The Tune (1992)

A songwriter in love with his demanding boss's secretary enters an alternate, wacky world where a much-needed hit tune may be created from his heart.

Director:

Bill Plympton

Writers:

Bill Plympton (story), Maureen McElheron (story)

Stars:

Daniel Neiden, Maureen McElheron, Marty Nelson

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview:
Daniel Neiden	...	Del (voice)
Maureen McElheron	...	Didi (voice)
Marty Nelson	...	Mayor / Mr. Mega / Mrs. Mega (voice)
Emily Bindiger	...	Dot (voice)
Chris Hoffman	...	Wiseone / Surfer / Tango Dancer / Note (voice)
Jimmy Ceribello	...	Cabbie (voice)
Ned Reynolds	...	Houndog (voice)
Jeffrey Knight	...	Bellhop (voice) (as Jeff Knight)
Jen Senko	...	Surfer / Note (voice) (as Jennifer Senko)

Storyline

Del is a song writer for the obnoxious Mr. Mega, and in love with Didi, Mega's secretary. His quest to write a hit tune brings him to the wacky world of Flooby Nooby, where he just might learn to write songs from the heart.

---

Plot Keywords:

waitress | musician | music industry | hot dog | hamburger | 

---

Genres:

Animation | Comedy | Fantasy | Musical

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the Lovesick Hotel sequence, Lupo the Butcher, from the short film of the same name directed by Danny Antonnuci, makes a cameo appearance inside a suite. The butcher threats the main character by saying "I kill you" and throwing his meat cleaver to a table. It is unknown if Danny Antonnuci let Bill Plympton use his character nor if the creator did work n The Tune, though his name doesn't appear in the credits.

---

Quotes

Del: [first lines]
Del: [tentatively trying out song lyrics] My love for you, is equal to, a worn-out shoe? Nah. A big cow moo? Uh-uh. Some indefinable gunky goo? Yeah!

---

Connections

Features Push Comes to Shove (1991)

---

Soundtracks

The Wise One
Performed by Larry Campbell

User Reviews

A Must for Bill Plympton Fans

Whether or not you're going to get enjoyment out of this film really comes down to whether or not you know who Bill Plympton is. If you're familiar with the unique animator and some of his other films or (more likely) his shorts and you know you like his stuff then this is going to be a fun diversion for you. However if you've never heard of the guy, this is probably just going to be too difficult to get in step with.

The "plot" is really just the excuse that strings the songs and segments together. A song writer is desperately trying to finish off what he hopes will be his big breakout hit, but he only has 47 minutes to finish and get to the meeting with his boss. On the way he goes on several musical diversions to odd places that may in fact be outside reality as we know it. There isn't that much explanation put into things, as with much of Plympton's work things get weird just because that's the visual language the guy speaks in.

If you know Plympton at all then you should know better than to be watching this movie for the "story." Really it's just a framing device as the film flits from one musical set piece to the other. There's not much in the way of character depth or growth, but that's not why we're here. Plympton's visual inventiveness and sense of humor is the reason to watch this. He has a visual wit that makes sense when you see it, even though it's almost impossible to try and describe to someone.

As mentioned this is probably not the best place to start with the man's work if you're new to Plympton. It's better to start with his shorts and get a feel for the guy before trying to take in the longer form stuff. He would refine his ability to tell what could be considered a cohesive story with his later films like "I Married a Strange Person" and "Mutant Aliens." But one sees the first buds of those later films being planted here and it's an interesting first step. A must see for completionist fans of the animator, but it's hard to recommend to more casual viewers.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 December 2002 (France)

Also Known As:

A Melodia de Plympton

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$17,794

Company Credits

Production Co:

October Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

69 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1