All good work requires self-revelation.
~ Sidney Lumet
But he meant beauty in the sense of its organic connection to the material. And this is the connection that, for me, separates true stylists from decorators. The decorators are easy to recognize. That's why critics love them so.
In drama, the characters should determine the story. In melodrama, the story determines the characters.
The varying physical characteristics of the actors may also necessitate changes. Sean Connery is six feet four. Dustin Hoffman isn't.