Plot
A deformed bellringer must assert his independence from a vicious government minister in order to help his friend, a gypsy dancing girl.
Release Year: 1996
Rating: 6.7/10 (33,674 voted)
Director:
Gary Trousdale
Stars: Demi Moore, Jason Alexander, Mary Kay Bergman
Storyline In 15th century Paris, Clopin the puppeteer tells the story of Quasimodo, the misshapen gentle-souled bell ringer of Notre Dame, who was nearly killed as a baby by Claude Frollo, the Minister of Justice. But Frollo was forced by the Archdeacon of Notre Dame to raise Quasimodo as his own. Now a young man, Quasimodo is hidden from the world by Frollo in the belltower of the cathedral. But during the Festival of Fools, Quasimodo, cheered on by his gargoyle friends Victor, Hugo, and Laverne, decides to take part in the festivities, where he meets the lively gypsy girl Esmeralda and the handsome soldier Phoebus. The three of them find themselves ranged against Frollo's cruelty and his attempts to destroy the home of the gypsies, the Court of Miracles. And Quasimodo must desperately defend both Esmeralda and the very cathedral of Notre Dame.
Writers: Tab Murphy, Victor Hugo
Cast: Jason Alexander
-
Hugo
(voice)
Mary Kay Bergman
-
Quasimodo's Mother
(voice)
Corey Burton
-
Brutish Guard
(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
(voice)
Gary Trousdale
-
The Old Heretic
(voice)
David Ogden Stiers
-
Archdeacon
(voice)
Trivia: Jane Withers, who was hired to complete the role of Laverne following the death of Mary Wickes, had to match Wickes' voice and performance so that audiences wouldn't detect the difference. Withers repeated the role in the sequel,
The Hunchback of Notre Dame II.
Goofs:
Continuity:
After Esmeralda unveils the new carvings, she picks up the baker and marvels at it. When she goes to set it down, she sets down the blacksmith. Then when she turns to Quasimodo the sculpture disappears.
Quotes: Phoebus:
Speaking of trouble, we should have run into some by now. Quasimodo:
What do you mean? Phoebus:
You know, a guard, a booby trap...
[his torchlight promptly goes out, leaving them in darkness]
Phoebus:
...or an ambush.
User Review
Best Disney film ever made?
Rating:
Well... No. Not quite. It's not the 'conventional classic' that
everyone loves and adores (see: Aladdin, The Lion King) and will show
their children and their children's children. But that's just it. How
anybody can deny that this is a fantastic film is beyond me.
Okay, it's in no way true to the story. But who cares? This is a Disney
FILM. It's hardly setting out to be a serious piece of
literature-to-film.
It's just... breathtaking. Not just the animation (which is some of the
most accomplished from Disney to date, whilst we're on the subject),
but the characterisation and pace of story. Frollo is, arguably, the
most evil Disney villain ever committed to celluloid. Here, Disney
touches on dark themes never before explored in their animated feature
lengths; the main one being lust. The scene with 'Hellfire' is truly
chilling.
Quasimodo is a brilliant Disney hero. His alienation is easy to relate
to, and yet he's still alien enough for one to feel so sorry for him.
He's just so tragic. His unrequited love for Esmerelda as she runs off
with someone cooler and better looking is something we can all relate
to. I quite like how the ending is part conventional for Disney and
part not. Yes, the pretty heroine gets the knight in shining armour,
but at the same time the real leading man doesn't have to be paired off
with a beautiful leading girl in order to end up happy.
The voices are really talented- the notable standout for me being Kevin
Kleine as Phebus, and Esmerelda is arguably one of the best things Demi
Moore has ever done. I also adore, against most people's opinions, the
gargoyles. Yes, they're a bit OTT, but that's what Disney sidekicks are
all about, and they provide essential comedy balance for the darkness
of the film.
The Hunchback Of The Notre Dame may not be the most authentic film
storyline-wise, but it is dark, touching, scary, poignant, funny,
chilling, moving (it never fails to leave me in floods of tears) and is
one of the few Disney films that can stand alone from Disney as a
wonderful piece of cinematography in it's own right.
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