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Aaron and Josh Sarnecky are here for the June edition of their movie retrospectives. This month they’re talking about Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame for its 25th anniversary.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame opened in theaters on June 21, 1996. It is an animated musical directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, based on the classic novel by Victor Hugo.Â
Set in 1482 Paris, the film follows Quasimodo (Tom Hulce, Amadeus), who rings the bells atop the Notre Dame cathedral. Convinced by his master Judge Frollo (Tony Jay, Twins) that he is a monster due his hunched back and abnormal appearance, Quasimodo stays in the bell tower. However, one day he ventures outside. It’s there he befriends a kind and beautiful dancer named Esmeralda (Demi Moore, Ghost). Quasimodo’s only other friends are three talking gargoyles, Victor (Charles Kimbrough, Murphy Brown), Hugo (Jason Alexander, Seinfeld), and Laverne (Mary Wickes, Sister Act). Rounding out the cast is Captain Pheobus (Kevin Kline, The Road to El Dorado), who serves under Frollo but disapproves of his cruelty.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame garnered a generally positive reception from critics and moviegoers, and the film earned an Oscar nomination for its score. Gene Siskel awarded the movie three and a half stars while Roger Ebert awarded it four out of four. However, there was controversy over the film’s content, particularly with parents complaining that the religious themes and Frollo’s lust for Esmeralda were inappropriate for young children. Regardless, Hunchback made $325 million on a $100 million budget and was the fifth highest grossing film of 1996.
Josh and Aaron talk about how Hunchback factored into their childhood, plus all the movie’s elements, including the plot, characters, music, and animation. The two also discuss the film’s direct-to-video sequel and planned live action remake.
For more Disney animated films, listen to Aaron and Josh talk about The Lion King and The Emperor’s New Groove.
