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Levi Rivera
Professor Jackson
Writ 106-18
4/2/19
Why Disney ?
Growing up if Disney wrote a fairy tale book, we as kids knew there will be a movie soon
to be released. So the common thing to do is read the book and then watch the movie expecting
the movie to be exactly the same as the book but Disney tends to add or delete details from the
story. Beauty and the Beast was one of my most favorite fairy tale Disney produced but the
original book was wrote by Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve. But from my experience from the
book to the movie I viewed the difference. But comparing the Disney book, Disney movie, and
also movies made by others will cause some comparison and differences. Although Disney tends
to change the details of Beauty and the Beast from the original book to the movie, how might the
story be affected ?
Disney may change the plot, writing, characters, setting, names, etc but only to better the
story. When it comes to fairy tales then some things are made up or imagined because that’s the
point of a fiction tale. Beauty and the Beast was made for kids who are young due to young
minded kids having the ability to imagine things. And when it comes to any fairy tale most of
them are made based on imagination. But when making a book into a movie of course there are
edits and adjustments made to accommodate the fairy tale to be better understanding in a movie
form. And that’s the process of Beauty and the Beast, Little Red Riding Hood, and Cinderella
went through becoming a film from a book.
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From deleting and adding details the main concept of the fairy tale stays the same but we
as viewers have to view how does this affect the story. From Beauty and the Beast the villain
there isn't none, Beauty pretty much stays home and tends to the house, the rose is only in the
beginning of the story when Maurice picks it from the Beast's garden. These little details are
from the book whereas in the movie these events occur but in a different action. In the movie
Gaston is the villain, and the rose is enchanted and it's a very important part of the story as it
blooms for many years as an hourglass for the Beast. These little details make the story more
interesting because they show Gaston being the bad guy but in the book there's no villain.
Drawing from this point the best interest of Disney from making these little adjustments in
details help all viewers not just a certain group of viewers understand the concept of the plot.
Disney tends to have this formula which they use when changing a book to movie. This
formula was used to create the process for Beauty and the beast which turned out in a positive
outcome. One major thing that was changed using this formula was that how in the original story
there’s no villain but in the movie Gaston is the villain. Disney created this because how can
sisters be portrayed as a villain towards their own sister. So disney decided to show more interest
in the play keep the play more interesting. No, Disney didn’t just remove the sisters; sisters
became a different reason for being important to the plot. The sisters just played the role as a
jealous person, mean sisters; disney showed how the sisters are affected Cinderella still just as in
the original story.
Beauty and the Beast was incredibly loyal to the original; same costumes, same songs,
same shots, same dialogue, same plot. But there was some new things added like few new songs
and characters, while fleshing out the backstories of the main players. With Disney to do so I
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agree that they had the best intentions to make this book to film as best as possible. And Disney
trying to do that it worked, this might be the greatest movie Disney has ever made. This movie
was nominated for an Oscar before there was even a category for animation. So the outcome of
this process lead Disney on to do more of the same projects with different fairy tales.
Not only has Disney done this in Beauty and the Beast but has done this multiple times in
fairy tales as in Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood. In Cinderella one important detail was
change which was the Prince meeting Cinderella at the ball in the book vs meeting her at the
beginning of the film. Some may say that causes a red flag in the plot because the point was for
the Prince to meet her at the ball and live happily ever after. So introducing him so early into the
film will cause some confusion for the viewers.
In the book Cinderella really doesn’t speak that much throughout the story but in the
movie she does. So for disney to have Cinderella meet Prince at the beginning of the movie
caused for Cinderella to be more engaged in the story and also let it be known she’s the main
focus. Disney changes this important detail because in the story it’s not shown to be realistic,
who would marry someone they haven’t spoke to nor how can someone have feelings for
someone they never met. Therefore Disney changed that around and made it for those questions
won’t be asked. Meeting the Prince early it provides the viewers how Cinderella fell in love with
him throughout the story. This makes the relationship more plausible. Details like this that
changes from book to movie is to better the story and that’s exactly what Disney did.
