The Mouse and His Child (1977)

Directors:

Charles Swenson
Fred Wolf

Writers:

Russell Hoban (novel)
Carol Monpere (writer)

Release Date:

18 November 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Animation

Plot:

Adaptation of Russell Hoban's novel about two mechanical toy mice, and their quest to become "self-winding". |

Plot Keywords:

Toy | Mouse | Beast Fable | Based On Novel | Based On Book

Cast

Peter Ustinov	...	Manny the Rat (voice)
Cloris Leachman	...	Euterpe (voice)
Sally Kellerman	...	The Seal (voice)
Andy Devine	...	The Frog (voice)
Alan Barzman	...	The Mouse (voice)
Marcy Swenson	...	The Mouse Child (voice)
Neville Brand	...	Iggy (voice)
Regis Cordic	...	The Clock (voice)
Joan Gerber	...	The Elephant (voice)
Bob Holt	...	Muskrat (voice)
Mel Leven	...	Ralphie (voice)
Maitzi Morgan	...	Teller / Starling (voice)
Frank Nelson	...	Crow (voice)
Cliff Norton	...	Crow (voice)
Cliff Osmond	...	C. Serpentina (voice)

Also Known As:

Oyaro nezumi no fushingina tabi (Japan)
The Extraordinary Adventures of the Mouse and His Child (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

83 min

Country:

USA | Japan

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:U | Australia:G | USA:G

Company:

Walt DeFaria Productions

Trivia:

Last project of Andy Devine.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Hudson Hawk (1991)

Existential allegory masquerading as children's story

THE MOUSE AND HIS CHILD is a symbolic study of human suffering that apparently was palmed off as a kiddie cartoon feature because of it's characters(A clockwork toy mouse and his son).This film, however, has very little that recommends it as a typical children's cartoon--it's dark, with somber colors, no chirpy songs, no silly sidekicks or lame comedy. The mouse and his child fall from the safety of their toy store window and are cast out with the garbage, after which they roam around the outside world, looking to be "self-winding". Along the way they encounter various nefarious characters, including a rat who exploits worn-out toys by forcing them to labor for him hauling scavenged items from the garbage. See the symbolism yet? I didn't when I first saw this thing when I was six, but, in regard to the reviewer who wondered if children would "get" this movie, I can say that I felt sadness for these two little toy mice, struggling to find their way in a cruel world, and wondered if they would ever be safe. I knew that the rat was the bad guy, and that the mice would have to escape him if they were to find what they wanted. There's nothing here that I believe would disturb a child, it's grim tone won't endear the movie to most families. While children might not understand the symbolic signifigance of all they see, they can understand the mice's need to belong and be happy, which is what the film is about. Try this film if you sicken from the sugar supplied by the recent Disney offerings; this one offers substantial food for thought