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6.9/10
49,365
97 user 31 critic

An American Tail (1986)

While emigrating to the United States, a young Russian mouse gets separated from his family and must relocate them while trying to survive in a new country.

Director:

Don Bluth

Writers:

Judy Freudberg (screenplay), Tony Geiss (screenplay) | 3 more credits »
Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 6 wins & 6 nominations. See more awards »

Photos

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Cast

Cast overview:
Erica Yohn Erica Yohn ... Mama Mousekewitz (voice)
Nehemiah Persoff ... Papa Mousekewitz (voice)
Amy Green Amy Green ... Tanya Mousekewitz (voice)
Phillip Glasser ... Fievel Mousekewitz (voice)
Christopher Plummer ... Henri (voice)
John Finnegan ... Warren T. Rat (voice)
Will Ryan ... Digit (voice)
Hal Smith ... Moe (voice)
Pat Musick Pat Musick ... Tony Toponi (voice)
Cathianne Blore Cathianne Blore ... Bridget (voice)
Neil Ross ... Honest John (voice)
Madeline Kahn ... Gussie Mausheimer (voice)
Dom DeLuise ... Tiger (voice)
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Storyline

Fievel is a young Russian mouse separated from his parents on the way to America, a land they think is without cats. When he arrives alone in the New World, he keeps up hope, searching for his family, making new friends, and running and dodging the cats he thought he'd be rid off. Written by Michael Silva <silvamd@cleo.bc.edu>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

A holiday event from Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment. See more »


Certificate:

G | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

This is the first Amblin Entertainment's animated film to be rated G by the MPAA. See more »

Goofs

Fievel and his family board their ship in Hamburg, in northern Germany, but the band welcoming the passengers is a Bavarian traditional band that would never play there. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Mama Mousekewitz: Tanya, Fievel! Will you stop that twirling, twirling! Uh, no. No more, that's it. Time for bed, come.
Papa Mousekewitz: But Mama, it's Hanukkah.
Mama Mousekewitz: For you, every night is Hanukkah. Papa? Enough already. They'll never get to sleep.
Papa Mousekewitz: All right, all right.
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Crazy Credits

The first half of the end credits feature period engravings of what New York City looked like in the 1880s. See more »

Alternate Versions

The following changes to the 2006 DVD and Blu-Ray version have been changed from the original VHS release including.
  • The opening of the DVD features the updated 1997 Universal logo theme song by Jerry Goldsmith, following with the original 1963 Universal title.
  • The Russian cats chasing Fievel through the snow now has a train sound effect.
  • When Fievel gets caught in the storm on deck, the waves make moaning sounds.
  • The original Dialogue spoken by the mouse seller no longer says the line, "Apples anyone?"
  • When Fievel falls on the record player the woman now screams, "Oh my word! A mouse! instead of "Ahh it's a mouse!" followed by 2 townspeople who ask "What's going on?"
  • Jake and Tiger of the Mott Street Maulers are having a conversion right before the camera cuts into the scene with Fievel in a cage crying.
  • The voices of the 2 bully mouse orphans were re-dubbed by different voice actors.
  • The original music score in the end credits by James Horner has been cut off and jumps into the ending theme song "Somewhere Out There".
  • At the end of the credits, 2 company logos called Deluxe Digital Studios, and CP Marcovision Quality Productions appears right before the DVD ends.
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Soundtracks

There Are No Cats in America
Music by James Horner and Barry Mann
Lyrics by Cynthia Weil
Performed by Nehemiah Persoff, Johnny Guarnieri, and Warren Hays
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User Reviews

One of the first of many that kicked Disney's ass
18 July 2004 | by rapt0r_claw-1See all my reviews

Don't take me wrong: although An American Tail is a wonderful film, the old Disney classics are not the ones I'm talking about in the summary. I'm talking about the over-commercialized crap we get these days. Don Bluth's second animated feature is again about mice, like Secret of NIMH. I think NIMH was better, though not by much. The songs are pretty good, although not like some Disney songs. The animation, however, is simply gorgeous. I can't believe people dismiss it as poorly animated just because the colors aren't bright! The colors are dark and moody, as they should be, An American Tail--nor any of Bluth's films--were ever supposed to look like Rayman. If you want to see Bluth with bright colors, glance at some cheery scenes from A Troll in Central Park. I find the way Fievel and his family miss each other by inches frustrating, though. In fact, I was surprised Fievel and Tanya couldn't hear each other as they sang "Somewhere Out There". A simply beautiful film, a must for anyone who looks for variation in the field of animation, but infuriating for anyone who thinks the scope of animation should be restricted to Disney.


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Frequently Asked Questions

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 November 1986 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

An American Tail See more »

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Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,234,446, 23 November 1986

Gross USA:

$47,483,002

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$84,542,002
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo | DTS-Stereo (re-release) (1997)| DTS (re-release) (1997)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1
See full technical specs »

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