While these Disney remakes are fun, entertaining, and full of the spirit that made the
original films classics, you wouldn't be over the line for complaining that these movies are
basically the same as the animated ones. But keeping it the same must be a positive because
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viewers won't get confused, plot stays the same, and overall their number one viewers kids will
be able to stay entertained.
In Beauty and the Beast Disney has adapted the same construction as the book. As a
production group it’s their job to look and revise anything in the story line they believe needs to
be adjusted. And in this film that’s exactly what they did, made little adjustments but kept the
important parts the same. As stated in the book last paragraph “ immediately the fairy gave a
stroke with her wand” this action is important part of the ending because this is how the Beauty
and the Beast are able to return to themselves and get married. In the film this exact action was
filmed in the movie because once again it brings together the meaning of the end to the film.
Somethings aren't meant to be changed and some are but with some films like Little Red Riding
Hood things change but causes problems but when you only make minor adjustments like in
Beauty and the Beast you gain a positive feedback.
Disney made major and minor adjustments to the story while making the book to movie.
Disney changes how Beauty falls in love with Beast. This causes the story to be more dramatic,
more romantic, more dangerous, but overall draws the viewer's attention more doing this in the
movie. These types of feelings of the actions wasn’t shown in the book, which caused the story
to be dry so Disney used “the formula” to spicy up the story.
In a fairy tale called Little Red Riding Hood growing up I’ve read multiple stories about
this tale but ending in different ways. Some endings are the wolf eats the grandmother and the
little girl, or the wolf just runs away after being scared of by the guy in the woods, etc. So for this
fairy tale to have a film being made how do you pick the ending and make sure that the ending
doesn’t ruin the plot nor the interest of the viewers. For fairy tales like this, it’s hard for Disney
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to make a film and make it whereas making the film for other fairy tales, having that one ending
everyone knows would be much easier. The point that is being made is that with Disney being
able to go from book to film then the book itself must make sense to all viewers but most of all
must have a common or repeated ending. The process in the book leading up to this event was
the little girl going to the grandmas house in the woods to bring her a cake because grandma
hasn’t been feeling well. But as in the film the point of view is from a “sister” meaning the film
states the girl was killed by the werewolf which cause the sister of the victim to come into a role.
Which the background of the sister was her getting married then becoming a suspect in her own
sisters killing. Overall the plot doesn’t necessarily change but the details does which causes a
confusion for the viewers. Going from the original story plot to changing it Disney took a leap in
doing so which reacted negatively.
Trying to keep this plot the same for Little Red Riding Hood there must of been a little
confusion whether or not to follow the process when making the film. The experience from the
book and movie of Little Red Riding Hood made the conclusion that not every fairy tale can be
made into a film. You wouldn’t want to make something that is already good and make it worst,
it’s like taking an average test grade and retaking the test without studying and getting a lower
grade than what was the point of retaking it.
In theory of this method Disney tends to do, Disney can only make this work if it’s done
with the proper method. To do so you must not change the overall theme of the fairy tale or not
only change the theme but try to use that theme and turn it into something else as in drift away.
For some to say the process of book to film is interesting some might disagree due to how they
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view the film and book. But all in all Disney who is great at fairy tales, Disney still has the
ability to change book to movie and still have the story make sense only if done correctly.
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Work Cited
Perrault, Charles. “Little Red Riding Hood.” Firewalking Myth vs Physics, 21 Sept. 2003,
March 3, 2019.
www.pitt.edu/~dash/perrault 02.html.
Beaumont , Marie Le Prince. “BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.” Alice's Adventures in
Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll, Project Gutenberg, 6 Mar. 2003, March 3, 2019.
www.gutenberg.org/files/7074/7074-h/7074-h.htm.
Perrault, Charles. “THE TALES OF MOTHER GOOSE.” Alice's Adventures in
Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll, Project Gutenberg, 3 Dec. 2003, March 3, 2019.
www.gutenberg.org/files/17208/17208-h/17208-h.htm.
Beauty and the Beast Directed by Gary Trousdale, Disney, 1991, Netflix March 2, 2019.
Cinderella by Clyde Geronimi, Disney, 1950, Netflix, March 4, 2019.
