♥♥♥♥
+ Best Big Hit Movie of the Year + Best Family Movie of the Year + Best Paris Movie of the Year + Best Religious Movie of the Year
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| A splendid, packed, wonderfully vivid poster for Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise's The Hunchback of Notre Dame |
As a child Quasimodo is nearly killed by judge Claude Frollo, but instead of suffering death, Quasimodo grows to become the hunchbacked resident of Paris' Notre Dame cathedral, with Frollo his master. But he is a hypocritical tyrant, and Quasimodo's urge to be free is undeniable.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame is written by Tab Murphy (Brother Bear (2003)), Irene Mecchi (Fantasia 2000 (1999, segment)), Bob Tzudiker (Anastasia (1997)), Noni White (102 Dalmatians (2000)) and Jonathan Roberts (The Lion King (1994)), with 19 (!) more individuals contributing story elements, and directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise (Beauty and the Beast (1991), both). It is an adaptation of Victor Hugo's (Bug-Jargal (1826)) classic novel Notre-Dame de Paris (1831).
A strong plot and compelling story, - one also unusual for a Disney animation, featuring quite a bit of Christian themes, - make The Hunchback of Notre Dame very worthwhile. CGI is blended seamlessly with the delightful animation. The songs are not among the best from Disney musicals, but The Hunchback of Notre Dame is still a mighty fine film.
Related post:
1996 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess
Watch a trailer for the film here
Cost: 70 mil. $
Box office: 325.3 mil. $
= Big hit (returned 4.64 times its cost)
[The Hunchback of Notre Dame premiered 19 June (New Orleans) and runs 91 minutes. The idea to adapt Hugo's old novel came to Disney development executive David Stainton in 1993. Production took place in California from June 1993 - November 1995. The novel's controversial elements presented many challenges for the filmmakers, and the film is considered one of the darkest and most adult in themes and nature, among the Disney films. (Themes include infanticide, racism, genocide, Christianity, lust, damnation and sin.) The film opened #2, behind fellow new release Eraser, to a 21 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it stayed in the top 5 for another 2 weekends (#3-#4) and grossed 100.1 mil. $ (30.8 % of the total gross). It was the 5th highest-grossing film of the year. Disney spent 40 mil. $ marketing the film, and spin-off marketing products reportedly racked in 500 mil. $ for the Mouse House. The VHS was also wildly profitable: By 1998 it had made more than 200 mil. $ on North-American video sales and rentals alone. The film was nominated for the Best Score (Comedy/Musical) Oscar (Alan Menken, Stephen Schwartz), lost to Rachel Portman for Emma. It was also nominated for a Golden Globe, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 4/4 star review, translating to 2 notches over this one. Direct-to-video sequel The Hunchback of Notre Dame 2: The Secret of the Bell (2002) was produced, along with video games and a stage musical version, and a live-action remake is now in the works. Trousdale and Wise returned with Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001). Tom Hulce (Slam Dance (1987)), who voices Quasimodo, returned in The Hunchback of Notre Dame 2: The Secret of the Bell (2002); Tony Jay (Beauty and the Beast (1991)), who voices Frollo, in Superman: The Last Son of Krypton (1996, TV movie)). The Hunchback of Notre Dame is fresh at 71 % with a 7.10/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]
What do you think of The Hunchback of Notre Dame?
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