History Awesome / BeautyAndTheBeast

* The majority of the plot hinges on one of Belle's greatest moments: [[ActOfTrueLove willingly sacrificing her freedom]] ''[[ActOfTrueLove forever]]'' [[ActOfTrueLove in order to save her father]].

** The Oscar for Best Animated Feature was added a decade later. Some have speculated that the Academy added this category specifically to ''prevent'' animated movies from having a shot at the Best Picture award. And it ''[[WesternAnimation/{{Up}} didn't]] [[WesternAnimation/ToyStory3 work.]]''

---> '''Belle:''' Let's go, Phillipe!\\

![[Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast The Disney Film]]

* And that goes double for Howard Ashman, Menken's songwriting partner since practically the start of his musical career. Some time before ''Disney/TheLittleMermaid'' won Oscars for Best Song and Best Score, Ashman was diagnosed as HIV-positive. When he was put to work for ''Beauty and the Beast'', Ashman was noted to be irritable and would soon not even be able work in the studio. Despite all this, [[{{determinator}} he]] ''[[{{determinator}} never]]'' [[{{determinator}} gave up on his work]]: he would instruct recording sessions via telephone even when he was weak and he wrote what are probably some of the most memorable songs in cinema, period, during the last year of his life (the title song's lyrics undoubtedly being his best). Even though he never lived to see the finished film, Ashman's sheer dedication to his work counts as this trope, a TearJerker, and a great SugarWiki/{{Heartwarming Moment|s}}. The dedication at the end of the film states he 'gave a mermaid her voice and a beast his soul'.

** Hell, the entire castle siege in general was amazing (As well as [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments hilarious]], considering it was an angry mob of simple-minded townsfolk armed with torches and pitchforks against an entire castle of servants transformed into ordinary household objects who turn out to be NotSoHarmless). You try and fight against drawers of living cutlery with a ''very terrifying cooker'' as their leader, a hat rack with incredible boxing skills, a pile-driving wardrobe, a cannibal chest, a living candelabra, a scissor toting clock and an ApronMatron teapot who utilizes her tea cup children into ''scalding'' people.
** Lets look into several others as well; Several pans begin to strike down at one of them, the jugs throw produce at another, a trunk eats the Baker, and Lord knows what else these guys did. It's not wonder these guys just left; the servants were a MookHorrorShow to them.

-->'''Lumiere:''' (shouting) NOW!!!\\
(the lights come on instantly, at the same time as every single one [[RoarBeforeBeating roars before blindsiding the villagers]])

* The majority of the plot hinges on one of Belle's greatest moments: willingly sacrificing her freedom ''forever'' in order to save her father.

** The idea that many agree it should have won Best Picture over ''Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs''.
* Alan Menken's songs.

* And that goes double for Howard Ashman, Menken's songwriting partner since practically the start of his musical career. Some time before ''Disney/TheLittleMermaid'' won Oscars for Best Song and Best Score, Ashman was diagnosed as HIV-positive. When he was put to work for ''Beauty and the Beast'', Ashman was noted to be irritable and would soon not even be able work in the studio. Despite all this, he ''never'' gave up on his work: he would instruct recording sessions via telephone even when he was weak and he wrote what are probably some of the most memorable songs in cinema, period, during the last year of his life (the title song's lyrics undoubtedly being his best). Even though he never lived to see the finished film, Ashman's sheer dedication to his work counts as this trope, a TearJerker, and a great SugarWiki/{{Heartwarming Moment|s}}. The dedication at the end of the film states he 'gave a mermaid her voice and a beast his soul'.

* More of an OffscreenMomentofAwesome, and reached only through FridgeLogic, but Belle had to be physically strong enough to pull the Beast onto her horse. She also had to pull him to safety after Gaston stabs him and falls, when he nearly fainted (you can see him swaying back before she grabs his shirt).

'''The Beast:''' Get out...
* The latter half of the fight between the Beast and Gaston. After seeing Belle has returned to him the Beast regains his will to live and utterly ''dominates'' Gaston, with the size and strength of a grizzly bear combined with the intelligence and agility of a human.

** Lets look into several others as well; Several pans begin to strike down at one of them, the jugs throw produce at another, a trunk eats the Baker, and Lord knows what else these guys did. It's not wonder these guys just left; the servants were a MookHorrorShow!

