A Brave Writer's Life in Brief

by Amy Franzt, Brave Writer alum

Belle is the daughter of an inventor in a small town where she sticks out for her voracious reading. Tired of being socially ostracized and of dealing with the unwanted advances of the brutish Gaston, Belle longs for a life filled with rich experiences and adventure. But one day her father does not return from a journey, and Belle must set out to find him. She discovers that her father is being held captive in an enchanted castle by a monstrous Beast. To set her father free, Belle takes his place within the Beast’s castle. Belle soon realizes that all is not as it seems inside the castle, where candelabras and clocks can talk, but can she learn to see past surface appearances to the truth underneath?

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The live action adaptation of Walt Disney Picture’s classic animated film of Beauty and the Beast was released in 2017, starring Emma Watson and Dan Stevens as the titular characters. Loosely based on the 1740 fairy tale by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve (although one of the most widely available and widely referenced versions in English was abridged and rewritten by Andrew Lang for his Blue Fairy Book anthology), the animated film is considered a classic. The live action retelling expands on the original, adding new songs and plot developments, amidst lavish sets and costumes.

Beauty and the Beast has been adapted to film, television, and stage numerous times and remains a pop cultural touchstone due to its themes of seeing beyond the surface and the redemptive power of love. The original tale, however, was meant to help girls prepare themselves for arranged marriages and Disney’s incarnations have drawn criticism for the power imbalance in the relationship between Belle and the Beast and its implications. The 2017 film makes a noticeable effort to center Belle more as the protagonist and works in several new moments of the character being more proactive, though some felt it still was not enough.

The Beast in the film was created through a combination of motion capture puppeteering on stilts (which is a process of recording the motions of a performer using markers that are tracked so that later an image can be created over them digitally) for the physical performance and a facial capture done later to record Stevens’ acting performance.

Discussion Questions

• If you have seen both the animated and live action films, which do you prefer and why?
• Do you think the romance between the Beast and Belle is genuine given that Belle is technically the Beast’s prisoner for much of the film? Explain your answer.
• The story encourages the audience “not to judge by appearances.” Have you ever felt unfairly judged by your appearance in real life? What did that feel like?
• In the Disney version, Belle’s father is an inventor and Belle is an only child, but in the original fairy tale the father is a merchant and Belle is one of 12 children. How do you think these changes alter the story?
• In the Beast’s castle, his servants have been magically transformed into household objects. If you were turned into an object, what would you be and why?

Additional Resources

DIY Enchanted Rose

DIY ‘Chip’ Tea Cup

Interview with Dan Stevens about how they created the Beast

Sign up for our Spinning a Folktale and Story Switcheroo classes!

Fern lives on her family’s farm in Somerset County, Maine — but her world changes when she saves a tiny piglet too small to survive by itself. Her parents let her look after the piglet, whom she calls Wilbur, and they become best friends. But as much as she loves him, Fern can’t keep Wilbur forever.

The new farm Wilbur moves to is full of friendly animals: geese, sheep, and a clever spider called Charlotte. But he is horrified to discover the truth — that his life will end at the slaughterhouse. It looks like nothing can save him … unless Charlotte can spin the most important web of her life.

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In 1952, American writer E.B. White published a book called Charlotte’s Web, which quickly became a classic of children’s literature. Fifty-four years later it was adapted into a family film. It was produced without the participation of the E.B. White Estate, in contrast to the preceding 1973 animated film the development of which E.B. White was involved in but with which the author was nonetheless unhappy.

Discussion Questions

• If you’ve read the original book, how do you think the film compares?
• Has this film in any way changed your view on pigs, spiders, or rats? If so, how?
• Who is the hero of the story, and why did you pick him or her?
• Was Fern’s father cruel to consider killing Wilbur as a piglet? Explain your answer.
• This is the second adaptation of Charlotte’s Web for film; the first came out in 1973 and was an animated movie. Do you think the story works better live-action or animated? Share your reasons.
• Is Templeton ultimately a sympathetic character? Do you like him? Why or why not?

Additional Resources

E.B. White on Biography.com

Charlotte’s Web themed Birthday party

Learn language arts with the free Charlotte’s Web sample from Quiver of Arrows!

A Quiver of Arrows is designed for children in the Partnership Writing stage of development (typically, first and second graders who are beginning to read and write). When purchased as a part of the ten issue Quiver product, the individual price drops.

by Amy Frantz, Brave Writer alum

George Bailey has big dreams of seeing the world and going on adventures, but happenstance keeps him in his hometown of Bedford Falls where he takes over his father’s company and marries the woman he loves, Mary. But things abruptly take a turn for the worse when George’s company misplaces a large amount of money and a warrant is put out for George’s arrest. Desperate and at the end of his rope, George feels it would have been better if he had never been born. To his amazement, an angel grants him his wish and George gets to see what life would be like without him, but it may not be the improvement that he envisioned.

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It’s a Wonderful Life began as a short story, called the Greatest Gift by Philip Van Doren Stern, printed onto Christmas cards. The rights were bought to make it into a motion picture, but though several attempts were made to turn the story into a script none of them succeeded. Until eventually Frank Capra purchased the rights and It’s a Wonderful Life was born.

Capra was known for making sentimental, feel good movies, and he brought that sensibility to what would become a national holiday staple. But believe it or not, the film was not actually immediately successful and was considered something of a flop. The longevity it has enjoyed as a holiday classic did not come about until years later!

The film’s main location of the fictional town called Bedford Falls was built as a practical set and was one of the longest over built. It was three whole city blocks! They even transplanted real trees.

The falling snow that characterizes some of the film’s most pivotal scenes was made especially for the movie, since the technique typically used at the time (painting cornflakes white) was a health hazard and made it impossible to record dialogue. And even more interesting, It’s a Wonderful Life was filmed during a heat wave in summer! So, when you watch all that snow falling as characters dash across wintry roads, the actors and crew were actually battling the heat. That is movie magic at its best.

Discussion Questions

• It’s a Wonderful Life has a lot to say about ethical business practices and how to treat your fellow man. What do you think the central moral of the story is?
• The vile Mr. Potter, who schemes to get George arrested, is never punished for any of his wrong-doing. Why do you think this is and what might the film be trying to say by not giving Potter a stereotypical nasty end to match his nasty deeds?
• When George gets a glimpse of life without him, he encounters Mary who in this alternate reality is unmarried and works in a library. This is meant to be the crowning horror of George’s experience of alternate events. Do you agree that Mary being unmarried and working to support herself is a terrible fate? Why or why not?
• At the end of the film, it is implied that Clarence, George’s unlikely guardian angel, finally received his wings by the ringing of a bell on the Bailey Christmas tree. How do you imagine Clarence reacted upon receiving his wings?

Additional Resources

How they made the snow for It’s a Wonderful Life

DIY Fake Snow (that can also be made to erupt like a volcano!!)