15 Reasons Emma Watson Was Born To Be Belle
Are you as super excited as everyone else for Beauty and the Beast? That would be a YES, right? We can definitely all remember watching Disney's animated movie and falling in love with the story of the beautiful Belle searching for her missing dad and finding him trapped in an enchanted kingdom. We loved the talking objects and the moment when she meets the Beast: a dark creature who at first glance seems cruel and unfeeling but who she can't get out of her head. This is a tale of how beauty can sometimes hide ugliness and how you can be kind and lovely no matter what you look like on the outside. Belle is spunky, fun and has a gorgeous singing voice, and of course, there is awesome music too. When Warner Bros decided to make a feature, live action film, they cast none other than Emma Watson (aka Hermione). Perfect casting! Sometimes they do get it right. When she has been interviewed about the role, she has seemed super psyched as well. Here are 15 reasons Emma Watson was born to be Belle.
15 She Loved The Movie Growing Up
Emma was a baby when the original movie came out and she talks about how she used to watch the movie over and over again when she was four years old. She knew every line and memorized all the lyrics and even used to sing the songs all the time. Who didn't dream of being a princess when they were a little girl? The amazing thing is that for Emma Watson, her dream of being a princess would actually become a reality one day. This has been a super happy time for her and she loves that she gets to relive the wonderful experience of being part of the story and being one of the central characters as well. What an experience! It's a good thing that she memorized those lines and song lyrics, right? She's definitely going to wow audiences across the world, that's for sure, and we can't wait to see the movie.
14 Belle And Emma Are Both Super Modern
Belle, according to Watson, is a girl ahead of her time. She is much more modern and independent than the other Disney princesses. At first, she is not looking for love, and she has so much spunk and intelligence that she definitely stands out. Emma asked the film's director to modernize Belle even more by making her an inventor like her beloved dad. Talk about being amazing all-around! We just loved that she did this. She is fascinated with building things and figuring out how things work. She helps her father in his workshop and although she does some traditional housekeeping chores, she has long talks with her dad. She is just doing so-called female tasks. Belle and Emma both do not care about the status quo and they both have their own mind and their own opinions. They life live by their own principles which is super inspiring and awesome.
13 She Has A Beautiful Singing Voice
Hearing Emma sing is absolutely amazing. She sounds almost angelic and very close to the original singer in Disney's animated version. When she belts out the songs in this version, we can totally hear the excited little girl who memorized all those lyrics years ago. She sounds happy, melodic, and brings a passion and joy to her singing (just like she does to the role in general). Her voice is front and center in the movie, so it's awesome that she got everything about Belle down pat, including an excellent rendition of all the songs and the delivery of them. Her take on the character is so close to the original that it is perfect and will make today's young girls fall in love with Belle and all her talents. Emma shows girls that they can sing, dance, and have other talents too, as long as they do what makes them happy. Which is really an awesome lesson.
12 The Chemistry With Her Co-Star Is Awesome
Watching Emma and her co-star Dan Stevens dance and move shows the chemistry Emma and Dan have on-screen. It is lovely to watch them truly embody Beauty and the Beast and how they fall in love by learning to trust what is under the surface. The way that they dance symbolizes how they interact. Having chemistry like that is not easy and the fact that these two pull it off shows how professional they are. It also proves that they were both truly made to play the parts of these lost, lovely characters who find love, friendship, and hope in one another. The message is beautiful. We live in a society that so often values what is on the outside and doesn't even think about what is on the inside. These characters touch us all as they push us to look beneath the surface of people, and that's always something that we should keep in mind.
11 She Wears The Yellow Dress PERFECTLY
Ah, the yellow dress. Emma is totally magical in it and is definitely Belle. She is beautiful, elegant, and everything this heroine reminds us to be: not afraid to show who she really is. The twist? Emma refused to wear a corset like the original character did. She wanted this Belle to be liberated, more free and able to move around easily. This is another facet of her character's evolving into a more feminist and spunky woman who steals the Beast's heart while stealing ours at the same time. Emma gives us a lot to think about when it comes to the restrictions that we place on women as a society in general. The truth is that those restrictions don't really have to be there at all. We love the fact that Emma is open about her political and feminist beliefs and that she brings those beliefs and values to her independent and interesting character.
10 She Has Made The Character Even Better
via teenvogue.com
Belle was quite the spunky Disney heroine… and that was before Emma Watson asked the director of this new version if he could modernize Belle even more. So she is not only an outspoken young woman, who is always independent and always up for speaking her mind, but she is also an inventor just like her father in this version. Emma feels it will give young girls, even more, encouragement to pursue non-traditional female interests and be who they want to be and experience what they want to experience. Girls don't need to try and fit any kind of societal mold that may not be right for them. They deserve to do what makes them happy and feel as good as possible. This is something huge even in today's modern world where young women tend to still be people pleasers and not think about doing what is important to them. Emma's message is to be yourself and not go with the crowd. And we love that so much.
9 She's A Natural Dancer Just Like Belle
Wow! Just wow. Watching the stills and one quick clip of Emma as Belle dancing with Dan as Beast, is enough to see that is she super light on her feet (as well as awesome at singing and acting too, of course). The pair makes quite the statement of love, passion, and promise as they dance together. They remind us that sometimes, the best love stories come from a foundation of friendship. Sometimes things aren't super romantic from the very beginning, but that's how the best relationships begin. Dancing is pretty symbolic of life, right? It's all about being careful and precise, thinking before you act, and letting your soul feel free as you spread the joy of music and movement everywhere. In the original animated movie, Belle stole our hearts by dancing, and we love that Emma does the same with her flawless portrayal of a young woman with passion, love, and soul for dancing and for life.
