On March 16, 2017, the remake of the Disney classic Beauty and the Beast hit theaters with stunning visuals and magnificent screen writing. While it holds its very own details, it also shares features with its predecessor in a way that created nostalgia in anyone that grew up with the original. The re-imagined concept is even more spectacular than I had thought.

A year ago, I was made aware that this remake was coming and was absolutely enthralled with the idea. I hadn't seen the original movie since my childhood videocassette recorder (VCR) was retired. After I discovered that this live-action version was on its way, I dug through my parents' house and was able to find the videocassette. The cover was torn and aging, but the tape inside was still in optimal condition. I never played it, but I was excited to visit my childhood again through a new window.

I saw the 2017 version on April 1 and was absolutely obsessed with it afterwards. The moment I got home, I went and got myself the soundtrack and learned the words to every song. The visuals are still stuck in my head. The filmography of the entire movie was astounding, the way that everything had a purpose.

One of my favorite things about the movie was the way that Belle and Beast fell in love. Disney princesses are notorious for falling in love within the span of three days, but the movie's timeline lasts a week. As a hopeful writer, I find it incredibly pleasing that there are specific moments filmed where Belle and Beast grow closer together. The way they visit Paris and he learns the relationship between her and her father, how she becomes aware of the reason the staff stay with him despite his temper, and the light jokes passed between them are just so beautifully performed that it makes me believe in the love more than I ever have in a Disney movie.

Next is the soundtrack. I am not the kind of person that knows the names of many music composers, but Alan Menken will be in my mind forever from here on out. With Howard Ashman, Menken composed a soundtrack that I love just as much as the one from Hamilton and just as much as the theme from Star Wars. The remaking of the original songs hits me with nostalgia every time I turn the music on. Also, the addition of new songs such as "Days in the Sun" and "Evermore" just intensify the emotions of the movie so much that -I'm not going to lie- made me tear up a little bit.

Another favorite are some small moments where you get to understand certain relationships and characters that you never got to in the cartoon version. For example, our first scene with Maurice was clarifying in the way of Belle's mother. We got to see how well Maurice and Belle get along too. Rather than Belle just sitting and watching him invent, she takes part in it and helps him, truly proving that he's never really been alone without her. Another example would have to be the use of the song "Days in the the Sun," where our favorite aids get to sing of what they're missing until they return to being human. It really gives us characterization to who they are rather than just knowing they're there. Also concerning these specific characters, the explanation for why they stay with Beast is heartbreaking, and something I can actually believe would happen.

That in itself is one of the best things about the movie: the accuracy. The history of France, the detailed work in the lives of the people, and the choreography. It's all quite accurate to the time period that was being replicated, which is sadly something that can be glanced over in production. By using the Plague, especially, I felt that the movie was more realistic than I had ever imagined it could have been. Then, there are the small details that provide even more veracity. This includes calling Stanley Tucci's character a harpsicord rather than a piano or organ that I would have originally believed and the design of Lumiere as a man-shaped candelabra- this is because the French at the time often made objects in their own image, so he represents what candelabras likely looked like.

Finally, days and songs weren't the only things adding into the story. If you ever watched the cartoon version, you would realize that there are quite a few plot holes concerning the curse and some characters. The live-action version fixed many of these.

1. Why don't any of the villagers know about the castle and the royal family that lived there?

Well, in the cartoon, it wasn't really addressed. It was simply hidden and never noticed. This was fixed by a simple sentence by the narration, however, stating that the Enchantress erased the memories from the people.

2. Where did her mother go?

There was never any mention of Belle's mother before, but now it is understood that she died of the Plague. This is just another moment of characterization between Belle and Beast in the light that both of them had lost their mothers.

3. If the Enchantress turned him into a beast until he was 21 and the story was "10 years later," does that mean he was 10 when transformed?

Yes, the cartoon makes it clear that he should have been 10 or 11 years old when the Enchantress judged him, which has been a very confusing piece of information to him since I was made aware of it. Now, though, it is recognized that the castle and its occupants have been frozen in time, clearing away the need for his "21st birthday."

If you haven't seen why this movie is a new personal favorite for me yet, then I'm not sure what could convince you. In a conversation with my older sister, I was made aware of just how nostalgic this movie is. Despite not remembering ever watching the movie as a kid, I know it was a beloved one. After all, there's a Halloween picture of me wearing the original Belle's dress. As stated earlier, I hadn't seen the movie or heard its music in the longest time, so that the effect on me is still giving me shivers up my spine. During the opening to the village, "Belle," I sat in the theater and felt so much smaller, as if I was a little kid again seeing the movie's concept for the first time. And since I saw it a second time, I don't feel like a kid anymore. Instead, I feel even more grown up. I know that this isn't the cartoon version Disney released on November 22, 1991, 7 years before I was even born, and I know it's not the exact same. I can spot all the differences, all the things that make me love it more, and just why it affects me so much. I am no longer a kid, but there's a kid in the row in front of me. In 26 years, if they decide to film another remake of this tale, where will this kid be, and will she feel the same way I do now.

All in all, this movie is amazing in so many ways. From the filmography to the choreography, from the historical accuracy to the screenplay, the movie could not have been any better in my opinion. My favorite aspect of the movie: the casting. I believe that every member of the cast was the best it could have been and wouldn't change anyone.

I hope you can enjoy all this movie has to offer, especially if you weren't to fond of it before.