A Bug's Life (1998)

Directors:

John Lasseter
Andrew Stanton (co-director)

Writers:

John Lasseter (story) &
Andrew Stanton (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

25 November 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Animation | Comedy | Adventure

Tagline:

An epic of miniature proportions.

Plot:

A misfit ant, looking for "warriors" to save his colony from greedy grasshoppers, recruits a group of bugs that turn out to be an inept circus troupe.

Plot Keywords:

Ant | Grasshopper | Bug | Circus | Food

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 11 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

Dave Foley	...	Flik (voice)
Kevin Spacey	...	Hopper (voice)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus	...	Atta (voice)
Hayden Panettiere	...	Dot (voice)
Phyllis Diller	...	Queen (voice)
Richard Kind	...	Molt (voice)
David Hyde Pierce	...	Slim (voice)
Joe Ranft	...	Heimlich (voice)
Denis Leary	...	Francis (voice)
Jonathan Harris	...	Manny (voice)
Madeline Kahn	...	Gypsy Moth (voice)
Bonnie Hunt	...	Rosie (voice)
Michael McShane	...	Tuck / Roll (voice)
John Ratzenberger	...	P.T. Flea (voice)
Brad Garrett	...	Dim (voice)
Roddy McDowall	...	Mr. Soil (voice)
Edie McClurg	...	Dr. Flora (voice)
Alex Rocco	...	Thorny (voice)
David Ossman	...	Cornelius (voice)
Carlos Alazraqui	...	Additional Voices (voice)
David L. Lander	...	Thumper (voice)
Jack Angel	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Bob Bergen	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Kimberly J. Brown	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Rodger Bumpass	...	Mosquito (voice)
Anthony Burch	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Jennifer Darling	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Rachel Davey	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Debi Derryberry	...	Baby Maggots (voice)
Paul Eiding	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Jessica Evans	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Bill Farmer	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Sam Gifaldi	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Brad Hall	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Jess Harnell	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Brenden Hickey	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Kate Hodges	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Denise Johnson	...	Additional Voices (voice)
John Lasseter	...	Harry the Mosquito (voice)
Sherry Lynn	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Courtland Mead	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Christina Milian	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Kelsey Mulrooney	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Ryan O'Donohue	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Jeff Pidgeon	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Phil Proctor	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Jan Rabson	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Jordan Ranft	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Brian M. Rosen	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Rebecca Schneider	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Francesca Smith	...	Additional Voices (voice) (as Franchesca Smith)
Andrew Stanton	...	Bug zapper bug #1 (voice)
Hannah Swanson	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Russi Taylor	...	Additional Voices (voice) (as Russie Taylor)
Travis Tedford	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Ashley Tisdale	...	Lead Blueberry Scout (voice)
Lee Unkrich	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Jordan Warkol	...	Additional Voices (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Donald Andersen	...	(voice: Danish Version)
Anders Bircow	...	Mogens (voice: Danish Version)
Ole Boisen	...	Francis (voice: Danish Version)
Vigga Bro	...	Dronning Myre (voice: Danish Version)
Amalie Dollerup	...	(voice: Danish Version)
Vibeke Dueholm	...	Dr. Flora (voice: Danish Version)
Annevig Schelde Ebbe	...	(voice: Danish Version)
Lukas Forchhammer	...	(voice: Danish Version)
Annette Heick	...	Atta (voice: Danish Version)
Peter Holst-Beck	...	(voice: Danish Version)
Paul Hüttel	...	Hr. Muld (voice: Danish Version)
Henrik Jandorf	...	(voice: Danish Version)
Henning Jensen	...	Hopper (voice: Danish Version)
Dick Kaysø	...	Tue (voice: Danish Version)
Daniel Kellermann	...	(voice: Danish Version)
Julian Kellermann	...	(voice: Danish Version)
Tommy Kenter	...	Heinrich (voice: Danish Version)
Berrit Kvorning	...	Sypsy (voice: Danish Version)
Mickie McGowan	...	Additional Voices (voice) (as Mickie T. McGowan)
Michael Moritzen	...	Finn (voice: Danish Version)
Thomas Mørk	...	(voice: Danish Version)
Peter Mygind	...	Erik (voice: Danish Version)
Rosalinde Mynster	...	Dat (voice: Danish Version)
Søren Ulrichs Olsen	...	Hop (voice: Danish Version)
Jørgen Reenberg	...	Manfred (voice: Danish Version)
Peter Røschke	...	(voice: Danish Version)
Jette Sievertsen	...	Rosa (voice: Danish Version)
Lars Thiesgaard	...	(voice: Danish Version)
Peter Zhelder	...	Plim (voice: Danish Version)

