Would it be a ‘tale as old as time’ if Belle were a person with a disability?
Reimagining Disney's 'Beauty and the Beast' with a disabled actress
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“Do you remember when Dad took us kite flying?” I asked my brother, Gabriel. We were on a train ride home from the Sands Theatre, where we’d just seen an international production of Disney’s live musical, “Beauty and the Beast.”
“Nope,” he said. “I thought that was with the Muscular Dystrophy Association of Singapore? At Marina Barrage?”
“That was only one time. Before, it was always Dad. We’d go to a field near our aunt’s place,” I said, wanting to roll my eyes. “Anyway, I was just remembering that our parents didn’t want to buy kites. So they made some with us out of plastic bags, and mine was recycled from one we got from another ‘Beauty and The Beast’ show.”
That’s how much I adored the 1991 animated film. My parents knew I’d delightedly fly Belle and the Beast as high as I could, and didn’t need a professionally made kite when I could gaze at my favorite Disney princess and her prince.
‘It might be grand to have someone understand’
To say “Beauty and the Beast” was a formative film for me would be an understatement. I’m fairly confident I watched it enough times that I could write a thesis about it at the tender age of 5.
I was still undeniably pretty in my early childhood. At least, that’s what all the adults told me. They’d lavish compliments on me and say you couldn’t even tell I had SMA. My ability to see myself in Quasimodo of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” wouldn’t appear until I developed a hunchback of my own during puberty.
In the absence of actual disability representation, I latched onto the characters of Belle and the Beast like a bookworm to a labyrinthine library. Both characters are ostracized — Belle for her personality and aspirations, the Beast for being a perceived threat due to his appearance. They taught me that love goes beyond something skin deep, and that it’s possible for anyone to find it, no matter what you or your narrow-minded neighbors believe.
For a young girl with SMA, discovering her need for like-minded people was everything. Every story I’ve come to treasure deeply since then echoes similar character dynamics and themes.
Plus, I loved reading as an escape just as much as Belle.
‘I want so much more than they’ve got planned’
As an adult who’s now pursuing a writing and acting career, I wonder what it’d look like if I were to retell this “tale as old as time.”
What if Belle were played by a disabled actress, transforming her into a disabled character? And what if Belle’s father, Maurice, were reimagined as an inventor who made devices just for his daughter? This would add depth to the father-daughter relationship, to the town calling her “odd,” and to her empathy toward the Beast.
It’d also call into question what it means to call someone “beautiful.” That’s not a descriptor often given to the disabled. Would it be believable for the town to still prize Belle’s looks, or for Gaston to desire her if she used a wheelchair? How many lines would have to be changed?
The only way we’d know for sure would be to put on a production featuring a pan-disabled or inter-abled cast, or to craft another live-action remake. Alas, I probably wouldn’t be so lucky as to receive the funding and the trust to helm such a project, or even, at the very least, to be cast as Belle in someone else’s effort. But one can dream and plan, nevertheless.
In the meantime, I think I’ll watch the 1991 version during dinner. Just one more time.
Note: SMA News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of SMA News Today or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to spinal muscular atrophy.
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