Once Upon a Forest (1993)

A young mouse, mole and hedgehog risk their lives to find a cure for their badger friend, who's been poisoned by men.

Director:

Charles Grosvenor

Writers:

Rae Lambert (story), Mark Young

Stars:

Michael Crawford, Ben Vereen, Ellen Blain

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Crawford	...	Cornelius (voice)
Ben Vereen	...	Phineas (voice)
Ellen Blain	...	Abigail (voice)
Benji Gregory	...	Edgar (voice) (as Ben Gregory)
Paige Gosney	...	Russell (voice)
Elisabeth Moss	...	Michelle (voice) (as Elizabeth Moss)
Paul Eiding	...	Abigail's Father (voice)
Janet Waldo	...	Edgar's Mom (voice)
Susan Silo	...	Russell's Mom (voice)
Will Estes	...	Willy (voice) (as Will Nipper)
Charlie Adler	...	Waggs (voice)
Rickey D'Shon Collins	...	Bosworth (voice) (as Rickey Collins)
Angel Harper	...	Bosworth's Mom (voice)
Don Reed	...	Marshbird (voice)
Robert David Hall	...	Truck Driver (voice)

Storyline

This animated wildlife film provides an environmental friendly message that humans are a malicious, careless breed. Three cherubic little animals have to rescue their friend who has been overcome by poisonous gas.

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Plot Keywords:

cartoon mouse | cult film | animal protagonist | animal hero | anthropomorphic animal as protagonist | 

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Taglines:

An Adventurous Race Against Time!

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Genres:

Animation | Adventure | Drama | Family

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

UK USA Taiwan Spain Canada Denmark Argentina

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 June 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Endangered

Box Office

Budget:

$13,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$10,000,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hanna-Barbera Productions, Harlech Television (HTV)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

71 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was originally intended to be a made for TV movie.

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Goofs

Cornelius puts a flower behind Michelle's ear before they leave for their walk. After the boat sinks, the furlings are seen running back to their homes and the flower is missing from Michelle's ear. The flower re-appears behind Michelle's ear when Abigail finds her in her home.

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Quotes

Abigail: I can hardly see him behind his papers. He must be working on an experiment.
Edgar: Good. Maybe he won't notice we're late.
Michelle: I bet he's working on the big surprise, I'll betcha!
Russell: Oh, I LOVE surprises! Let's have a look!

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Connections

Featured in Life Itself (2014)

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Soundtracks

Please Wake Up
Written by James Horner
Lyrics by Will Jennings, Michael Tavera, Kelly Ward, and Mark Young
Performed by Michael Crawford

User Reviews

I cried like a baby at the end of this, when I was 8

I'll always remember the first time I saw this film, in late 1993 when I was 8 years old. This film was really the first film to ever have a large impact on me. Up until then, I had been mainly unaffected by fast, fun, feel-good kids movies with happy endings. This one was different... the ending was only semi-happy and I cried like a baby. Sure, I was only 8 years old... but that was the first time I had cried at the ending of a movie (and the last time, until I viewed "dancer in the dark" a few months ago). Needless to say, this is a very powerful film about family, friendship, and guilt. I'm quite surprised this only has an average rating of 4.7/10 from IMDB users. This film is much better than animated films like "Fantasia" and "Shrek" which have a much higher rating from IMDB users. Sure, it's not as flashy, but it has so much more to say. I think some users are too ignorant/cold-hearted to appreciate what this film has to offer. It's not a cheesy film in the slighest. Anyone with a heart should appreciate its power.