Disney princesses have been an obsession of mine since I was a little girl. I grew up with all the Disney princess movies coming out, and there hasn't been a single movie I have not seen in theaters. Beauty and the Beast, the animated movie, came out in 1991, just two years before I was born. The movie is marvelous, with personified clocks, candelabras, tea cups, and coat racks. There are so many fantastic songs and lines from that movie that I remember even 15 or so years later.
So, as one can imagine, I was SUPER pumped when Disney announced they were releasing a live-action version of one of my favorite Disney movies. Belle is, in a way, my spirit animal and is for sure one of my favorite Disney princesses. A bookish girl who doesn't need a man to tie her down or make her feel important, Belle pretty much seems like the most independent Disney Princess of all (Well, until like 5 years later when Mulan came out, but that's besides the point). Knowing my Disney love, my lovely boyfriend surprised me with a first showing of the movie. I lined up with 50 other people (mainly pre-teens and little girls wearing the standard yellow "Belle Gown" and tiaras). I, in my Beauty and the Beast tights, anticipated the movie I had really high hopes for. I went in knowing it was going to be good, especially since like 5 of my favorite actors and actresses were in it. (Like, Ewan McGregor, Emma Thompson, Ian McKellan, I mean COME ON). I had read a lot of smack on the internet about how it was a terrible movie and how it didn't live up to the original, and let me tell you, I had to be one to see it for myself.
How did it go? Well, I cried. I cried pretty much the whole movie, when I wasn't laughing. I hate going to the movies usually, but I really enjoyed this remake. I think part of my tears were nostalgia, and the other half came from my expectations being met. Emma Watson did a spectacular job portraying Belle, and the fact that Watson herself is a bit of an independent woman, made the whole situation come together. While the movie was very CGI, the representation of the characters, such as Lumiere, voiced by none other than Obi-Wan himself, and even the Beast really kept my attention. The movie is dark, and the anger and the resentment that the beast has, as well as the dark secret of Belle's mother's death, were brought to light in such a fantastic way. A classic love story of a lady and a man who seemed to never be able to love anyone but himself; the movie is phenomenal. I especially cried at the end when Disney nailed the implication of a gay couple being in the movie. It was pretty much everything I had hoped for. After watching the movie and reading the rotten tomatoes review, I am really confused. I watched the original movie like 15 years ago, and I really don't understand why people are saying the new movie pales in comparison. The movie hits all the high notes when it comes to comparing it to the original, and even has a little extra humor. The movie itself is beautiful. The colors and graphics are far greater than the original movie from 20+ years ago. It puts a modern spin on such a dark movie that has such a light ending.
With all this being said, the controversy over the movie was ridiculous. So yes, there is implied homosexuality in the movie between LeFou and his love for Gaston, as well as in the end of the movie when we see LeFou dancing with another man. The scene where they imply these things are not even noticeable for young children, because odds are, they have no idea what is going on anyway and the fact parents were letting themselves get their panties in a wad over it was ridiculous. Never you mind that the movie is based on a girl falling in love with a Beast, essentially a buffalo, but an implication of a man being happy with another man, oh noooooo. This is 2017, and to be honest, your kid is going to see men loving men and women loving women at some point in their life, so might as well expose them to reality now. People in this day and age are so butt-hurt by everything that is different than what they believe. Boo-hoo. This movie, if anything, provides hope for people as well as shows how progressive Disney has become. It just goes to show that if an angry Beast can get over himself and find love, anyone can. It truly is a tale as old as time, and I think Disney is trying to teach us important lessons with all their movies.
Pretty much all I have left to say is good job, Disney, and thank you for making movies that make us girls know that true love exists for everyone, even Beasts, and I hope there is a live action version of every Disney princess movie so I can cry and swoon over them as well.
