Movie #394 - The Last Unicorn

The Last Unicorn
1982 - Rated G - 1 hr 32 min
Directors: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr.
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Mia Farrow, Angela Lansbury, Tammy Grimes, Robert Klein, Christopher Lee, Keenan Wynn, Alan Arkin

This movie was always a favorite when I was a kid, but possibly because it was about a unicorn.  I had a unicorn phase, what can I say? I'm a girl!

And now as an adult, I've rediscovered the tragic beauty of this story.  Honestly, the only thing that makes it a "kids" movie is the animation.  Otherwise, it's dark and grim, filled with lots of evil characters and other scary fantastical beasts... all who want to hurt a poor, defenseless unicorn.

Then there's the love story.  I gotta admit, it makes me teary now that I'm all grown up and I understand what happens to this poor unicorn/woman.  To experience human emotions, fall in love, find real happiness... only to have it all taken away.  So sad, so poignant.

It's such a good story that even songs by America can't ruin it.

Movie #63 - Beauty & the Beast

Beauty & the Beast
Walt Disney Pictures
1991 - Rated G - 1 hr 24 min
Directors: Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise
Starring: Paige O'Hara, Robby Benson, Richard White, Jerry Orbach, David Ogden Stiers, Angela Lansbury

I'm just going to come out and say it. This movie still makes me cry. And I'm not talking about one little tear. Full blown sobbing. The ending is gorgeous. The pain palpable. I just love this movie.

And it's animated, so I can see how that might sound weird.

Still, I consider Beauty & the Beast to be Walt Disney Pictures's masterpiece. I mean, come on. It won an Oscar for Best Picture, inspiring the Academy to create a separate category for Animated Feature Films. It was the first Disney movie to hit the Broadway stage. And I think it's still running... Just Googled that, and it's the sixth longest running musical in Broadway history. Take that, Cats!

So I love this movie. That's no secret. I've loved it from the first time I saw it in the movie theater. I can still remember seeing it. If you haven't seen this movie, there's something wrong with you. And if you don't know all the words to "Be Our Guest," I'm surprised (but I don't judge).

I really don't have much of a review to write about this one, since I'm so clearly biased. Watching this for the first time with Ellie was one of the highlights of my Movie Wall project thus far. And let me tell you, I think we have another big fan on our hands here, folks.