Beauty and the Beast
Yesterday, I was lucky enough to go to the press viewing of Beauty and the Beast. I have been so excited to watch it and so have my kids. Sadly, I was only permitted to take one person with me. Since Jonah is the only kid still in elementary school, he got to go. I pulled him out of school early and off we went to attend it. We both were entirely taken with the movie. It really is incredibly well done. By the end, I wanted to stand up, clap, and exclaim, “Bravo!”. The first thing Jonah told me was that he wish there could be a continuation.
I was unsure how they were going to pull off a live version considering how great the Beauty and the Beast animated version is, but I knew Disney wouldn’t let go of it unless it was just as good. This live version is not identical to the animated one. This film provides a glimpse into the Prince’s life before he became the Beast and why he became a man who deserved to be cursed. It also gives you background on Belle’s life before she goes to the castle and runs into the Beast. It also has some music that was not in the original. Apparently the added songs are in the Broadway edition. I have seen the touring Broadway show and do not recall ever hearing these songs earlier.
Some parts of this live action Beauty and the Beast are identical to the animated one. The opening scene where Belle sings in the village is as good if not better than in the animated film.
The entire cast was excellent. Luke Evans nails Gaston, Emma Watson is the perfect Belle, and Josh Gad practically steals the show with his version of LeFou. I mean just check him out here!
I do not want to give away the movie, but I gotta say there is no controversy in the movie. I have seen some headlines the last few days trying to sensationalize the movie into something it isn’t. There is no hidden agenda in the movie. It’s just a tale as old as time beautifully re-done!
Here is one of our favorite scenes from the movie.
Inspired from seeing the movie we decided to make some Belle themed cupcakes.
Belle Tea Cup Cupcakes
Cupcake Recipe:
2½ cups flour
1½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
½ cup butter, soft, plus 4 tbsp.
¼ cup softened shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 TBSP Red Velvet extract
1 cup milk
Red and yellow gel food color
Edible Rose cupcake toppers
Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-Line cupcake tins with paper liners.
-Sift flour, baking soda, and salt all together.
-Mix the dry ingredients with a wire whisk for 3 minutes
-In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter, shortening, and sugar until it is light and creamy.
-Add the egg and vanilla
-Mix well.
-Add flour mix and milk, 1/2 portion of each at a time, mix until completely combined.
-Split the batter into two.
-Add red food coloring to one batter and add yellow food coloring to the other bowl
-Spoon the batters into their own cupcake tins until 2/3’s filled.
-Bake at 350 degrees for 20-22 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
-Cool for 10 minutes
-Remove from cupcake tins to a wire rack until totally cooled.
-Once cooled, peel the paper off the red cupcakes and put the cupcakes into a bowl, crumble them until fine crumbs
-Take the yellow cupcakes and crumble them into their own bowls.
-Take the little teacups and layer 1 TBSP of the red cake crumbs first.
-Then repeat with the yellow crumbs
-Repeat with both cake crumbs until you have two layers of red cake crumbs and two layers of yellow.
Green Vanilla Royal icing
Ingredients:
1 egg white
1 1/2 C powder sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cream of tarter
Green gel food coloring
Piping bag
#70 piping tip
Directions:
-Combine all ingredients into a standing mixture
-Beat on medium speed until stiff peaks form.
-Add in the green gel coloring
-Take the piping bag and cut the tip off to fit the tip
-Add in the green royal icing to the piping bag
Vanilla Frosting:
-Add the butter into a standing mixer until fluffy
-Mix on low.
-Slowly add powdered sugar and vanilla until blended.
-Add in the Yellow food coloring,
-Add the frosting to a large star-tipped pastry bag.
-Twist the open end of the pastry bag to force the frosting to the tip.
-Pipe a little bit of frosting onto the top of the tea cups.
-Place a rose in the middle of the frosting and pipe a leaf using the green royal icing.
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I loved the movie–and those cupcakes rock!!
OMG can I just say yum – do you deliver? :D
Love this article. Made me all the more excited. Also love that you shot down the controcersy
Defending this “tale as old as time” really feel that Disney has upped their game lately.
So glad that you and Jonah had the opportunity to see this together. Sounds like it was a great movie and good time.