Movies - Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas

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	Movies - Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas

Beauty and The Beast: The Enchanted Christmas is a 1997 film made by The Walt Disney Company. It is a midquel that takes place within the timeline of the original Beauty and the Beast
. In this movie the Beast forbids Christmas (because every year he would always get a storybook, which he thought were for children) until Belle, Cogsworth, Lumiere, Mrs. Potts, and Chip convince him that Christmas is a good holiday. The film also shows the time that the enchantress put the spell on the castle in the first film.

Plot

The film begins inside the castle, as the community from the village (sans Gaston who was killed in the first movie and possibly LeFou) is allowed in for a great festival. Among the celebrations, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts and the rest are human after the spell was broken in the previous movie. Cogsworth and Lumiere are arguing over "who saved christmas" last year. Mrs. Potts agrees to tell the story.

One year earlier, the spell is still upon the castle. The objects begin looking for Belle; they are still in high hopes that she will break the spell. Belle reminds Chip that today is December 24, Christmas Eve, but the others are completely unaware, and she leaves to go ice-skating. The Beast is already there and, with some help, learns to skate with his feet.

Meanwhile, in an unknown part of the castle (through a secret door in the West Wing), an enormous pipe organ is playing very creepy music while a small piccolo applauds. The organ is Forte, the ex-court composer for the musicians during his human years. He sends Fife, his small piccolo servant, to break up the merriment between Belle and the Beast, not wanting them to break the spell. He believes that "humanity is overrated" and that he has more use and power in his enchanted form. Fife manages to break up the two, as the couple are making snow angels. However, when Beast sees his "angel" he sees it as a "shadow of a monster" and leaves in fury and depression.

Believing that Christmas will brighten the Beast's mood, Belle creates a wonderful new book for him, and with a little persuasion for Cogsworth, Christmas is officially being prepared. The group goes to the highest tower in the castle, which serves as a storage room for old decorations. In one of them lies Angelique, who once served as the Royal Decorator. However, she is not pleased to hear about Christmas, arguing that she will not raise her hopes again in a belief that they could all get together in celebration, only to have them destroyed by the Beast's foul temper and hatred for the holiday. Belle sings to them about how "hope is the greatest gift", saying that there is always hope, even for breaking the spell, and there will "always be a time when the world is filled with peace and love". Eventually, Angelique agrees.

However, Fife has been overhearing all this and rushes off to tell Forte. When the Beast finds out, he is not at all pleased. Forte plays along, saying that "the girl doesn't care how you feel about Christmas", separating the two even more. Beast reflects on his past: Christmas was the day he was most selfish, and it was on that day that the Enchantress put the spell on him and the castle. Belle enters the boiler room to get a Yule Log, explaining that it is a great tradition: "one log is chosen, then everyone in the house touches it, and makes a Christmas wish". Beast will not listen, shouting that she has no idea what it is too be a true prisoner, but she knows all too well. Belle won't give up, and concludes that they will have Christmas with or without Beast, but not before sending him her gift, the storybook.

Belle and Chip go along with an axe from the boiler room to go look for a Christmas tree. Beast finds his gift, but Lumiere won't allow him to open it as it is not yet Christmas. He explains that everyone understands how Beast feels about the holiday, but giving a gift to another is a way of saying "I care about you". Beast gets in the mood, and asks Forte to compose a song as a present, who agrees unhappily. When he leaves, Forte puts his plans in motion, and plays beautiful music, attracting Belle to his room. Forte quickly manipulates the situation, telling her that the tree has always been Beast's favorite part of Christmas, and that the perfect tree lies in the Black Forest, the woods outside the castle. Getting the tree would break Belle's promise never to leave the castle, but she wants to make Beast happy, so she agrees to go. Beast is still waiting for Belle to show up, but Forte claims "she's abandoned you!" and feeds Beast's anger. Forte orders Fife "to make sure they don't come back", and mostly because of ice, a dangerous chain reaction starts that leads to Beast having to rescue Belle from drowning.

Belle is locked in the dungeon to rot there for eternity, but Anqelique admits that she was wrong to believe that Christmas could never come. They all agree, they don't need decorations or gifts to celebrate Christmas; they have each other, and that's the best gift they could ever ask for. Beast prepares to destroy the Rose and end his suffering, but he remembers the gift Belle gave him and he opens it, beginning to read the story:

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