Beauty and the Beast

As a currently childless adult, I often feel sadness that children born now, well past the year 2000, which already seems like its far enough away, do not share the same definition of "Cartoon" or "Animated" movies as I, and a whole generation, do.  Hilter sympathizer or not, Walty D sure did do some incredible stuff at an incredible time in motion picture history.  And while in a head-to-head contest of all Disney movies....The Little Mermaid wins,  Beauty and the Beast is yapping at Ariel's tail.  

So now on to the movie.

The classic Disney song to start the movie....I absolutely love the corny, over the top, fairy tail songs that signify that you are in fact, watching a Disney movie.  To be perfectly honest...I have 2 cds of said songs.  It's "Classic Disney Volumes 1 and 2."  While there are songs on there from Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, and even The Parent Trap, the songs I gravitate to are from Beauty and the Beast, the Little Mermaid, and Aladdin.  There is that complete transition to my childhood. To the time before student loans and car payments.  The movie is not necessarily "timeless", but it certainly is "ageless."  And while I do love where animation has gone,  I can't help but think that this is one cinematic genre that has not necessarily benefitted from star power of high profile actors and awful soundtracks with "musicians" like Hannah Montana.  

You first meet Belle on her way to town to get a book.  She's the nerdy outcast that puzzles everyone.  It is a little embarrassing to admit it, but  she's clearly read more books than I have.  I blame law school for that.  There once was a time when I was young and ferociously read. R.L Stine and Christopher Pike, Dean Koontz, John Irving.  I loved to read.  Yea, that pretty much stopped the second I entered law school--and I still don't think I've fully recovered.  I kind of eased back into books via audiobooks.  While I always thought it was adorable that my Nanny (and by that, I mean my grandmom, not an au pere) would rent books on tape from the library (they even provided her with a cassette player!), I definitely never thought I would be able to read a book like that.  And for that, I blame undergrad!  

Geez, the more I think about it, as much as I love school and would be the forever student if it were financially possible, it has seriously hampered my love of books.  So yes, undergrad...for my Public Policy minor at NYU, I had to take a class called "Public Policy and Planning in New York City" through the Graduate School.  One of the major grades in the course centered around a report on "The Power Broker," a book about the building of New York and the man who made it possible, Robert Moses. The book was 1344 pages.  I'll repeat--1344 pages.  I think I made it through 800 pages and just couldn't read any more.  I ordered the book on tape and spent the next few weeks walking around Manhattan listening to my cassette player.  I definitely didn't absorb everything I heard, but it was enough for me to write a paper and, I think, score a B+.  Anyways, let's just end this ramble by saying that when I was younger, and read constantly, the character of Belle was relatable...ya know, we look like twins, right? And a special shout-out to "iPadtashkin" (the name of my iPad) for reintroducing me to the act of reading! Check out previous blog about 2030.  

**UPDATE:
So these last two paragraphs above....^......both have updates to them...I'll start with the first paragraph:

So I mentioned books on tape, but I didn't take the appropriate time to give my pitch for why more people should love this reading option.  Let's call it Reading Light (RL).  As I said, I never really thought I'd be able to both drive and listen to a book that required my mind to concentrate--I thought this medium was for the Nannys of the world.  Anyways, I was taking a trip to visit Nic in Columbia.  I think she had been down there for about a year and I hadn't had a chance to make the trip.  Yea, being laid off freed up my time!  For the 8 hour drive, I decided to give audible.com a try.  I got Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol" but of course had plenty of music on my ipod as back-up in case my little experiment wouldn't work.  Lucky for me, and the last 10 books I RL'd last year, I didn't need my back-up.  I won't go into the whole plot of The Lost Symbol but I will say that I LOVE Robert Langdon and hope that Dan Brown continues to write stories for him. I don't care if its formulaic and unrealistic...I completely enjoy reading them.  The setting for this book is Washington D.C..  Wouldn't ya know, I had to drive through D.C. at night on my way down to South Carolina.  Having already been a couple hours into the drive, the book couldn't have timed it better for my trip and it added an extra level of connection for me as I continued my journey South.  That is when I realized I could have driven straight to Florida listening to that book.  This is when I realized that I drive long distances to visit people and go places and what better way to use that time than to read books I really really like.  After this book...then the next 9 after it...I had RL'd more books in a year than any time in recent or not so recent history.