Directed by
John Lasseter
Andrew Stanton		(co-director)

Writing credits
John Lasseter		(story) (as John Lassetter) &
Andrew Stanton		(story) &
Joe Ranft		(story)
Andrew Stanton		(screenplay) &
Don McEnery		(screenplay) (as Donald McEnery) &
Bob Shaw		(screenplay)
Geefwee Boedoe		additional writer: story
Jason Katz		additional writer: story
Jorgen Klubien		additional writer: story
Robert Lence		additional writer: story
David Reynolds		additional writer: story

Produced by
Darla K. Anderson	....	producer
Kevin Reher	....	producer

Original Music by
Randy Newman

Cinematography by
Sharon Calahan		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Lee Unkrich

Casting by
Mary Hidalgo
Ruth Lambert

Production Design by
William Cone

Art Direction by
Tia W. Kratter
Bob Pauley

Production Management
Susan Tatsuno Hamana	....	production manager
Brian McNulty	....	post-production supervisor

Art Department
Geefwee Boedoe	....	additional storyboard artist
Kirk Bowers	....	technical artist: crowd
Onny P. Carr	....	technical artist: crowd
Jill Culton	....	additional storyboard artist
Norm DeCarlo	....	sculptor
Pete Docter	....	additional storyboard artist
David Eisenmann	....	set dresser
Davey Crockett Feiten	....	additional storyboard artist
Roman Figun	....	additional set dresser
Jean Gillmore	....	visual development
Craig Good	....	senior layout artist
Shalini Govil-Pai	....	additional set dresser
Shalini Govil-Pai	....	technical artist: crowd
Mark Cordell Holmes	....	sketch artist
Harley Jessup	....	additional storyboard artist
Ewan Johnson	....	supervising layout artist
Michael Griffin Kelly	....	art department production assistant
Glenn Kim	....	sketch artist
Quintin King	....	technical artist: crowd
Dan Lee	....	sketch artist
Michael Lorenzen	....	technical artist: crowd
Bud Luckey	....	sketch artist
Rick Maki	....	visual development artist
Lawrence Marvit	....	sketch artist
Nathaniel McLaughlin	....	sketch artist
Cynthia Pettit	....	technical artist: crowd
Leslie Picardo	....	technical artist: crowd
Jeff Pidgeon	....	additional storyboard artist
Jerome Ranft	....	sculptor
Jonas Rivera	....	art department coordinator
Mark Sanford	....	additional set dresser
Katherine Sarafian	....	art department manager
Konishi Sonoko	....	additional set dresser
Sophie Vincelette	....	lead set dresser
Andrea Warren	....	art department production assistant

