Do we like them?

Do we like Belle?

A character from Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Our score: 9 out of 10. Yes, we'd back her. She's brave, kind and sharp, and she sees past surface charm and surface scariness. Her stubbornness is about the only thing that ever gets her into trouble.

Belle is the bright, bookish heroine of Disney's 1991 animated musical. She lives in a small French village where people think she's odd because she reads so much and wants more from life. She looks after her inventor father, Maurice. The village's most admired man, the vain hunter Gaston, is determined to marry her, and she has no interest in him.

The story kicks off when her father gets lost and is locked up in a gloomy castle. Belle takes his place as the prisoner of the castle's fearsome master, the Beast. That's a big sacrifice for a girl who just wanted adventure, and it shows what she's made of. She stays curious, argues back, and refuses to be bullied. She also befriends the castle's enchanted household objects.

Her score is high because her kindness and courage are real, and the film backs them up with what she does. She loves books and learning. She doesn't fall for Gaston's good looks, and she isn't scared off by the Beast's temper. The film's creators also meant her to be a stronger, more independent heroine than earlier Disney princesses. Her only flaws are some stubbornness and a habit of walking into places she's been told to stay out of.

As the film goes on, Belle's patience wins over the Beast and the two fall in love. She leaves to save her father, then returns when the Beast is in danger. The film's message is that her ability to see the real person underneath is what breaks the curse on the castle, and that's why she's a heroine we'd happily follow.