Amothersrandomthoughts.com Copyright 2018  Introduction to Homeschooling with Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Movie Movie

INTRODUCTION TO HOMESCHOOLING WITH DISNEY’S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST MOVIE

Introduction and Overview:

Read these notes and overview before beginning to study Beauty and the Beast. This Introduction to Homeschooling with Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Movie is designed to give you a clear understanding of the differences between the movie and the original fairytale. It is also an outline of what to expect during the next two weeks. It is designed to be used with Elements of Fun Learning Curriculum found here! Enjoy!

• The original story “La Belle et le Bete” was a novel published in by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve in 1740.
• After de Villeneuve’s death, Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont took the novel and turned it into a short story.
• The main characters of both the short story and the Disney movie are the same.
• The Beast is a prince that has been transformed into his current character.
• Disney studios took a very short story and turned it into a classic that is loved by old and young alike
• Both follow a similar plot line
• A beautiful young girl trades places with her father to spare his life.
• The young girl, Beauty, believes she will be killed.
• The Beast’s castle is enchanted.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DISNEY’S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST AND THE JEANNE-MARIE LEPRINCE DE BEAUMONT STORY:

I have not read the original novel by de Villeneuve yet, but when I do I will be sure to update this listing to include the storyline. Because of this, I am comparing the Disney animated movie to the short story written by de Beaumont. There are many differences between the movie and the story. Some of the obvious differences are as follows:

In the de Beaumont story:

• The setting is the 1700’s France 
• You do not find out how the Beast became a creature until the end of the story. He was turned into a beast by a wicked fairy.
• Beauty’s father is a rich merchant with 3 sons and 3 daughters.
• Beauty’s sisters are vain and selfish.
• Beauty’s father loses his fortune and the family moves to a cottage in the country.
• Sometime later, one of his ships arrives in port.
• The merchant leaves to get attend to his business affairs.
• Beauty’s sisters want their dad to buy them jewels and clothing. Beauty asks only for some roses.
• When he gets to port he finds he is still poor because of taxes.
• The Beast demands that in exchange for the stole rose, the merchant gives him one of his daughters.
• Beauty’s sisters marry, but she returns to the castle thinking she will be killed by the Beast. The Beast sets up Beauty as the Queen and mistress of the castle.
• She is treated with kindness.
• Every evening the Beast talks with Beauty. He asks her every night to marry him. She refuses every night. Beauty stays with the Beast for 3 months.
• Beauty asks to see her father again and the Beast allows her to see him in an enchanted mirror.
• Finally, her father is ill and the Beast allows her to return to him on the condition she comes back after a week.
• The Beast tells her he will die if she doesn’t return.
• Beauty’s sisters are unhappily married. They ask her to stay after the week is up because they think the Beast will kill her, but they pretend to just want to spend time with her.
• When she returns, the Beast is near death.
• She pledges her love to him and the spell is broken.
• Beauty’s sisters are turned into statutes to stand outside her palace.
• The prince and Beauty marry.

In the Disney animated movie from 1991:

• There is no “official” Time Period given, but estimates based on technology in the movie (guns, matches, etc.) and dress it is estimated to be the late 1700’s – mid-1800’s. Cogsworth does mention the castle was built in the baroque period (1600-1750), and he mentions Rocco which is the late Baroque period. The time period would then be late 1700-mid 1800’s.
• Belle is the given name for “beauty.”
• Belle lives alone with her father (Maurice).
• Gaston is an eligible bachelor in town that wants to marry Belle.
• Maurice is an inventor.
• Maurice leaves to take his invention to a fair.
• On the way, he gets lost and comes across a hidden enchanted castle. He stops to warm himself.
• As he is leaving the next morning, he stops to take a flower for Beauty.
• The castle is inhabited by a beast. Ten years earlier an enchantress stumbled upon the castle and asked for shelter from the cold, but the prince turned her away.
• The Enchantress turned the prince into a Beast. He would stay a Beast until he could love another and be loved in return.
• The Enchantress leaves a rose. When the last petal falls off the rose and the Beast’s 21st birthday, the castle and all the inhabitants will stay the way they are.
• The Beast imprisons Maurice for stealing flowers.
• Belle goes out looking for her father and begs the Beast to allow her to stay in her father’s place.
• The Beast is often impatient and angry at Belle.
• The castle is enchanted with talking cups, teapot, clocks, candlesticks, etc. These were all people who worked in the castle for the Beast when he was a prince. As Belle gradually warms up to the Beast she eventually wants to see her father. The Beast gives her an enchanted mirror.
• Maurice returns to town and tells the townspeople that a Beast has Belle.
• When Belle returns home Gaston tries to get her to marry him in exchange for her father’s freedom. He plans to institutionalize Maurice if Belle does not agree to the marriage.
• Using the enchanted mirror, Belle tries to convince the townspeople that her father isn’t crazy, and there really is a Beast.
• Gaston and the townspeople storm the castle to “kill the Beast.”
• Gaston shots the Beast and stabs him before falling to his deather.
• Belle gets to the castle and as the Beast is dying, she professes her love for him.
• The entire castle is transformed back to its original glory, and the inhabitants are turned back into people.