Sound Department
Bob Baron	....	additional dialogue recordist
Vince Caro	....	additional dialogue recordist
Vince Caro	....	adr recordist
John K. Carr	....	temporary sound editor
Tony Eckert	....	foley mixer
Ben Gold	....	supervising assistant sound editor
Tim Holland	....	supervising sound editor
Pat Jackson	....	sound effects editor
Doc Kane	....	original dialogue mixer
Mary Helen Leasman	....	foley editor
John McGleenan	....	additional dialogue recordist
Frank 'Pepe' Merel	....	foley recordist
Rona Michele	....	temporary sound editor
Shannon Mills	....	assistant sound designer
Jonathan Null	....	assistant adr editor
Brian Riordan	....	dialogue recordist
Gary Rizzo	....	sound mix technician
Gary Rydstrom	....	sound designer
Gary Rydstrom	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jackson Schwartz	....	additional dialogue recordist
Tony Sereno	....	sound mix technician
Michael Silvers	....	adr editor
Gary Summers	....	sound re-recording mixer
Dennie Thorpe	....	foley artist
Jana Vance	....	foley artist
Marian Wilde	....	foley editor
Mark Kenna	....	consultant: dolby film sound (uncredited)
David E. Turner	....	sound transferer (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Mark Adams	....	modeler
Maneesh Agrawala	....	rendering software engineer
Robert Anderson	....	layout artist
Anthony A. Apodaca	....	rendering software development director
James Bancroft	....	modeler
Dana Batali	....	rendering software engineer
Phil Beffrey	....	rendering software engineer
Samuel Lord Black	....	rendering software engineer (as Sam 'Penguin' Black)
Kirk Bowers	....	render technical director
Stuart Kirk Bowers	....	render technical director
Loren Carpenter	....	modeler
Wei-Chung Chang	....	modeler
Jun Han Cho	....	render technical director
Robin Cooper	....	lead computer graphics painter
Peter DeSève	....	visual development
Tom Duff	....	special rendering technique
Lou Fancher	....	visual development
Danielle Feinberg	....	lead render technical director
Michael Fong	....	crowd technical supervisor: crowds & effects team
Michael Fong	....	modeling artist
Mark Fontana	....	render technical director
Damir Frkovic	....	modeling artist
Reid Gershbein	....	rendering software engineer
Jean Gillmore	....	visual development (as Jean Gilmore)
David Gordon	....	visual development
Larry Gritz	....	special rendering technique
Yvonne Herbst	....	computer graphics painter
Bryn Imagire	....	computer graphics painter
Oren Jacob	....	rendering optimization consultant
Victoria Jaschob	....	modeling and shading coordinator
Victoria Jaschob	....	rendering manager
Steve Johnson	....	visual development
Thomas Jordan	....	render technical director
William Joyce	....	visual development
Steven Kani	....	render technical director
Glenn Kim	....	computer graphics painter
Craig Kolb	....	rendering software production support
Paul Kratter	....	visual development
David M. Laur	....	rendering software engineer
Tom Lokovic	....	rendering software production support
David Lomax	....	modeler
Dan Lyke	....	rendering software engineer
Rick Maki	....	visual development
Daniel McCoy	....	rendering software engineer
Mark Nielsen	....	modeling and shading coordinator
Shaun Oborn	....	rendering software engineer
Matt Pharr	....	rendering software engineer
James Rose	....	render technical director
Brian M. Rosen	....	rendering software engineer
Gary Schultz	....	digital artist
Jerome Strach	....	render technical director
Tien Truong	....	special rendering technique
David Valdez	....	shading artist
Mark T. VandeWettering	....	rendering software engineer
Eric Veach	....	rendering software engineer
Deirdre Warin	....	modeling and shading manager
John Warren	....	render technical director
Fred Warter	....	visual development
Brad Winemiller	....	render technical director
Bruce Zick	....	visual development

Camera and Electrical Department
Lauren Alpert	....	lighting technician
Brad Andalman	....	lighting technician
Stephanie Andrews	....	lighting technician
Jason Bickerstaff	....	lighting technician
Kirk Bowers	....	lighting technician
James Burgess	....	camera manager
Jun Han Cho	....	lighting technician
Lindsey Collins	....	lighting manager
Don Conway	....	camera technician
Bena Currin	....	lighting technician
Ruieta DaSilva	....	lighting technician
Cynthia Dueltgen	....	lighting technician
Danielle Feinberg	....	lighting technician
Lisa Forssell	....	lighting technician
Deborah R. Fowler	....	lighting technician
Reid Gershbein	....	lighting technician
Keith B.C. Gordon	....	lighting technician
Brian Green	....	lighting technician
Jean-Claude Kalache	....	lighting technician
Hunter Kelly	....	camera software and engineering
Tom Kim	....	lighting coordinator
Stephen King	....	lighting technician (as Stephen W. King)
Ana Lacaze	....	lighting technician
Ken Lao	....	lighting technician
Janet Lucroy	....	lighting technician
Matthew Martin	....	camera software and engineering
Craig McGillivray	....	lighting technician
Kelly O'Connell	....	lighting technician
Eileen O'Neill	....	lighting technician
Chris Perry	....	lighting technician
Bill Polson	....	lighting technician
John Singh Pottebaum	....	lighting technician
Joyce Powell	....	lighting technician
Sudeep Rangaswamy	....	lighting technician
Louis Rivera	....	camera supervisor
Dale Ruffolo	....	lighting technician
Don Schreiter	....	lighting technician
Konishi Sonoko	....	lighting technician
Jeff Wan	....	camera technician
John Warren	....	lighting technician
Kim White	....	lighting technician
Patrick Wilson	....	lighting technician
Bill Wise	....	lighting technician
Alec Wong	....	camera software and engineering
Wayne Wooten	....	lighting technician

