The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

Directors:

Gary Trousdale
Kirk Wise

Writers:

Christine Blum (story)
Geefwee Boedoe (story)

Release Date:

21 June 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Drama | Family | Musical | Romance

Plot:

A deformed bellringer must assert his independence from a vicious government minister in order to help his friend, a gypsy dancing girl.

Plot Keywords:

Gypsy | Cathedral | Gargoyle | Bell | Soldier

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 7 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Jason Alexander	...	Hugo (voice)
Mary Kay Bergman	...	Quasimodo's Mother / Additional Voice (voice)
Corey Burton	...	Brutish Guard / Additional Voice (voice)
Jim Cummings	...	Guards / Gypsies (voice)
Bill Fagerbakke	...	Oafish Guard (voice)
Tom Hulce	...	Quasimodo (voice)
Tony Jay	...	Frollo (voice)
Paul Kandel	...	Clopin (voice)
Charles Kimbrough	...	Victor (voice)
Kevin Kline	...	Phoebus (voice)
Heidi Mollenhauer	...	Esmeralda (singing voice)
Demi Moore	...	Esmeralda (voice)
Patrick Pinney	...	Guards / Gypsies / Additional Voice (voice)
Gary Trousdale	...	The Old Heretic (voice)
David Ogden Stiers	...	Archdeacon (voice)

Runtime:

91 min | Denmark:87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:L | USA:G (certificate #34615) | Australia:PG | Brazil:10 (DVD rating) | Brazil:Livre | South Korea:All | Sweden:7 | New Zealand:G | Argentina:Atp | Chile:TE | Denmark:7 | Finland:K-8/5 | Germany:6 (w) | Norway:7 | Peru:PT | Portugal:M/6 | Singapore:G | Spain:T | UK:U

Company:

Walt Disney Feature Animation

Trivia:

This film was the final screen credit for veteran actress Mary Wickes, who died before finishing all her lines. A vocal "stand-in" (Jane Withers) recorded her remaining lines.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Esmeralda and Quasimodo are about to jump off the top of Notre Dame, Esmeralda ties a kerchief around Djali's eyes and it wraps around the top of his head. In the next shot, however, the kerchief is wrapped vertically, from top to bottom, and it looks much larger.

Quotes:

[describing the bells]
Clopin: Listen. They're beautiful, no? So many colors of sound, so many changing moods. Because, you know, they do not ring all by themselves.
Puppet: They don't?
Clopin: No, you silly boy. Up there, high, high in the dark bell tower, lives the mysterious bell ringer. Who is this creature?
Puppet: Who?
Clopin: What is he?
Puppet: What?
Clopin: How did he come to be there?
Puppet: How?
Clopin: Hush!
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Nanny: An Affair to Dismember (#4.8)" (1996)

Soundtrack:

Someday

My Favorite Disney Film

Disney adapts the famous novel by Victor Hugo into their 34th animated feature, telling the story of the lonely, deformed Quasimodo, the secluded bellringer of Notre Dame, who lives by himself in Notre Dame's church towers, with only three stone gargoyles named Victor, Hugo (get it?), and Laverne for company. At the gargoyles' playful urging, Quasi sneaks away from the church one day to attend the Festival Of Fools, and makes his first real human friend in the beautiful gypsy girl, Esmeralda. But soon, after Quasimodo is ridiculed by the crowd for his appearance, he and Esmeralda find themselves in trouble with Quasimodo's wicked stepfather, Frollo, the ruler of Notre Dame. With help from his three gargoyle friends, as well as the kind soldier Captain Phoebus (who has fallen in love with Esmeralda), it's up to Quasimodo to save Esmeralda and the town of Notre Dame itself from Frollo's evil control....

If you've been reading some of my other reviews, then you know by now that I'm a big fan of Disney animated features: "Snow White," "Fantasia," "Tarzan," and "Atlantis," to name but a few (and I do plan on reviewing more Disney films in the future). But now that I've just gotten reacquainted with Disney's 1996 film, "The Hunchback Of Notre Dame," finally released on DVD, I know now beyond the shadow of a doubt that this beautiful animated film is indeed my favorite Disney feature of them all (okay, so "Fantasia" arguably remains the best *animated* of the lot, but it certainly didn't have an actual plot). I don't think I've ever cried so much during a Disney movie. "The Hunchback Of Notre Dame" is, quite simply, a glorious triumph for Walt Disney Productions.

Granted, the Disney team have "Disney-ized" Hugo's original novel, such as turning it into a musical, including sidekick stone gargoyles that come to life, as well as the obligatory happy ending, but no matter. This is a truly wonderful animated film through and through that will touch you right down to your very soul. It's very well-written, surprisingly dark at times, gorgeously animated, very funny AND very dramatic at turns, with a first-rate voice cast including Tom Hulce, Demi Moore, Kevin Kline, Tony Jay & Jason Alexander, and beautiful, memorable songs by Alan Menken & Stephen Schwartz. And I promise you, there won't be a dry eye in the house at the film's end, mark my words.

HOW, in Heaven's name, did the Academy overlook "Hunchback Of Notre Dame" altogether in 1997? Not even any nominations for the music! Absolutely outrageous. Perhaps with the five previous Disney films in a row being honored by the Academy, from "The Little Mermaid" through "Pocahontas," the Academy simply wanted to take a break from nominating Disney films, not realizing how truly brilliant "The Hunchback Of Notre Dame" was. How very unfortunate that "Hunchback" had to fall victim to the Academy's ignorance that year.

Still, it takes nothing away from the remarkable achievement that this Disney film is. Against all the odds, the Disney team transformed Victor Hugo's novel into a truly lovely tale for all ages to enjoy. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll enjoy the music, you'll be moved. Step aside, "Beauty And The Beast"---"The Hunchback Of Notre Dame" is the REAL Disney masterpiece from the last few years.