The Little Mermaid (1989)

A mermaid princess makes a Faustian bargain in an attempt to become human and win a prince's love.

Directors:

Ron Clements, John Musker

Writers:

John Musker, Ron Clements

Stars:

Jodi Benson, Samuel E. Wright, Rene Auberjonois

Won 2 Oscars. Another 10 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rene Auberjonois	...	Louis (voice) (as René Auberjonois)
Christopher Daniel Barnes	...	Eric (voice)
Jodi Benson	...	Ariel (voice)
Pat Carroll	...	Ursula (voice)
Paddi Edwards	...	Flotsam / Jetsam (voice)
Buddy Hackett	...	Scuttle (voice)
Jason Marin	...	Flounder (voice)
Kenneth Mars	...	Triton (voice)
Edie McClurg	...	Carlotta (voice)
Will Ryan	...	Seahorse (voice)
Ben Wright	...	Grimsby (voice)
Samuel E. Wright	...	Sebastian (voice)
Hamilton Camp	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Debbie Shapiro Gravitte	...	Additional Voices (voice) (as Debbie Shapiro)
Robert Weil	...	Additional Voices (voice)

Storyline

In Disney's beguiling animated romp, rebellious 16-year-old mermaid Ariel is fascinated with life on land. On one of her visits to the surface, which are forbidden by her controlling father, King Triton, she falls for a human prince. Determined to be with her new love, Ariel makes a dangerous deal with the sea witch Ursula to become human for three days. But when plans go awry for the star-crossed lovers, the king must make the ultimate sacrifice for his daughter.

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Plot Keywords:

fork | 2d animation | mermaid | princess | old english sheepdog | 

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Taglines:

Somewhere under the sea and beyond your imagination is an adventure in fantasy.

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Genres:

Animation | Family | Fantasy | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

G

Did You Know?

Trivia

Christopher Daniel Barnes was only 16 years old when he recorded his voice for Prince Eric - the producers felt his voice sounded much older than he really was.

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Goofs

At the end of the movie a rainbow is shown with the correct colors but with their order inverted.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Prince Eric: Isn't this great? The salty sea air, the wind blowing in your face. Aaah, the perfect day to be at sea!
Grimsby: [leaning over rail] Oh, yes urp delightful.

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Alternate Versions

In the original 1989 theatrical release, the original home video release, the 1998 home video release, and the 1999 DVD release, there is a scene where Ursula (as Vanessa) is marrying Eric (most of this scene is still in newer versions). In one shot you can see the Priest's knee move up and down, which looks convincingly (to some) like an erection. In the 2006 Platinum Edition and current releases, it was edited out due to controversy.

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Connections

Referenced in I Hate Everything: the Search for the Worst: The (NOT DREAMWORKS) Collection - 9 Movies! (2017)

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Soundtracks

The Wedding March
(1843) (uncredited)
from "A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op.61"
Written by Felix Mendelssohn
Hummed by Buddy Hackett (Scuttle)

User Reviews

Great movie for little kids

I saw this movie when I was very young and I loved it. It had a perfect fairy-tale ending and totally followed the formula for Disney movies in a great way. It really got it's message across with catchy tunes and fun characters.

On the down side, while it had a great message, it didn't stay true to what Hans Christian Andersen wrote. I hadn't read Andersen's version until very recently, but I loved it. I thought it had a much better and far more realistic message than the Disney movie. Andersen said that if you're a good person, while you may not get your reward in life, being good is it's own reward. Disney, on the other hand, said that if you risk everything for the one you love, things will work out in the end. While that's a nice message for little kids that is very unrealistic. Good people are hurt all the time.

I've heard people say that if girls grow up watching this, they will learn that big breasts, a small waist, and having a man by your side are what's important in life. This movie was made the year I was born, so naturally, I grew up on it. I don't hold myself to unrealistic standards or feel like I must have a man to go on. So, while I don't know about all the other little girls out there, but Disney didn't corrupt me.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

17 November 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Little Mermaid 3D

Filming Locations:

Walt Disney Feature Animation - 500 S. Buena Vista Street, Burbank, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$40,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,031,914, 19 November 1989

Gross USA:

$111,543,479

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$274,176,364

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Pictures, Silver Screen Partners IV, Walt Disney Animation Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo (Stereo) Dolby Atmos (Ultra HD Blu-ray release) (2019) SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1