Animation Department
Brad Andalman	....	animation software engineer
Kyle Balda	....	additional animator
Alan Barillaro	....	additional animator
Stephen Barnes	....	additional animator
Ronen Barzel	....	animation software engineer
Michael Berenstein	....	animator
Kevin Bjorke	....	layout artist
Geefwee Boedoe	....	additional character designer
Maxwell Brace IV	....	story artist
Colin Brady	....	additional animator
Ash Brannon	....	story artist
Shawn Brennan	....	layout artist
Dylan Brown	....	animator
Jim Capobianco	....	story artist
Bill Carson	....	layout artist
Ben Catmull	....	additional animator
Jennifer Cha	....	additional animator
Sandra Christiansen	....	animator
Scott Clark	....	animator
Brett Coderre	....	animator
Tim Crawfurd	....	additional animator
Bena Currin	....	animation software engineer
Tom Deering	....	animation software documentation and support
Tony DeRose	....	animation software engineer
David DeVan	....	animator
Chris DiGiovanni	....	animation assistant
Davey Crockett Feiten	....	animator: crowd
Ike Feldman	....	additional animator
Tomoko Harada Ferguson	....	animation production assistant
Kurt Fleischer	....	animation software engineer
Lisa Forssell	....	animation software engineer
Andrew Gordon	....	animator
Stephen Gregory	....	additional animator
Thomas Hahn	....	animation software engineer
Jimmy Hayward	....	additional animator
Mark Thomas Henne	....	animation software engineer
Kitt Hirasaki	....	animation software engineer
Timothy Hittle	....	animator
Steven Clay Hunter	....	additional animator
Ewan Johnson	....	supervising layout artist
Michael B. Johnson	....	animation software engineer
Steve Johnson	....	animation software engineer
John Kahrs	....	animator
Michael Kass	....	animation software engineer
Jason Katz	....	additional character designer
Jason Katz	....	story artist
Patty Kihm	....	animator: crowd
Chris King	....	animation software engineer
Karen Kiser	....	animator
Jorgen Klubien	....	story artist
Bob Koch	....	animator: crowd
Shawn P. Krause	....	animator
Bankole Lasekan	....	animator
Jeremy Lasky	....	layout artist
Eric Lebel	....	animation software engineer
Dan Lee	....	additional character designer
Dan Lee	....	animator
Robert Lence	....	story artist
Patrick Lin	....	layout artist
Bud Luckey	....	additional character designer
Bud Luckey	....	story artist
Angus MacLane	....	additional animator
Les Major	....	animator
Lance Martin	....	animation production assistant
Daniel Mason	....	animator
Dale McBeath	....	supervising animator: crowd
Glenn McQueen	....	supervising animator
Jon Mead	....	additional animator
Billy Merritt	....	animator
Karyn Metlen	....	additional animator
Valerie Mih	....	additional animator
James Ford Murphy	....	additional character designer
James Ford Murphy	....	animator
Peter Nash	....	additional animator
Peter Nye	....	animation software engineer
Mark Oftedal	....	animator
Lee Ozer	....	animation software engineer
Bret 'Brook' Parker	....	fix animator/coordinator
Michael Parks	....	animator
Sanjay Patel	....	additional character designer
Sanjay Patel	....	animator
Bob Pauley	....	character designer
Darwyn Peachey	....	animation software development director
Bruce Perens	....	animation software engineer
Bob Peterson	....	story artist
B.Z. Petroff	....	layout supervisor
Jan Pinkava	....	additional animator
Bobby Podesta	....	animator
John Singh Pottebaum	....	animation software engineer
Jeff Pratt	....	animator
Karen Prell	....	animator
Brett Pulliam	....	additional animator
Rich Quade	....	supervising animator
Mike Quinn	....	additional animator
Kori Rae	....	animation manager
Sudeep Rangaswamy	....	animation software engineer
Arun Rao	....	animation software engineer
Drew Rogge	....	animation software engineer
Roger Rose	....	animator
Robert H. Russ	....	animator: crowd
Mark Sanford	....	layout artist
Gini Santos	....	additional animator
Anthony Scott	....	additional animator
Steve Segal	....	animator
Kay Seirup	....	animation software documentation and support
Michael Shantzis	....	animation software engineer
Doug Sheppeck	....	animator
Alan Sperling	....	animator
Gill Stanfield	....	animation software documentation and support
Andrew Stanton	....	story artist
Nathan Stanton	....	story artist
Heidi Stettner	....	animation software engineer
Ross Stevenson	....	animator: crowd
Doug Sweetland	....	animator
David Tart	....	animator
J. Warren Trezevant	....	animator
Dirk Van Gelder	....	animation software engineer
Mark A. Walsh	....	animator
Tasha Wedeen	....	additional character designer
Tasha Wedeen	....	animator
James W. Williams	....	animation software engineer
Adam Wood	....	additional animator
Wayne Wooten	....	animation software engineer
Maureen Wylie	....	associate animation manager
Christina Yim	....	additional animator
Kureha Yokoo	....	animator: crowd

