Tale as Old as Time

(Anna, Jess, & Michelle rockin' their glasses. Cute girls.)

Something very exciting took place last night: We viewed in the theater Beauty and the Beast (in 3D... which really I don't care about.) I loved it so much! This was the movie of my girlhood. I remember watching it for the first time in the theater when it came out. I was with Anne, Aimee, Stephen, and my little brother, Eric. I remember all the parts we laughed at and I remember all the parts of the movie we acted out on the way home that night. Lumiere's "Hello" to Maurice as he's ascending the spiral staircase up to the tower. The classic "You look so, so... " "Stupid." We rolled in laughter at that one. My mom bought me the cassette tape for my birthday and I would listen to it when I went to bed. To this day, I can recite the entire prologue at the beginning word for word, which I graciously did for the girls last night on the car ride over. =) They loved it. Especially Jess. She was captivated. A sampling? Okay. Ahem. Once upon a time in a far away land a young prince lived in a shining castle. Although he had everything his heart desired, the prince was spoiled, selfish, and unkind. But then, one winter's... (Okay, seriously. Do you believe me now? I know all of it.)

So now I'm older and of course it is just a children's story and just a Disney movie. But I'm going to be honest, this insensitive girl got teary at two parts of the movie! The first was when the beast fought off the wolves and then fell down into the snow. Yep, I shed a tear out of each eye. And then, at the end when the beast is transformed into his body. Got just a little teary then, too. I love the theme of redemption in this movie. I think when the beast fought off the wolves for Belle, it reminded me of how it's so hard not to love a good heart. In spite of everything. In spite of the yelling and rudeness and pain he caused Belle, in that moment his true colors came shining through. And then the end, it's pretty self explanatory why that tugs at my heart strings, right? In that moment, I identify with the beast. I think probably we all do. We all look forward to the day of our redemption.

Go see it again. Such a great story.