So here's the update for paragraph 2.  My iPad.  As I sat down tonight to write this very update, I put my drink and phone on the end table, and the remote and ipad on the arm of my couch.  Once I sat down, I looked to my left to see my good ol' MacBook, sitting on the couches other arm.  I said to myself, outloud, I promise you, "I am Technopendent".  I could probably benefit from a retreat into the woods, or some time on a beach, but that's just not realistic.  As I tell people who poo-poo our dependence on technology, they better get on board now because it's just going to get worse from here.  People are always worried about aging and being disconnected to younger generations?  Yea, if you don't get on the technowagon, consider yourself ancient.  The whole point of this ramble is to get me to how much I love my iPad. I clearly am more attached to it than I should be...but I never was a fan of the word "should" so I try not to worry about it too much.  One of my new favorite apps (along with an Angry Birds, Cut the Rope and Words with Friends) is iBook.  After my blog entry about Al Brooks' 2030, I mentioned how I placed my order the second the Daily Show ended...and it was a hardback.  Well, I got it in the mail, and probably read the first 80 pages...and then for unrelated reasons decided I was going to get my iPad.  Damn it, I've waited for the iPhone for an extra 2 years to come to Verizon and now to release the iPhone 5, I was going to get the iPad and enjoy every minute.  And so I have.  I instantly realized that I needed 2030 on my iPad.  So I returned my hardback and embraced the technology.  I thus spent 2  consecutive weekends on beaches and had a library at my disposal.  It was magical.  So as you can see my evolution, it seems as though I've returned to my love of books, and like most of my relationships with old friends, the dynamic is a little bit different but the love and connection are still there, just in a different form.

****END OF UPDATE

Foreign countries and language.  One of my biggest pet peeves about movies...all movies, save a few, is when the character that I am supposed to believe in and give life to through the screen speaks english in foreign countries when clearly they wouldn't be speaking english, but for, the American audience the movie was tailored to! (Cut to E. Izzard's bit about Room with a View of HELL! Pond of DEATH! Staircase of SATAN!.)  

You really better had watched that.  Here, I'll wait--go watch it....

.....

No really, I'll wait. 

......

I'm going to go ahead and choose to believe that you obliged the blogger's wishes.  Or to now shame you into watching it.  Either way, back to the issue at hand which is english in foreign countries in American films.  Maybe its because I'm a huge proponent of closed captioning.  Those converts out there know what I'm talking about.  You hate it at first but soon come to realize that you were missing shit left and right in stories and plots.  And soon you forget you are even reading--it blends so seamlessly.  Ok, maybe that's just me, but that's why I love closed captioning. So that also means that I really enjoy foreign films.  Not only am I getting to see another culture's interpretation of the cinematic arts, I'm enjoy that experience with people outside of my country bubble.  (See Amelie post.)  And now to wrap this ramble up, I'll just say that I recognize that other's do not view CC or subtitles the same way I do, but a little piece of movie-magic-credibility dies when I see someone in Romania speaking english to family members in a field in the middle of nowhere.  Come on! I'm seeing behind the curtain too much and I don't much care for it!

So I realize this post is already like 34 pages and I'm still at the beginning but now I think you will understand why it has taken me so damn long to post this.  Well, that and now that tomorrow is Father's Day, I wasn't too keen on moving forward with Big Fish for emotional health reasons.  So without further ado...the rest of the beginning.

With the love of a good Disney song comes too a love of words I had never heard before.  I wish I could remember exactly what age I was (if even only to prove that it wasn't like yesterday and I didn't know the meaning of a few words...I'm smart. I swear.)  But the first such word was "provincial" and I had no clue what it meant but got a vague understanding from the context, but let's get real, I probably just didn't know. Moral of the story was that I looked it up.  Yay for learning.  

"Aaaaaah isnt this amazing. It's my favorite part because you'll seeeeeeee....here's where she meets Prince Charming, but she won't discover that its him, till chapter three!" ~ Belle

Belle.  Her name means Beauty, you know. See, its educational AND entertaining--so far we have "provincial" and the meaning of the word "belle."

Ah, Gaston.  That voice and bravado.

"Gaston, you are positively primeval." ~ Belle

Yup, you guessed it...didn't know what "primeval" meant.  Looked it up.  

Also a classic Disney thread...single-parent-hood.  And why do all the dads look like my dad? Really just Maurice and a little like King Triton. (see forthcoming The Little Mermaid post.)   Oh, and also Jasmine's father!  I think its the white hair and mustache. And I thought this before Father's Day was approaching so its not that I'm nostalgic.  Hm. Anyways, as a child of divorce, seeing single parenthood in movies I idolized did help to detach a stigma, I suppose.  I was never one to even know there was a stigma to it, I'm guessing because I was so young when they divorced that it just felt like my normal, knowing no different.  

Now Maurice is on the road with his invention.  Classic stubborn man, not asking for directions, disregarding Philippe.

Oh Lumiere and Cogsworth, you are so integral to the story. Even Mrs. Potts...though it has to be said...she's a bit old to have a kid as young as Chip. Just saying.