Casting Department
Meredith Layne	....	casting assistant
Mickie McGowan	....	additional adr voice casting

Editorial Department
Jessica Ambinder-Rojas	....	additional editor
Rob Bonz	....	additional second assistant editor
Patsy Bouge	....	post-production consultant
Torbin Xan Bullock	....	second assistant editor
Ada Cochavi	....	additional second assistant editor
Tom Freeman	....	first assistant editor
Ed Fuller	....	second assistant editor
Dale E. Grahn	....	color timer
J.R. Grubbs	....	effects assistant editor
Mildred Iatrou	....	additional editor
Jeff Jones	....	additional editor
Ellen Keneshea	....	additional editor
Bill Kinder	....	editorial supervisor
Tara McKinley	....	additional second assistant editor
Phyllis Oyama	....	second assistant editor
Lucas Putnam	....	second assistant editor
Katherine Ringgold	....	additional second assistant editor
David Ian Salter	....	second editor
Timothy Sorensen	....	post-production assistant
Christine Steele	....	additional second assistant editor
Lee Unkrich	....	supervising editor
James M. Webb	....	additional second assistant editor
Hana Yoon	....	editorial coordinator
Steven Liu	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Bruno Coon	....	associate music editor
Don Davis	....	orchestrator
Sandy DeCrescent	....	music contractor
Lori L. Eschler	....	supervising music editor
Ira Hearshen	....	orchestrator
Brenda Heins	....	assistant music editor
Tommy Johnson	....	musician: tuba
Tom MacDougall	....	music production manager
Chris Montan	....	executive music producer
Andrew Page	....	music production supervisor
Jonathan Sacks	....	orchestrator
David Slusser	....	temporary music editor
Steven L. Smith	....	music preparation
Frank Wolf	....	music mixer
Frank Wolf	....	music recordist
John Beasley	....	composer: additional score (uncredited)