* While it's also [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments hilarious]], the scene of the Beast on his way to Belle's room after she refuses to come to dinner highlights just how powerful his body is as he scrambles up the first few stairs and then '''vaults the gap''' between the staircase and second story hall!

** Belle needs way more credit for the woods scene. Slamming wolves into trees while on horseback, riding that fast on cluttered, overgrown paths, and then attempting to fight off the wolves with a stick? While the Beast has to come in at the end, Belle held her own against a pack quite well.

** To this day, it remains the ONLY hand-drawn animated feature to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. All of the other animated films that have been nominated have been computer animated films.

* And that goes double for Howard Ashman, Menken's songwriting partner since practically the start of his musical career. Some time before ''Disney/TheLittleMermaid'' won Oscars for Best Song and Best Score, Ashman was diagnosed as HIV-positive. When he was put to work for ''Beauty and the Beast'', Ashman was noted to be irritable and would soon not even be able work in the studio. But did he give up on his work? Of course not: He would instruct recording sessions via telephone even when he was weak and he wrote what are probably some of the most memorable songs in cinema, period, during the last year of his life (the title song's lyrics undoubtedly being his best). Even though he never lived to see the finished film, Ashman's sheer dedication to his work counts as this trope, a TearJerker, and a great SugarWiki/{{Heartwarming Moment|s}}. The dedication at the end of the film states he 'gave a mermaid her voice and a beast his soul'.

** How about we think about the fact that a child that's probably about 9 years old, figured out how to work a machine without hands. Seriously, this kid was able to make it work ''and'' still have enough time for him, Belle and Maurice to make it back to the Beast's castle.

** Hell, the entire castle siege in general was amazing (As well as [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments hilarious]], considering it was an angry mob of simple-minded townsfolk armed with torches and pitchforks against an entire castle of servants transformed into ordinary household objects who turn out to be NotSoHarmless. You try and fight against drawers of living cutlery with a ''very terrifying cooker'' as their leader, a hat rack with incredible boxing skills, a pile-driving wardrobe, a cannibal chest, a living candelabra, a scissor toting clock and an ApronMatron teapot who utilizes her tea cup children into ''scalding'' people.

'''The Beast:''' GetOut...

** Hell, the entire castle siege in general was amazing (As well as [[CrowningMomentOfFunny hilarious]], considering it was an angry mob of simple-minded townsfolk armed with torches and pitchforks against an entire castle of servants transformed into ordinary household objects who turn out to be NotSoHarmless. You try and fight against drawers of living cutlery with a ''very terrifying cooker'' as their leader, a hat rack with incredible boxing skills, a pile-driving wardrobe, a cannibal chest, a living candelabra, a scissor toting clock and an ApronMatron teapot who utilizes her tea cup children into ''scalding'' people.

* While it's also [[CrowningMomentOfFunny hilarious]], the scene of the Beast on his way to Belle's room after she refuses to come to dinner highlights just how powerful his body is as he scrambles up the first few stairs and then '''vaults the gap''' between the staircase and second story hall!

** Lets look into several others as well; Several pans begin to strike down at one of them, the jugs throw produce at another, a trunk eats the Baker, and lord knows what else these guys did. It's not wonder these guys just left; the servants were a MookHorrorShow!

[[caption-width-right:350:The climactic battle between a monster [[BaitAndSwitch and a cursed prince]].]]

** As much of a nutcase as Gaston is, Belle probably didn't want him to get killed either. She didn't respond to his DisneyVillainDeath because she was more concerned about Beast in the moment.

* The majority of the plot hinges on one of Belle's greatest moments; willingly sacrificing her freedom ''forever'' in order to save her father.

[[caption-width-right:350:The Beast vs Gaston.]]

* The ballroom. Even after 20 years it can still compete with today's CGI. The fact that Belle and the Beast are perfectly animated to go along with the 3D camera certainly helps.