Similarities between de Beaumont Story and Disney’s animated movie:

• In both versions, we are unsure of what happens to the Beast’s mom and dad.
• In both versions, Beauty’s dad stops at a palace to get roses for his daughter.
• Belle sacrifices herself in both versions to save her father.
• Belle returns home in both versions to attend to her ailing father.
• The Beast is transformed back into a prince at the end. 

GENERAL NOTES

(These basic notes are included with additional suggestions for learning activities)

Suggestions: For Two Weeks: During week one if there is any work you haven’t finished, continue on into week two. I have additional book suggestions if you need more work for week 2. During week 2 work on planning the Beauty and the Beast Feast, costumes, and catching up on any work that you fell behind. Additionally week 2 can be used for Field Trip activities. This is my favorite “FEAST WEEK.”

MY REVIEW OF DISNEY’S  AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR VIEWING: This movie may be scary for some children. To see my full review, Visit Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Animated Movie HERE!.

To read my review of Disney’s Live-Action Beauty and the Beast, Click HERE!

HISTORY/GEOGRAPHY:

BEGINNER, INTERMEDIATE AND ADVANCED:

All three levels will include a study of France.

The setting is believed to be France Castle and French countryside.

Chateau de Chambord was the French Castle that inspired the 1991 movie and the 2017 live-action movie. You can find photos from the movies and the castle here!

ADDITIONAL STUDY:

• Study the Baroque Period and Rocco periods.

SCIENCE:

The movie takes place during several seasons. In addition, the castle “appears to be dying or in a state of winter.”

ADDITIONAL STUDY:

• Study seasons
• Experiments with roses.
• The scientific method
• Inventions

LITERATURE/ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS:

BEGINNER, INTERMEDIATE, ADVANCED:

All ages should read the short story by Jeanne-Marie LePrince De Beaumont. The older students should read the version by de Villeneuve. There are gentler versions available for younger children. I have those listed in the Appendix.

ADDITIONAL STUDY:

• Beauty and the Beast has been remade several times. We will have the opportunity to watch both Disney versions and compare them.

HEALTH/PHYSICAL EDUCATION:

ALL LEVELS:

This Week we are studying health and mental illness. In the live action version, Belle’s mom dies of the bubonic plague. What was it? 

ADDITIONAL STUDY:

• The Beast gets injuries from the wolves. We will talk about taking care of cuts, scratches, and bites.
• Mental illness – asylum
• Children in the town are seen jumping rope. Plus we will play other traditional French games.

MUSIC:

BEGINNER, INTERMEDIATE AND ADVANCED:

Study musical selections from the Disney movie including Tale as Old as Time. 

ADDITIONAL STUDY:

Study the composers Debussy and Ravel/

ART:

ALL LEVELS:

Study the French artists, Claude Monet and Edgar Degas.

Make a “stained glass” rose.

MISCELLANEOUS:

Create a menu for a formal dinner. Make French pastries and a French dinner.

DISNEY BOUNDING:

Wearing clothing that is considered streetwear (not a costume) is called Disneybounding. It embraces the essence of a character. Have your child create an outfit using “real clothes” from their closet, thrift store, or retail store to model the colors, look and feel of Belle, Maurice, Gaston, the Beast, Mrs. Potts, the feather duster, Cogsworth or Lumiere.