#14 - Demi Moore and Heidi Mollenhauer as Esmeralda - The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
Best Song: God Help The Outcasts
This one hurts to put so low. It really does.
Those of you who have been around the board for a while (and by "a while" I mean at least three years or so) may recall that The Hunchback of Notre Dame is unequivocally my favorite movie in the Animated Canon. It's a shockingly stark, dark film for a studio so renowned for being light, cheerful and family-friendly, and it's a huge departure.
Think about it (although I'm sure everybody by this point has): It's a Victor Hugo novel turned Disney. That means that even when we're Disneyfying it, among the things that need to be shown are a mother being murdered on the steps of the world's most iconic cathedral, her grotesquely malformed infant being kidnapped and used as lifelong slave labor, a holy man singing a song called "Hellfire" about rape, and the intended genocide of an entire culture from Paris by said holy man.
All in the name of G-rated, Disney family entertainment. Add on top of all of this the second of Disney's two Menken/Schwartz collaborations with an intense, demonic Latin chorus and some of the best songs ever written for the Disney canon, and you've got something I'm going to LOVE.
Why is this relevant to Esmeralda? Well, really just to appreciate the pivotal role she plays in all of this, and why her voice is so important. Amidst all this strife, turmoil, and general darkness, "God Help The Outcasts" is the sole beacon of hope that illuminates the movie. (No countering with "A Guy Like You" - THAT is a discussion for another time.) Heidi Mollenhauer does literally the perfect job with this song, really bringing across the pain and suffering this character has been feeling, and the reverent feeling of a prayer, all without sacrificing an ounce of the music's beauty. The way her voice trembles on "I ask for nothing" at the key change, and her last note - both give me chills every time I listen to the song.
So why is Esmeralda so low? Because what I just referenced doesn't match up with the character we're given in the movie at all. There is a huuuuuge disconnect here, and it's supposed to be a character moment, but if we're getting really nitpicky (and we have to because all of these actresses do a fantastic job), that simply can't be accomplished when it is so obviously NOT Demi Moore singing. Demi Moore does fine as the sexy temptress who drives Frollo mad, but when literally her only song is something that contradicts that so thoroughly, there's a disconnect that doesn't really let us feel like it's Esmeralda - rather we hear the beautiful song and enjoy it, but it's not the character moment it was supposed to be because that's the only time we ever see that side of her.
Honestly, I really think Esmeralda should've gotten more songs. In fact, they accomplished that when they wrote the stage version over a decade ago, that's STILL trying to get to Broadway but we'll hopefully finally see on the stage in 2013. I've seen some bootleg recordings of the German production that ran from 1999-2002, and it is a spectacular show. I will definitely travel to Broadway and see it when it's back in English. It really gives a lot more depth to the character of Esmeralda. Unfortunately, it's currently only available in German.
Anyway, it was Hunchback, so I had to ramble on because it's my favorite. That's really all I have to possibly say anyway. My HINT for the next one: We've got another Broadway star going down for #13. Stay tuned!