Consistency issue coming up in 3...2...1....when Gaston goes to propose to Belle, the door opens out and he steps through, but he never shuts the door.  Then, moments later when Bells is escorting him out, she grabs for the door knob and causes him to fall through the entryway.  Who shut the door? Mm hmm.  

"I want adventure in the great wide somewhere.  I want it more than I can tell. And for once it might be grand...to have someone...understand...I want so much more than they've got planned." ~ Belle

Belle implores Phillipe to take her to where her father is.  How the f*ck does Phillipe know where Maurice ended up?? If you'll remember, he deserted him when he got scared by the wolves.  Mmm hmm.

So we have the trade, a prisoner for a prisoner and you have no empathy or affection for the Beast just yet.

First rule (of fight club, just kidding)...never go in the West Wing. Its forbidden, y'all.

I don't know whether to blame or commend movies like this--I am certain this is why I love stories where characters initially dislike each other or face conflict (see upcoming French Kiss llog for more evidence) but ultimately end up together, blissfully happy.) 

I really enjoy Gaston's designated ditty and again find myself educated. Well really, right before that, the line "in a spitting match no one spits like Gaston."  Um, how many spitting matches have you been in? Yea, me too.  But then Gaston uses the word "expectorating".  Dictionary time once again!

"Lefou, I'm afraid, I've been thinking." ~ Gaston

"A dangerous past-time." ~ Lefou

"I know."  ~ Gaston

The above are my favorite lines of this particular song.  The timing is magnifique!  

Another question for you: How does Lumiere not set the curtains ablaze? He's foolin' around with the Duster behind the curtains...yet, they don't catch fire.  Disney, I expect more from you. Where is your lesson about fire safety??

We then see that fabulous "Be Our Guest" montage and all the fancy-schmancy things they walk in front of her.  Gotta say though, I'm kinda annoyed that she doesn't end up eating anything. I'm choosing to believe that she ate while they were performing...but didn't have a plate in front of her.  Talk about wasting food!

Rococo.  Barroch. Flying Buttresses. All words I would later learn in school.

"If it's not Barroch, don't fix it." ~ Cogsworth

And now, my favorite moment of intense acting:

"There's something sweet...and almost kind...but he was mean and he was course and unrefined.  But now he's dear.  And so, I'm sure. I don't know why I didn't see it there before." ~ Belle

"She glanced this way, I thought I saw. And when we touched she didn't shudder at my paw!" ~ Beast

(That's for you, Tara!)

Cute that it is played with the same melodic tendencies as the first song where she talks about her book, Prince Charming, etc.  Don't think I ever noticed that tie in.

The song, Beauty and the Beast--6th (?) grade chorus?  I can't remember exactly what grade it was, but it was likely 6th or 7th.  I was living in Ambler and going to school at Sandy Run Middle School.  I had wanted to try out for chorus, for whatever reason and when I did, I was so concerned with being placed with my friends that though they said I was an Alto, they let me sing Soprano because they were unevenly distributed.  That's right, I cheated in Chorus.  And sure, let's use this episode as the reason why I'm not a good singer. Yes, all its fault--I was put in the wrong group and just never improved after that.  Anyways, for the assembly that year, we had to sing "Beauty and the Beast" so it kind of killed the buzz of the song for me, but other than that, it is a lovely scene.  

Way to get a crowd going, Gaston.  Pitchforks and torches ablaze!  And what a fight.  Of course Gaston is able to skulk off to pursue the Beast.  And of course his cowardice is unmasked as he stabs the Beast in the side and meets his timely death.  

So yay, Gaston is gone, they are together, she calls out to him.  Um, how does she not know his name? She calls him Beast. Yea, that's heartwarming.  Just like "Big" from Sex and the City (before the series finale....go to 1:12 to see what I mean), we just don't know his real name. Unless his parents had the foresight to call him Beast as a baby. But the chances of that? Slim.  Unless, like the parents of Englebert Humperdink (another E. Izzard gem), they had it in for their son.  

The resurrection.

So now that Beast is restored, his household also re-humanizes.  It is here where I'd like to talk about Chip.  How does he come into the mist? He clearly isn't 10 and apparently that's how long they've all been furniture.  He's likely 6 or so....So...did she sleep with the coffee maker? (wonka wonka wonka) Or was he 6 when the spell was cast and his mom was just that old? Or did everyone else age and he didn't? So many questions!

Despite my nit-picking and unintentionally epic rambling, I absolutely love this movie and how it makes me feel.  I don't mean that it makes me happy or sad kind of feeling, I mean that it gives me the ability to emote with the story and become immersed.  I learned at a young age the value of movies and I carry that love with me everyday.  

Next up, either Clue or Evolution, or both.  As I mentioned, I'm going to save Big Fish for a little bit and revisit.  If this were The Amazing Race, this would be the fast forward.