First, there was the mermaid who wished to be part of our world, and then it was a woman exiled from her community for the sin of reading. The second film of the Disney Renaissance is a long way from the “girl meets prince, becomes princess” story for which people too often mistake it. The first animated film to be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar and the reason that we now have an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, its mixture of classic fairy tale, a surprisingly subversive heroine, and some of the best Broadway-style show tunes in Disney history makes it a true classic. Be the Paramount Summer Classic Series’ guest as Belle and the Beast return to the big screen to celebrate the film’s 35th anniversary. – Richard Whittaker
