Were you in love with her, Beast? Did you honestly think she'd want you? When she had someone like me?

Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Can you believe Beauty and the Beast was the first animated film to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture? Well, it was…and for good reason. Everything—the animation, the songs, the voice acting—comes together to make a beautiful film for the whole family.

I have very fond memories of this movie, and while I like the casting for the new live-action Beauty and the Beast (except for Matthew Crawley wtf), I wonder how much of my love for this will cloud my opinion of it. We shall see.

Plot in a Nutshell: An asshole young prince turns away an old woman who is an enchantress. She decides to teach him a lesson and turns him into a beast, while his servants are transformed into household objects. HARSH. Years later, somewhere in the middle of nowhere in France, bookworm Belle lives with her inventor father Maurice and is being chased by vain and stupid Gaston. After Maurice goes missing while taking his latest invention to a fair, Belle goes in search of her father. To save him from his captivity at the Beast's castle, she offers herself in her place. Throughout her time at the castle, she and the Beast fall in love, with the Beast and his servants hoping that Belle will break the curse. Gaston has his own plans, however. He plans to throw Maurice into the asylum to force Belle to marry him. Once Gaston realizes that Belle loves the Beast, he organizes a mob to kill the Beast and destroy his castle. After a fight and possible death, the spell is broken and everyone becomes human again. Everyone lives happily ever after. WOOOOO.

WTF: Why did the enchantress punish the servants? They literally did nothing wrong. They just happened to be there. Did the villagers simply forget about the prince living in that giant castle? What happened to the Beast's parents? I'm really confused by the timeline—so the Beast is supposed to fall in love and be loved in return before his 21^st birthday and Lumiere mentions "ten years we've been rusting" so wait the Beast was turned into a Beast at eleven years old? Damn that enchantress was HARSH AF.

Fun Facts are Fun: Disney veteran David Ogden Stiers is both the voice of Cogsworth and the narrator. Howard Ashman, lyricist and executive producer, died of AIDS eight months before the film was released. According to IMDB, Rupert Everett auditioned to be the Beast but was told he didn't sound arrogant enough. It was Angela Lansbury's idea to have Mrs. Potts sing "Beauty and the Beast." Jackie Chan strikes again—he performed the voice of the Beast for the Chinese release.

The Verdict: There's a reason why Beauty and the Beast was selected for preservation. WATCH IT.

Next week, I'll be seeing the new Beauty and the Beast with my buddy and her nearly five-year-old niece. This. Should. Be. FUN.