Disney romances a new generation

By LINDSEY BAHR

AP Film Writer

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.

In 1991, Disney struck gold with “Beauty and the Beast.” The film enchanted audiences and critics alike and raked in several hundred million dollars along the way, but also upended expectations of what an animated film could be.

Over a quarter century later, the legacy endures, but times have changed and there’s a new “Beauty and the Beast” on the block. Out tonight, the film is a lavish live-action reimagining of the “tale as old as time” with state-of-the-art CG splendor, Howard Ashman and Alan Menken’s classic songs and score (and a few new tunes with Tim Rice), and a modern social consciousness.

The film stars “Harry Potter’s” Emma Watson as Belle, who yearns for adventure outside of the confines of her “small provincial town” and “Downton Abbey” alum Dan Stevens as the cursed and cold Beast. Their supporting cast is a coterie of veterans, including Kevin Kline (Maurice), Emma Thompson (Mrs. Potts), Ian McKellen (Cogsworth), Audra McDonald (Madame Garderobe), Stanley Tucci (Maestro Cadenza) and Ewan McGregor (Lumiere).

The remake is also part of the Walt Disney Company’s ongoing strategy to mine their vaults for animated fare worthy of live-action re-creations. “Mulan,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin” and “The Lion King” are just a few already in the works.

But that doesn’t mean there weren’t worthy updates to be made in “Beauty and the Beast.” Director Bill Condon (“Dreamgirls”) delighted in rooting the story in a specific time and place – 1740 France – and adorning every last corner of the production with Rococo and Baroque details.

The characters are more fleshed out as well. The Beast gets a backstory. As does Belle, whose independence looked refreshingly radical in ’91 and goes even further here.

“She’s a 21st-century Disney princess. She’s not just a pretty girl in a dress,” Evans said. “She’s fearless and needs no one to validate her.”

That the woman behind the character is also the UN women’s goodwill ambassador only adds to its resonance.

And, in a tribute to Ashman, who died of complications relating to AIDS at age 40 before the ’91 film came out, the production even unearthed forgotten lyrics from his notes, which they’ve added to two songs in the new film – “Gaston” and “Beauty and the Beast.”

Though many of the beats, and even lines, remain the same as in ’91, the world looks more diverse from the very first shots. Faces of all races can be seen both in the grand castle and the country town.

Much has been made, too, of LeFou’s subtle “gay moment,” which put the internet in a tizzy far ahead of anyone actually seeing the film. Many in the production have backed away from the topic entirely.

“To define LeFou as gay ... nobody who sees the movie could define it that way. He’s enthralled with Gaston,” Menken said. “I’m happy that LeFou is getting so much attention. But I pray that this stupid topic goes away because it’s just not relevant with any respect to the story. Even the one moment that’s being discussed is just a silly little wink. It’s nothing.”

For his part, Gad thinks it’s been “overblown,” too, and that the story is more about “inclusiveness” and not judging a book by its cover.