Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Disney Fever

When Fran and I were roommates and we didn't have morning classes, we watched Disney's Beauty and the Beast over and over again that we almost memorized every line and song in the movie.


It was the first and only (so far) full-length animated feature to be nominated for Best Picture in the Oscars.

Based on Jeanne-Marie Le Prince de Beaumont’s La Belle et la BĂȘte, this timeless tale was our happy pill. It was such a refreshing breath of fresh air even if it was just in 2D. (Recently, I haven't seen any animation that is not in 3D, not that I’m complaining, they were all brilliant)

A friend told me that the difference now in animation is the story-telling. The animation think tanks, after probably exhausting the pool of stories that can be made into animation, resorted to their story-telling skills to turn even the simplest plot into an amazing piece of story-telling that can capture your attention from start to end.

So once and in a while, I try to watch Belle and the Beast throw those snow balls at each other because it makes me believe that in this jaded world, some love stories do come true not just in Disneyland.

Note: And it was worth to note that at the end of the Beauty and the Beast, it was dedicated to Howard Ashman who died of AIDS in 1991, with this line-----

To our friend, Howard, who gave a mermaid her voice, and a beast his soul. We will be forever grateful. Howard Ashman: 1950–1991.

3 comments:

dreamwalker said...

I think you're right - Disney has made romantics of so many people...but yeah, you never know, these stories may come true in real life.

giting said...

of course they do...:-)

Anonymous said...

ashman is but a song writer/composer. The soul and voice of the beast and your mermaid were not due to him. He was commissioned by Disney to contemporize these classics and in the process sway the youth from the real story lines that hold true the real soul, voice of these characters. Stop romanticizing his contribution. Thank instead the french writer, Andersen and the brothers Grimm.