Other crew
Neftalí Álvarez 'El Magnífico'	....	systems administrator (as Neftalí 'El Magnífico' Álvarez)
Neftalí Álvarez 'El Magnífico'	....	systems supporter (as Neftalí 'El Magnífico' Álvarez)
John B. Anderson	....	shading artist
Nathan Ardaiz	....	systems administrator
Nathan Ardaiz	....	systems supporter
George Bagtas	....	systems administrator
George Bagtas	....	systems supporter
David Batte	....	shading artist
Adam Beeman	....	systems administrator
Adam Beeman	....	systems supporter
Bryan Bird	....	systems administrator
Bryan Bird	....	systems supporter
Malcolm Blanchard	....	color science engineer
Susan Bradley	....	title designer
Greg Brandeau	....	information systems director
Richard Brodsky	....	film coordinator
Adam Bronstein	....	production intern
Dana Brunetti	....	assistant: Kevin Spacey
Jan Forman Campi	....	assistant production accountant
Trish Carney	....	layout coordinator
Donna Cipriani	....	production accountant
Lawrence D. Cutler	....	additional crowd technical supporter
Lars R. Damerow	....	systems administrator
Lars R. Damerow	....	systems supporter
Sarah Jo Daughters	....	scheduling coordinator
David DiFrancesco	....	photoscience manager
Nicole Dooley	....	assistant: Mr. Newman
Heather Feng	....	executive assistant to director (as Heather Schmidt-Feng)
Jean Flynn	....	production office coordinator
Erik Forman	....	systems administrator
Erik Forman	....	systems supporter
Lisa Forssell	....	shading artist
Alisa Gilden	....	systems administrator
Alisa Gilden	....	systems supporter
Keith B.C. Gordon	....	effects technical artist
Keith B.C. Gordon	....	shading artist
Brian Green	....	shading artist
Nicole Paradis Grindle	....	effects and crowd manager
Patrick Guenette	....	systems administrator
Patrick Guenette	....	systems supporter
Warren Hays	....	systems administrator
Warren Hays	....	systems supporter
Jason Hendrix	....	systems administrator
Jason Hendrix	....	systems supporter
Mark Thomas Henne	....	effects technical artist
Dan Herman	....	effects technical artist
Christian Hoffman	....	effects technical artist
Leo Hourvitz	....	effects technical artist
Patricia A. Howard	....	assistant production accountant
Ling Hsu	....	systems administrator
Ling Hsu	....	systems supporter
Ken Huey	....	systems administrator
Ken Huey	....	systems supporter
Jason 'Jayfish' Hull	....	systems administrator
Jason 'Jayfish' Hull	....	systems supporter
Jeffrey 'JJ' Jay	....	effects technical artist
Crystal Jones	....	production intern
Ben Jordan	....	shading artist
Thomas Jordan	....	production intern
Peter Kaldis	....	systems administrator
Peter Kaldis	....	systems supporter
Duncan Keefe	....	information systems manager
Maneli Keshavarzi	....	production intern
Hoon H. Kim	....	production intern
Tia W. Kratter	....	shading designer
Ken Lao	....	shading artist
John Hee Soo Lee	....	systems administrator
John Hee Soo Lee	....	systems supporter
Marci Levine	....	prodution representative: Disney
Susan E. Levin	....	story manager
Holly Lloyd	....	additional production supporter
Daniel McCoy	....	shading artist
Terry McQueen	....	additional production supporter
Paul Mendoza	....	production assistant
Jeff 'Heffe' Millhollen	....	systems administrator
Jeff 'Heffe' Millhollen	....	systems supporter
Graham Moloy	....	production assistant
Josh Morsell	....	production intern
Michael O'Brien	....	information systems manager
Adrian Ochoa	....	facilities
Keith Olenick	....	shading artist
Justin Oliphant	....	production intern
Eben Ostby	....	supervising technical director
Gregory Yong Paik	....	systems administrator
Gregory Yong Paik	....	systems supporter
Kristina Perez	....	systems administrator
Kristina Perez	....	systems supporter
Chris Perry	....	effects technical artist
Chris Perry	....	shading artist
Kelly T. Peters	....	crowds and effects coordinator
B.Z. Petroff	....	story supervisor
Anne Pia	....	systems administrator
Anne Pia	....	systems supporter
Bill Polson	....	effects technical artist
Bill Polson	....	shading artist
May Pon	....	systems administrator
May Pon	....	systems supporter
Greg Poulios	....	production assistant
Mitch Prater	....	shading artist
Josh Qualtieri	....	systems administrator
Josh Qualtieri	....	systems supporter
Edgar Quinones	....	systems administrator
Edgar Quinones	....	systems supporter
Joe Ranft	....	story supervisor
Arun Rao	....	color science engineer
William Reeves	....	supervising technical director
Brian M. Rosen	....	shading artist
Rick Sayre	....	shading supervisor
Auburn C. 'Aubie' Schmidt	....	systems administrator
Auburn C. 'Aubie' Schmidt	....	systems supporter
Don Schreiter	....	effects technical artist
Andrea Schultz	....	additional crowd technical supporter
Tom Sellitti	....	assistant: Mr. Leary
M.T. Silvia	....	systems administrator
M.T. Silvia	....	systems supporter
Nelson Siu	....	unix systems administrator
Ron Smith	....	story team production assistant
Eliot Smyrl	....	shading artist
Edilberto A. Soriano Jr.	....	systems administrator
Edilberto A. Soriano Jr.	....	systems supporter
Alex Stahl	....	systems administrator
Alex Stahl	....	systems supporter
Beth Sullivan	....	photoscience department administrator
Andy Thomas	....	systems administrator
Andy Thomas	....	systems supporter
Tien Truong	....	shading artist
Jenni Tsoi	....	executive assistant to producer
Steve Upstill	....	additional crowd technical supporter
David Valdez	....	shading artist
Chris Vallance	....	story team production assistant
Christopher C. Walker	....	systems administrator
Christopher C. Walker	....	systems supporter
Graham Walters	....	technical production supervisor
Deirdre Warin	....	effects and crowd manager
Brad Winemiller	....	effects technical artist
Bill Wise	....	shading artist
Dallas Wisehaupt	....	systems administrator
Dallas Wisehaupt	....	systems supporter
Adam Woodbury	....	effects technical artist
Mark Yeager	....	production assistant
Monika J. Zech	....	production assistant to director
Bob Weber	....	production accountant (uncredited)

