10 best animated films from the Disney Renaissance

4. Beauty & the Beast

This film originally came out in 1991, stole audience’s hearts, and became the first animated film to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. It won for Best Original Score and Best Song. It does have absolutely brilliant songs.

The film tells the story of Belle, a village girl who is looking for more than what’s being offered to her. She ends up getting her wish but not the way she expected. When she goes looking for her father who’s gone missing, she ends up a prisoner of the Beast.

But the longer she stays and gets to know the Beast (and his household of talking furniture), she comes to care for him and see the man underneath the curse that was put on him many years ago.

To break the curse, someone must truly fall in love with the Beast, but with time running out, it doesn’t look good for him and his friends. So when Belle comes along, she looks like the One ™. With her love, she transforms him back into the man he was, just with a whole lot more humility!

This film also has one of the most intense battle scenes ever. The Beast and everyone’s favorite dudebro, Gaston fight in the rain outside the castle. But just when we think the Beast has been defeated, Belle comes in to save the day and his life. And Gaston falls to his death…but whatever.

Beauty and the Beast is one of the few films that was remade and is just as good as the original. The remake came out in 2017 and starred Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Josh Gad, Kevin Kline, Ewan McGregor, Ian McKellan, Emma Thompson, and Stanley Tucci.