This one is much more along the lines of the classic Disney® fairy tales (Snow White, especially), and the entertainment value has nothing to do with being "hip" or catering to some perceived aesthetic about what kids and their parents might enjoy. Indeed, casting Robby Benson, Jerry Orbach, David Ogden Stiers, and Angela Lansbury as major voice talent is not bound to wow kids or their parents. Why Beauty and the Beast succeeds, and remains so wholly winning, is that it has a great story and presents it as it should be. My take on the film is that it's about the triumph of queerness over straightness. Though ostensibly about Belle, the strong young woman who will not play by society's rules, the emotional heft is brought by the Beast, who is presented in opposition to Gaston, a paragon of heterosexuality who is celebrated for his prowess at spitting, fighting, and winning over the ladies. By contrast, the Beast is sensitive, introspective, despised, and feared, celebrated by no one. Belle (a gay man by proxy) chooses the Beast over the aggressive Gaston, causing the community to demonize the Beast rather than embracing his positive qualities. Er, or perhaps it's just a good love story. My logic made much more sense after a few hits of Ecstasy last week at Jackhammer. At any rate, the film is entirely delightful, full of memorable songs and amusing animation fueled by skilled voices (Orbach and Stiers are particularly excellent, neither of them very recognizable from their more famous TV work). For my part, I had no idea that "Be Our Guest" was from this movie I'd assumed that was from some long-ago classic Disney® flick. I avoided seeing Beauty and the Beast for many years because none of my hipster friends would validate it, and only my gay theater friends insisted it was any good. More and more, I'm with the gaywads.
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