A selfish and unkind prince is visited in his castle by an enchantress disguised as a beggar woman, who offers him an enchanted rose in exchange for shelter. When he turns her away, she reveals her true form and transforms him into a beast and his servants into household objects before erasing them from the memories of their loved ones. For the curse to be broken, the prince must learn to love someone and have that person love him back before the last petal of the rose falls; otherwise, he will remain a beast forever.

Several years later in a nearby village, Belle, the bookworm daughter of widowed artist Maurice, dreams of adventure while constantly rejecting advances from Gaston, an arrogant hunter. One day, Maurice becomes lost in the forest and is ambushed by wolves and bats before seeking refuge in the Beast's castle. The Beast imprisons him after he catches him roaming the castle halls. Belle offers to take her father's place as prisoner; the Beast agrees.

Belle meets the castle's servants, who were once people but have now been turned into household objects.  When she finds the rose, the Beast becomes angry. But later, he shows her a gift from the enchantress, a magical mirror that shows the viewer their desired wish, so that she can see her father again.

Back in the village, Maurice fails to convince the other villagers of the Beast. Gaston, believing that rescuing Belle could win her hand in marriage, agrees to help him. When Maurice discovers his ulterior motive, Gaston abandons him to be locked away. Belle discovers Maurice's predicament via the magic mirror, Belle sees that her father is in trouble and pleads to the beast to let her go to him. The Beast releases her to save him. Arriving back in town, she reveals the Beast via the mirror to the townsfolk, proving her father's sanity. Realising Belle has fallen for the Beast, Gaston jealously has her thrown into the carriage with Maurice, then rallies the villagers to slay the Beast. Fortunately, Belle and Maurice escape.

Gaston attacks the depressed Beast, who regains his spirit upon seeing Belle return. He spares Gaston's life, but then Gaston stabs the Beast from an unstable castle bridge; its collapse sends Gaston falling to his death. The Beast dies just as the last petal falls, and the servants become inanimate objects. Belle tearfully professes her love to him, which undoes the enchantress’ curse, restoring the Beast and his servants to their human forms along with the villagers' memories. Belle and the prince lived happily ever after.