Beauty and the Beast

This was mine and my sister's favorite movie growing up. We used to watch it all the time and sing along and even act the scenes out sometimes. Despite what some reviewers said the music is wonderful, I wish there was a soundtrack out. And the movie is not dated at all. The sets and costumes are beautiful. And the script and the acting are both superb. I've always had a soft spot for Rebecca DeMorney since seeing this movie. She was perfect as Beauty and has a gorgeous singing voice. Same with John Savage. I'm twenty now and I still put the movie in now and then and am surprised that I still enjoy it as much as I did as a little girl. To me this movie is flawless!

Charles Perrault's classic French fairy tale "Beauty And The Beast" has been filmed several times. Though it is not as popular as other fairy tales, it is just as enchanting. The well-known French version with Jean Marias and Josette Day, was filmed in 1946. Then, in 1962 came a forgotten quickie version with Joyce Taylor and Mark Damon. The groundbreaking Disney animated feature was released in 1991. But Cannon Films beat them to the punch, producing their live-action musical rendition in 1987. Starring Rebecca De Mornay as Beauty, and John Savage as The Beast/Prince, this is another good example in their "Movie Tales" series. Unlike some of their other titles which do NOT cry out for cinematic translation ("The Emperor's New Clothes" jumps to mind), this fairy tale is perfect for visual dramatization. Cannon's version stays relatively close to the original story, which is more than Disney's did (very little besides the title was retained) and it has great atmospheric photography, especially the scenes in the Beast's garden, which are all the more impressive considering the film's low budget. Both De Mornay and Savage bring depth to their roles, and, considering neither is a singer, they handle the best songs in the movie ("If You See With Your Heart" and "Wish For The Moon") very well, indeed. The film is rather slow paced, but, then, so is the original story. There are a few other changes as well, most notably, Beauty's sisters (Carmela Marner and Ruth Harlap) who are depicted as selfish and lazy, rather than jealous and wicked. Ditto her two brothers. The father,(Yosi Graber) is also characterized as somewhat shallow. But the climax is packed with traditional emotion, and this is a movie which seems to get better every time I see it. Recommended for fairy tale lovers everywhere on the planet.

Every now and again, I'll pull out this movie for a trip down memory lane. True, it was low budget and John Savage never has appealed to me as a male romantic lead, but scenes of it were always so beautiful, taking inspiration from the 1946 classic La Belle et la bête. Not to sound like a sap, but there is a part in this movie that I always thought was wonderfully done. During one of the songs, Beauty is pretending to dance with her dream prince, meanwhile, in another room, Beast (who is actually her dream prince unbeknownst to her)is pretending to dance with Beauty. For a second she reaches out like she can feel him standing in front of her. For a B-Children's movie, I thought that was cool.

Good live action adaptation of the classic story. Rebecca De Mornay is perfect as the wholesome kind-hearted Beauty who lives with her wealthy father and grown brothers and sisters. As in Cinderella, Beauty's siblings require Beauty's constant help in doing even the smallest of chores. She is not unhappy and is able to tend to her family's needs with little effort, however she does wish to have some time of her own. The family goes broke, moves to the country, and Beauty is just as happy poor as rich. Her father stumbles across the Beast's castle and escapes imprisonment by having Beauty stay in his place. The Beast and castle are not unlike the Disney stage version, however there are no dancing silverware or clocks here, but the statues come to life. As a musical the songs are embarrassingly terrible by anyone's standards. The on-location sets are authentically colorful, charming and European. There are enough changes in the plot to keep one interested as to what exactly will happen next. Ultimately the film is saved by a wonderful performance by Rebecca De Mornay who simply melts hearts, sings like an angel, and warms the cold corners of any castle.

I adored this movie the first time I saw it when I was 16. I love fairy tales and especially like movies that try to stick to the original story. These stories have been around for hundreds of years before Disney and there are different versions of each in different countries. The sets and costuming of this version are beautiful. (All though some obviously date the film to the late eighties) Rebecca De Mornay is fantastic as the gracious loving creature that can love even a beast. The way that this is filmed it almost feels as though you are the proverbial fly on the wall, or the statue with eyes. I think it is a wonderful way to get kids interested in something besides cartoons.