Thanks
Debbie L. O'Keeffe	....	special thanks
Robert Taylor	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Pixar Animation Studios
• Walt Disney Pictures (presents)

Distributors

• Buena Vista Pictures (1998) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (2001) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Buena Vista International Finland (1999) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Falcon (1999) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2002) (Japan) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2004) (Japan) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2006) (Japan) (DVD)
• Buena Vista International Italia
• Buena Vista International Spain
• Buena Vista International (Argentina)
• Buena Vista International (Germany)
• Filmes Lusomundo (Portugal)
• Gativideo (Argentina) (video)
• Gaumont Buena Vista International (GBVI) (France)
• Walt Disney Home Video (Brazil) (DVD)
• Walt Disney Home Video (Brazil) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1999) (Japan) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Pixar Animation Studios

Other Companies

• Skywalker Sound  post-production sound services
• Walt Disney Records  soundtrack

Also Known As:

Bugs (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | Brazil:Livre | Portugal:M/4 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Belgium:KT | Canada:G (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Finland:K-8/5 | France:U | Germany:o.Al. (w) | Hong Kong:I | Ireland:PG | Netherlands:AL | New Zealand:G | Peru:PT | Singapore:PG | South Korea:All | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:U | USA:G (certificate #36295)

Company:

Pixar Animation Studios

Trivia:

Although this film is loosely based on The Magnificent Seven (1960), which is a remake of the Akira Kurosawa film Shichinin no samurai (1954), no credit is given to Kurosawa for his story.

Goofs:

Continuity: About 20 minutes into the movie, in Rosie and Dim's "lion tamer" scene, we clearly see that Rosie accidentally whips Dim's left foot. A few minutes later, as she's getting a bandage for him, he's whimpering and holding up his right foot for her.

Quotes:

Hopper: I swear, if I hadn't promised Mother on her deathbed that I wouldn't kill you, I would kill you!
Molt: And believe me, no one appreciates that more than I do.
Hopper: Shut up! I don't wanna hear another word out of you while we're on this island. Do you understand me?
Molt: [whimpers]
Hopper: I said do you understand me?
Molt: Well, how can I answer? You said I couldn't say another word!
[Hopper raises his fist to hit him]
Molt: Aah! Remember ma!

Movie Connections:

References A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Simply wonderful

Such a joyous world has been created for us in Pixar's A Bug's Life; we're immersed in a universe which could only be documented this enjoyably on film, but more precisely a universe which could only be documented through the world of animation. For those who have forgotten what a plentiful and exuberant world animation can offer – when it's in the right hands that is – A Bug's Life is a warm reminder. We walk out of the film with an equally-warm feeling, and a sense of satisfaction derivative of only high-calibre film productions.

