Disney enchanted the world in 1991 with a Broadway-style musical that would someday become an animated classic: Beauty and the Beast. The film featured grand musical numbers, dreamy hand-drawn animations, and vibrant characters. However, not every detail of the movie made sense. While Beauty and the Beast had an overall well-crafted narrative, we thought it’d be fun to rewatch the film and find all the little unexplained plot holes. Yes, we are going to get super picky. It’s also worth mentioning that we won’t be paying any attention to the 2017 live-action remake, even if filled in some of the previously ignored details.
Now that we’ve covered our approach, it’s time to turn back to this tale as old as time; Here are 10 things in Beauty and the Beast that don’t make sense.
Where Were Prince Adam’s Parents?
Unless Prince Adam didn’t age when in Beast form, Beauty and the Beast implies that Prince Adam was only 11 when he was turned into a vicious creature.
Yes, there are obvious flaws with the enchantress if she thought it was okay to punish an 11-year-old so harshly. There are also problems with the fact that Adam answered the door when he had a castle full of servants. What we’re still wondering, however, is what happened to his parents? Why do we know nothing about them?
Why Does The Town Think Belle Is Odd?
Everyone in Belle’s little village believes she’s a funny girl, but why? If being well-read isn’t cool, what is? Being uneducated?
Though some villagers seem to blame Belle’s weirdness on her father, this association is totally unfair. Also, why is Gaston the only one who doesn’t care if she’s smart so long as she’s pretty? While he might be after Belle because she’s hard to get, the town’s shared opinion of her remains difficult to understand. It’s hard to believe that the village’s giant library just sits there without ever seeing a visitor.
Why Did The Beast Imprison Maurice?
After Maurice stumbles into the Beast’s castle, he imprisoned for trespassing. At first glance, this makes sense. But upon further inspection, it’s a strange move.
Why didn’t the Beast just yell at Maurice to get out? Clearly it wasn’t because he was afraid Maurice would tell someone about the castle because he has no problem trading Belle for her father when she arrives on the premises. Realistically, keeping a prisoner would have been a waste of time and resources. The Beast had not thought ahead.
How Did Belle Save The Beast From The Wolves?
One of the most confusing scenes in Beauty and the Beast is the one in which the Beast defends Belle from a group of wolves in the woods after she tries to run away. He gets super scratched up and feeling sorry for him, Belle decides to bring him back to the castle.
The problem? The Beast is ginormous. How did Belle manage to lift his giant frame onto the back of her horse? Getting him back to the castle would have been nearly impossible.
Why Didn’t The Townsfolk Remember The Prince?
Prince Adam’s castle isn’t far from the village. After all, the mob reaches the Beast’s hiding place on foot during a single night. This means that everyone should know where the castle is. More importantly, they should remember the prince.
Did no one think it was weird when one day they had a prince and the next they didn’t? The movie states that the castle was cursed, not the village, so it’s strange that not a person in the land would remember the prince. Do the townsfolk not find it weird that there is no ruler or government over them?
Why Were The Servants Punished?
After Prince Adam is cruel to the enchantress, she doesn’t just curse him but every person who works for him. How is this fair? For example, Mrs. Potts, for years, was forced to roam an empty castle as a kitchen appliance due to someone else’s actions, That couldn’t have been fun.
On that note, why did the people-turned-objects never try to leave the castle or get help? We know they weren’t stuck there because Chip tries to rescue Belle in the village near the climax. If one of the townsfolk had randomly run into a talking teapot, they probably would have listened.
Why Do Only Some Of The Object Have Personalities?
We get it, animation wasn’t as advanced in the early ’90s, so giving a face to every enchanted object would have been a challenge. However, in terms of story, it’s strange that only the characters who befriend Belle have personalities.
During the “Be Our Guest” sequence, you’ll notice a ton of dancing dishes and bottles. Were these just inanimate objects that had been enchanted with magical movement? Realistically though, the Beast had to have had more than a few servants. While we see a few other objects with faces (like the group of sleeping tea cups during the ballroom dance), we don’t see them after they become human again.
The Beast Struggles With Basic People Skills
Sure, it’s been a while since the Beast had to practice etiquette, but he definitely knows how to be a gentleman. He’s a prince, after all. Why then does Belle feel the need to teach him basic skills like eating properly?
Especially because he has started to develop feelings for Belle by the time the “Something There” sequence roles around, the Beast should know that consuming food like a monster won’t charm the woman he loves.
How Did Gaston Know Where The Castle Was?
Gaston first learns about the Beast from Maurice after he runs into town frantically, searching for help. Gaston doesn’t believe that the Beast is real, however, until Belle shows him the mirror containing an image of the Beast. That’s when Gaston leads an angry mob after him.
As aforementioned, no one in the town seemed to know where the castle was. So how did Gaston all the sudden figure it out? Did he expect to just stumble into it if he walked into the woods? Apparently, and somehow, it worked.
How Did The Town Have A Change Of Heart?
Prior to the curse being broken, everyone in the town thought Belle was crazy. They were also giant fans of Gaston, being that they eagerly joined him on a journey to kill the Beast. So after Gaston falls to his death and the prince returns to his original form, why are they willing to accept this change? At first, they hated Belle. So why do they all of a sudden love her?
The only way to explain this instant change of heart is by claiming that the town was also under a curse. If this detail is true, however, the movie fails to relay it.
