Toon Talk Special: 50 Greatest Disney Animated Moments: Part 1 of 2
Page 3 of 4
#35 - Be Our Guest
Beauty & the Beast - 1991
(c) Disney
"But what is dinner without a little music?" queries the mischievous Lumiere (Jerry Orbach, in full Maurice Chevalier mode), who promptly proves what a little dinnerware can do with a lot of music. The show-stopper that follows outdoes Busby Berkeley in it's sheer exaggerated brilliance. Plates twirl, beer steins leap frog, tea cups tap dance, soup spoons dive into a giant punch bowl ala Esther Williams, all to the incomparably clever rhymes of Howard Ashman's lyrics. In the grand finale, champagne corks popping, a luminous chandelier descends, replete with a tiny kickline of forks. Their audience of one (Belle) graciously offers a well-deserved standing ovation.
#34 - Transformation
Mulan - 1998
(c) Disney
Our heroine Mulan has decided to take her frail father's place in the Chinese Royal Army. Stealing away with her father's armor, she takes his sword and cuts off her hair in the ultimate sign of her conviction. To save her father's life, she must perform this dishonorable act, an act that would cost her her own life if her deception is revealed. In this wordless scene, the film's universal theme is apparent: how others see you does not reflect the person you are inside. Mounting her horse Khan, Mulan rides off to face her destiny.
#33 - "Sanctuary!"
The Hunchback of Notre Dame - 1996
(c) Disney
Things look pretty grim in Paris: Frollo has set the city aflame, captured Phoebus, chained up Quasimodo and is about to set Esmerelda on fire. The gargoyle trio unsuccessfully attempt to rouse the imprisoned bellringer out of his despair; not until Frollo sets the pyre ablaze does Quasi break free from his shackles, his bells triumphantly chiming in unison, and leaps into action. Swinging down from the cathedral, soaring high above the crowd, he rescues the unconscious gypsy and returns to the safety of Notre Dame. In front of the spectacular Rose Window, the hunchback hoists her skyward and cries "Sanctuary! Sanctuary!"
#32 - The Fairy Godmother
Cinderella - 1950
(c) Disney
The jealous stepsisters have just brutally assaulted Cinderella at their mother's bidding, shredding her mouse-made dress. Running out to the comfort of the garden, she is at her lowest: "It's just no use ... there's nothing left to believe in ... " she sobs. But her wishes are about to be fulfilled as her loving Fairy Godmother (delightfully voiced by Verna Felton) magically appears. Siting that "even miracles take a little time", with a wave of her wand and a bit of "bibbidi-bobbidi-boo", she turns a pumpkin into an ornately appointed coach and her rags into a gorgeously glimmering gown. And don't forget those glass slippers. "A wonderful dream come true!"
#31 - Colors of the Wind
Pocahontas - 1995
(c) Disney
In this soaring ballad of understanding and acceptance, we view a montage of Pocahontas showing John Smith the wonders and beauty of her homeland. Rich colors and vibrant pastels; imaginative use of shadows and light; Judy Kuhn's haunting vocals and Stephen Schwartz's moving words. All come together in this powerful yet simple message: all things are created in a natural, delicate balance; to upset that balance is to be folly to one's own destruction. "You can own the earth and still all you own is earth until you can paint with all the colors of the wind."