8 She's A Bookworm Too
In the animated version, Belle is, of course, super smart and absolutely loves books. Emma is a smart woman who loves books too and so that means she is totally perfect as Belle. That love of literature definitively comes out in this film. Emma is a natural as a bookworm who reminds us that beauty and brains always go together and that reading opens up our life to adventure, love, and everything in between. Again, it is so fitting that Emma plays this role of a feisty independent woman who loves books, family, life and adventure. That pretty much summarizes Emma in real life too. It is a great example of art imitating life, and young girls everywhere will be sure to love her message of beauty and brains. We see her in many scenes near books or talking about important matters. Which is totally awesome. We just love this about her!
7 She's Classy AF
In the animated movie, Belle is classy, demure, and beautiful. Emma does the same thing here… and she does it totally flawlessly. She does an awesome job portraying Belle, and she comes across as even beautiful when she asks her super intelligent questions. Since this is a live-action film, Belle can look a bit hotter than in the animated movie, and that makes her a lot more interesting and engaging. We are excited to watch her as she develops even further in the film. She comes across as a character with gorgeous movie star looks, but she also has a quiet assurance and love of life that make her exciting to watch. The animated Belle was similarly engaging for most of us, but there is something about Emma that makes her more intense to watch and makes you wish you could interact with her in real life. You want to be taken on an adventure with her.
6 She's Got A Musical Princess Vibe
She can sing and well! Emma definitively has the Disney musical princess thing going on. The solos and duets she sings will be beautiful, and her voice just transports you to another time and place, as music and musicals are meant to. She's a natural on the stage and in the studio. Nothing is forced, but it is beautiful to listen to her get into the role with such power, love, and intensity. She is so passionate about Belle and playing her seems to be so exciting for Emma. We can't help but share her enthusiasm and love for this character and the beautiful story of friendship, trust, and love that grows between her and Beast. Her whole attitude, acting, singing, and love for the character and the story makes us want to see this movie and watch it over and over again. We will surely be in for a treat!
5 She Is Thoughtful And Brave
Emma wants to see the world, read books, and have adventures, and she doesn't think that falling in love is the point of life. The character of Belle is the exact same. She is not your average Disney princess looking for a prince and hoping to get married. This is just like how Emma Watson is not your average Hollywood actress in the news for who she is dating. She is active in feminist and women's causes and wants to make the world a better place. She does not feel that being with a man defines her or needs to define her, just as a man being with a woman or not should not define him. She is all about breaking out of gender stereotypes and living her life the way she thinks it ought to go, just as Belle does. The two of them complement each other, which is why Emma is the perfect choice to play Belle.
4 She Shows Belle's Transformation Perfectly
At the start of the movie, Belle is confused and lost and knows there is something more for her out in the world. There are also more things she wants out in the world and she intends to go and get them. Emma is the same. She is not content to be the person that everyone expects or wants her to be. She is totally different and, like Belle, lives her life as the adventure it is meant to be. She wants to savor each moment, try out different things, talk to different people, and just fall in love with each character she does so she can enjoy the life experience that each character is showing her. She wants to bring that to the world to help us all grow a little more. Belle transforms by the end of the movie and her life become a beautiful mix of adventure, friendship, love, and excitement. This is how Emma experiences things in her life and sees the mix of all of the above in her acting roles and real life.
3 She Shows That There Is More Than How You Look
Emma and Belle both teach girls a super important lesson: there is more to life than physical appearance. Though Belle and Emma are both super beautiful women, it is their inner beauty and spirit that make them attractive and helps others gravitate to them personally and professionally. They are confident, kind, and helpful. They are intelligent and have lots of interests to keep them going and moving forward in their life. Emma keeps an open mind about where she is going in life, with her personal causes and acting roles. The character Belle is the same. She keeps an open mind and has a sense of adventure of where her life will be. Both Emma and the character Belle also do not judge others by their appearance. They don't put too much emphasis on their own beautiful looks nor do they think others around them need to look a certain way. This is the important message that Belle falling in love with Beast reminds all of us: beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
2 She Helped The Film A Lot
The director of the film was so excited to have Emma's input when it came to modernizing Belle. This is similar to Belle's father in the movie being excited that his daughter gives him input on his inventions and helps him make them better and design them more efficiently and effectively. The parallels just continue between the two women. They are the guiders, helpers, both fiction and real, in their worlds and communities. They shine a bright light ahead for the rest of us when we are living in worry or despair that we need not suffer. There is joy ahead. There is gladness in risk. There is excitement to be had in trying out new opportunities and things to do. They remind us to be bright beacons of light for others as they are. The spirit of adventure and the love and magic of Emma is brought to the character of Belle who is actually the same way.
1 She Gives Belle A Mysterious Feel
Emma is a woman of mystery. She is quiet in the media, does her charitable work and films, but is not afraid to speak her mind, either. The character Belle was written the same way by one of Disney's first female writers, and Emma portrays that feeling beautifully. She is mysterious and yet you know where you stand with such a direct yet gentle woman who gets things done the way she feels they must be done. From her sense of adventure at the beginning of the movie, to her bravery to help Beast, to everything in between, the character of Belle and the personality of Emma show us how to defend what is important to us, fight for what we believe in, and never be afraid to stop dreaming about the beautiful possibilities out there. We are told to never stop believing that our dreams can come true by working hard and never giving up.