle. Belle, you must leave here at once! This castle is alive. Now go before he finds you!
Belle: Who?
[they both turn when they hear the Beast]
Belle: [sees the Beast’s silhouette] Who’s there? Who are you?
Beast: Who are you?!
Belle: I’ve come for my father.
Beast: Your father is a thief.
Belle: Liar!
Beast: He stole a rose.
Belle: I asked for the rose. Punish me, not him.
Maurice: No, he means forever. Apparently, that’s what happens around here when you pick a flower.
Belle: A life sentence for a rose?
Beast: I received eternal damnation for one. I’m merely locking him away. Now, do you still wish to take your father’s place?
Belle: Come into the light.
Beast: [doesn’t move, Belle grabs Lumiere and holds him up to his face and gasps in fear] Choose.
Maurice: Belle, listen to me. It’s alright. Now go. Live your life. And forget me.
Belle: Forget you? Everything I am is because of you.
Maurice: I love you, Belle. Don’t be afraid.
Belle: I love you too, Papa. I’m not afraid. And I will escape. I promise.
Lumière: [releasing Belle from her cell] Forgive my intrusion, mademoiselle, but I have come to escort you to your room.
Belle: My room? But I thought…
Lumière: Oh, what?
Belle: That “Once this door closes it will not open again”.
Lumière: I know. He gets so dramatic.
'Beauty is found within.' - Agathe (Beauty and the Beast) Click To Tweet
Lumière: [when Belle sees him for the first time] Hello.
Belle: Ooh!
Lumière: [a frightened Belle hits him with her stool and shrieks] Oh, you are very strong. This is a great quality.
Belle: What are you?
Lumière: I am Lumière!
Belle: And you can talk?
Cogsworth: Well, of course he can talk. It’s all he ever does. Now, Lumière, as head of the household I demand that you put her back in her cell at once.
Lumière: What do you want to be for the rest of your life, Cogsworth? A man, or a mantle clock?
Mrs. Potts: [to Belle] How lovely to make your acquaintance.
Chip: [to Belle as she picks him up] Hello! Pleased to meet you!
Chip: [to Belle] Want to see me do a trick?
Belle: Hello. What’s your name?
Cogsworth: That is a hairbrush.
Gaston: Picture it, LeFou. A rustic cabin, my latest kill roasting on the fire, adorable children running around us as my love rubs my tired feet. But what does Belle say? “I will never marry you, Gaston!”
LeFou: You know, there are other girls.
Gaston: A great hunter doesn’t waste his time on rabbits.
Beast: Will you join me for dinner?
Belle: You’ve taken me as your prisoner and now you want to have dinner with me? Are you insane?
Plumette: Uh-oh. He’s losing it.
Cogsworth: Oh, dear!
Beast: [pounds on Belle’s door, yelling] I told you to join me for dinner!
Belle: And I told you no.
Madame Garderobe: Ooh! What time is it? What’s happening?
Belle: I’d starve before I ever ate with you.
Beast: Well, be my guest. Go ahead and starve. If she doesn’t eat with me then she doesn’t eat at all. Idiots!
Beast: [to the magic mirror] Show me the girl.
Mrs. Potts: Cheer up, my poppet. Things will turn out in the end. You’ll feel a lot better after dinner.
Belle: But he said, “If she doesn’t eat with me, then she doesn’t eat at all.”
Mrs. Potts: People say a lot of things in anger. It is our choice whether or not to listen.
Cogsworth: If the master finds out you violated his orders and fed her he will blame me!
Lumière: Yes, I will make sure of it. But did you see her stand up to him? I am telling you, this girl is the one. They must fall in love if we are to be human again, and how can they fall in love if she stays in her room?
Cogsworth: Hey, Chapeau, you missed a spot. You know she’ll never love him.
Lumière: A broken clock is right two times a day, mon ami, but this is not one of those times.
'Can anybody be happy if they aren't free?' – Belle (Beauty and the Beast) Click To Tweet
Belle: I don’t understand why you’re all being so kind to me. Surely you’re as trapped here as I am. Don’t you ever want to escape?
Mrs. Potts: The master’s not as terrible as he appears. Somewhere deep in his soul, there’s a prince of a fellow who just waiting to be set free.
Beast: [finds Belle in the West Wing admiring the enchanted rose] What are you doing here? What did you do to it?
Belle: Nothing!
Beast: Do you realize what you could have done? You could have damned us all! Get out of here! Go!
Gaston: There are no such things as beasts, or talking teacups, or magic! But there are wolves and frostbite and starvation.
Belle: [after Beast saves Belle from the wolves] You have to help me. You have to stand.
Beast: [as Belle is tending to his wounds] Ow! That hurts!
Belle: If you held still, it wouldn’t hurt as much.
Beast: Well, if you hadn’t run away, none of this would have happened.
Belle: Well, if you hadn’t frightened me, I wouldn’t have run away.
Beast: Well, you shouldn’t have been in the West Wing.
Belle: Well, you should learn to control your temper!
Belle: [finishes cleaning his wounds] Try to get some rest.
Trailer:
Can’t wait to see this film and Disney taking some risks is something that is welcome in my books.
I am very saddened to hear of the gay character in beauty and the beast. We are Disney lovers. From the theme parks to the cruise ships, we are supporters. We had a group planning to view the new movie. After researching and watching the reviews, Disney has allowed this movie to become anything but family friendly. My husband and I will not be going to this movie. We ask that Disney will consider the success that they have had in the past are family based supporters. Disney you are crossing lines, you are becoming extremely liberal, and I think you need to look at nation and understand the core is still concerned about family values. The classics are what made Disney famous, don’t ruin the remakes.
What gay character?