** Hell, the entire castle siege in general was amazing, considering it was an angry mob of simple-minded townsfolk armed with torches and pitchforks against an entire castle of servants transformed into ordinary household objects who turn out to be NotSoHarmless. You try and fight against drawers of living cutlery with a ''very terrifying cooker'' as their leader, a hat rack with incredible boxing skills, a pile-driving wardrobe, a cannibal chest, a living candelabra, a scissor toting clock and an ApronMatron teapot who utilizes her tea cup children into ''scalding'' people.
** Lets look into several others as well; Several pans begin to strike down at one of them, the jugs throw produce at another, a trunk EATS the Baker, and lord knows what else these guys did. It's not wonder these guys just left; the servants were a MookHorrorShow!

*** And she's the tank of the group in this fight; she piledrives one of the goons, and begins to kung-fu strike several of them with her doors before stuffing one inside of her and putting him in a silly outfit. Seriously, she's the most physically powerful of ANY of the servants!

* Lumiere's SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome has to be when he saves his beloved Babette by ''scorching the backside off of the villain ripping her apart''!

** He also hears Belle shout for Gaston to stop. I like to imagine that, after everything Belle had told him about the guy who wouldn't stop hassling her, he was thinking, "Oh, the HELL if I get killed by THIS asshole."

* While it's also [[CrowningMomentOfFunny hysterical,]] the scene of the Beast on his way to Belle's room after she refuses to come to dinner highlights just how powerful his body is as he scrambles up the first few stairs and then VAULTS THE GAP between the staircase and second story hall!
* The wolf sequence in the forest. Belle's attacked by a bunch of wolves; she defends herself well, but there are just too many of them. Wolf leaps, she goes down, another wolf leaps, looks like the end. Cue the Beast grabbing the wolf and ROARING in its face as the music goes berserk, then proceeding to rip the pack apart. Epic.

** Also a Moment of Heartwarming, Belle's fear of Beast apparently disappears after he saves her. He roars right in her face when she accidentally aggravates his wounds and she doesn't even flinch. Heck, she talks back to him as he complains. Probably because the wolf fight shows her that for all of his tantrums he could never and would never actually hurt her.
** Belle needs way more credit for the woods scene. Slamming wolves into trees while on horseback, riding that fast on cluttered, overgrown paths, and then attempting to fight off the wolves with a stick? Yes, the Beast has to come in at the end, but Belle held her own against a pack quite well.

** Also the transformation in the Broadway show. Absolutely breathtaking.

* And that goes double for Howard Ashman, Menken's songwriting partner since practically the start of his musical career. Some time before ''Disney/TheLittleMermaid'' won Oscars for Best Song and Best Score, Ashman was diagnosed as HIV-positive. When he was put to work for ''Beauty and the Beast'', Ashman was noted to be irritable and would soon not even be able work in the studio. But did he give up on his work? HELL NO! He would instruct recording sessions via telephone even when he was weak and he wrote what are probably some of the most memorable songs in cinema, period, during the last year of his life (the title song's lyrics undoubtedly being his best). Even though he never lived to see the finished film, Ashman's sheer dedication to his work counts as this trope, a TearJerker, and a great SugarWiki/{{Heartwarming Moment|s}}. The dedication at the end of the film states he 'gave a mermaid her voice and a beast his soul'.

** How about we think about the fact that a child that's, I'm gonna guess, is about 9 years old, figured out how to work a machine WITHOUT HANDS! Seriously, this kid was able to make it work AND still have enough time for him, Belle and Maurice to make it back to the Beast's castle!

** Tacked onto that is one for the person who convinced her to do it, as she hadn't wanted to perform the song[[note]]She didn't think she could live up to the demo recording by Howard Ashman, despite having her own Broadway cred[[/note]] and only agreed to do the one take that made it into the movie.

* During the battle at the Beast's castle, when [=LeFou=] is melting Lumiere, Cogsworth appears at the top of the stairs, dressed in British Admiralty regalia and wielding a pistol and scissors, and, laughing hysterically, slides down the banister and saves Lumiere. It's particularly awesome considering how much of a stiff jobsbody he was before, and how antagonistic his relationship with Lumiere was.

*** And she's TheHeavy of the group in this fight; she piledrives one of the goons, and begins to kung-fu strike several of them with her doors before stuffing one inside of her and putting him in a silly outfit. Seriously, she's the most physically powerful of ANY of the servants!

* The first trailer for the 2017 version is visually ''amazing''. The castle is just gorgeous, and then there's the shot of the Enchanted Rose...