Amazon.com Essentials:
The film that officially signaled Disney's animation renaissance (following
The Little Mermaid) and the only animated feature to receive a Best Picture Oscar
nomination, Beauty and the Beast remains the yardstick by which all other
animated films should be measured. It relates the story of Belle, a bookworm with a dotty
inventor for a father; when he inadvertently offends the Beast (a prince whose heart is too
hard to love anyone besides himself), Belle boldly takes her father's place, imprisoned in
the Beast's gloomy mansion. Naturally, Belle teaches the Beast to love. What makes this
such a dazzler, besides the amazingly accomplished animation and the winning coterie of
supporting characters (the Beast's mansion is overrun by quipping, dancing household
items) is the array of beautiful and hilarious songs by composer Alan Menken and the
late, lamented lyricist Howard Ashman. (The title song won the 1991 Best Song Oscar,
and Menken's score scored a trophy as well.) The downright funniest song is "Gaston," a
lout's paean to himself (including the immortal line, "I use antlers in all of my
de-co-ra-ting"). "Be Our Guest" is transformed into an inspired Busby Berkeley homage.
Since Ashman's passing, animated musicals haven't quite reached the same exhilarating
level of wit, sophistication, and pure joy. --David Kronke --This text refers to an out
of print or unavailable edition of this title.