It is only Pixar's second animated feature. The sub-group of Disney made their spectacular debut and perhaps entirely inadvertent mark on the film world three years prior in 1995, with their landmark movie Toy Story. It was a movie which defied convention, re-invented and breathed new life into animation and defined a whole new level of excellence. Now, they return with their sophomore effort which, to be honest, draws a creeping sense of cynicism in us all prior to seeing the film.

After all, it's a film about ants. Well, all walks of the insect and bug world are covered in A Bug's Life, but it is the ant which is the focal point in this film, as humans are the focal point in dramas, romances and so on. How can such an insignificant species of animal such as an ant act as the protagonist of a movie, let alone provide the entire premise of a feature film? Surely they jest. However, we forget that in Toy Story, a bunch of toy-box items were able to become the grandest, most inspiring and lovable bunch of animated heroes and villains ever concocted. The guys at Pixar manage to pull off the same feat, and manage to turn a bunch of dirty and miniscule bugs into the most endearing and pleasant gang of vermin you'll probably ever encounter.

Not only are they all entirely amiable and likable – there isn't an unpleasant character in sight; even the villains are riveting characters – but they're colourful, they're eclectic, and they're idiosyncratic. And the array of characters is also gargantuan for lack of a better term, only adding the rich layers of distinctiveness already plastered onto A Bug's Life from the beginning. We shall start with our main character, and our hero. His name is Flik (David Foley), and his character is rather generic to say the least. Out of the thousands of faithful and obedient worker ants residing on the lush, beautiful Ant Island, he is the one considered the 'black sheep' of the clan, as seen in the opening moments of the movie when he inadvertently destroys the season's harvest with his antics.

The problem arises in the fact that the ants' harvest is for a bunch of greedy grasshoppers led by Hopper (Kevin Spacey), who are eager to continue to assert their wrath and autocracy amongst the puny little ants; when they show up to Ant Island for their annual banquet and see that their offering is gone, they go insane, for lack of a better term. Hopper offers a proposition to save the ants from total extinction at his pack's hands; however, it's a negotiation which is simply impossible to fulfil. The cogs and clockwork in Flik's mind run at full steam now despite his guilt and shame, and he offers to leave Ant Island in search of some mighty bug warriors who can come to the colony's rescue and fight off Hopper and the grasshoppers.

If you think about it, A Bug's Life bears some heavy resemblance to the plot line's of Akira Kurosawa's classic Seven Samurai, or the American remake The Magnificent Seven, in which a village of hapless but good-hearted folk are threatened by malevolent and wicked enemies – one lone village-dweller goes in search for help in the big city, finds it and returns to the colony to drive off evil. In A Bug's Life, the help comes in the form of a down-and-out circus troupe who is mistakenly perceived by Flik as warriors in a bar-room brawl.

Much amusement comes out of these scenes, and much amusement comes out of these circus troupe bugs. Among them are an erudite stick insect (David Hyde Pierce), a side-splitting obese German caterpillar by the name of Heimlich and a quasi-femme fatale ladybug who's in fact a gritty and masculine ladybug (Dennis Hopper). It's exceedingly enjoyable watching these bugs on-screen, as it is watching the bugs and the insects interact on-screen, as is the entire movie collectively.

As I've said, much amusement and mirth comes out of their characters and joyous interactions with one another, which give way to a bevy of hilarious lines, wonderfully suspenseful and riveting situations and overall a dazzling movie. What makes A Bug's Life even better is that the film isn't restricted simply to children as many may perceive it to be, although children would indeed find more entertainment out of this film – the clichéd kid-friendly situations are a bit more abundant than we'd like. However, it's easy to ignore this fault, and it's incredulously easy to enjoy this film.

Although A Bug's Life may not reach the dizzying and landmark standards set by its predecessor, this is still a superb movie, and the start of something promising here. Pixar have proved that they're not just a one-hit wonder, but instead a much-gifted and talented group of film artists in Hollywood. They raise the bar endlessly, and when someone always manages to top their standards, it's only always by themselves. What more is there to say about A Bug's Life other than: see it; it's not quite the best which we've seen from the folks at Emeryville, California, but this beats out the lot of its year – and I'll be damned if this isn't the best animated feature of 1998.

8.5/10