Thumbelina (1994)

The tiny girl meets a fairy prince who saves her from the creatures of the woods.

Directors:

Don Bluth, Gary Goldman

Writers:

Hans Christian Andersen (original classic fairytale), Don Bluth (screenplay)

Stars:

Jodi Benson, Gary Imhoff, Gino Conforti

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gino Conforti	...	Jacquimo (voice)
Barbara Cook	...	Mother (voice)
Jodi Benson	...	Thumbelina (voice)
Will Ryan	...	Hero / Reverend Rat (voice)
June Foray	...	Queen Tabitha (voice)
Kenneth Mars	...	King Colbert (voice)
Gary Imhoff	...	Prince Cornelius (voice)
Joe Lynch	...	Grundel (voice)
Charo	...	Mrs. (Ma) Toad (voice)
Danny Mann	...	Mozo (voice)
Loren Lester	...	Gringo (voice)
Kendall Cunningham	...	Baby Bug (voice)
Tawny Sunshine Glover	...	Gnatty (voice)
Michael Nunes	...	Li'l Bee (voice)
Gilbert Gottfried	...	Mr. Beetle (voice)

Storyline

A girl no bigger than her mother's thumb feels all alone in the world knowing she is the only person her size. Her wish for a companion at last comes true when the prince of the fairy's arrives at her window sill. However, the naive Thumbelina's life goes downward from there when a toad kidnaps her. While she tries to find a way home, she begins to grow up and learns about hope with the help of the friends she always wanted.

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Plot Keywords:

based on fairy tale | mouse | bird | paris france | adopted daughter | 

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Taglines:

Follow your heart and nothing is impossible.

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Genres:

Animation | Family | Fantasy | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

Ireland USA Canada UK Denmark Spain Poland Hungary

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 March 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hans Christian Andersen's Thumbelina

Filming Locations:

Ireland

Box Office

Budget:

$28,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$11,373,501

Company Credits

Production Co:

Don Bluth

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is one of two films based on Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales, to feature Jodi Benson as the title character. The first was, more famously, The Little Mermaid (1989).

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Goofs

Mrs Fieldmouse refers to the mole as "the richest rodent for miles around." Moles are not rodents.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Jacquimo: Hello. Welcome to Paris, city of love. Who am I? I am Jacquimo, swallow extraordinaire and lover of beautiful things.

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Crazy Credits

After all of the credits Thumbelina runs across the screen and "a DON BLUTH presentation" follows her. A few seconds later Prince Cornelius on his bumblebee fly across the words and they vanish.

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Alternate Versions

On some prints, the title is displayed as "Hans Christian Andersen's Thumbelina," while on others, it is "Don Bluth's Thumbelina."

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Connections

Spoofed in Shrek 2 (2004)

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Soundtracks

Let Me Be Your Wings (Reprise)
Lyrics by Bruce Sussman and Jack Feldman
Music by Barry Manilow
Arranged and Produced by Barry Manilow
Performed by Jodi Benson

User Reviews

I don't care that I'm all grown up! I love this movie!

So help me, this is the cutest thing I've ever seen! I just love this film. First time I saw it, I went with my 7 year old brother, and was determined to hate it - but, well, I just couldn't. It's soooo cute, and the songs are so good, and the story is so well told - it's just impossible not to like it.

The first thing that I really like about this film is that it (unlike, oh so many Disney films) is actually very loyal to the original fairy tale by H.C. Andersen. They've added a few things, and changed a few details, but all of the things they changed I had to agree with (hey, why not let Thumbelina and the Prince meet at the beginning? It makes more sense for them to already be in love. And what's wrong with making the Fieldmouse a girl? It's Carol Channing!) This is very true to the original story - so much more than Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID (which was supposedly based off another H.C. Andersen tale - but you'd never guess it).

The animation is good, it's not the best, but it's fine. The real star of this film is the music. A beautiful score by Barry Manilow helped out by fabulous voice work. The wonderful Jodi Benson heads the cast (she was also the voice of Ariel in THE LITTLE MERMAID) and she is delightful as Thumbelina. I've been lucky enough to meet Ms. Benson and I have to say, she is just the sweetest person you could ever hope to know. She's got a wonderful, child-like speaking voice, and a glorious singing voice - just the perfect choice for the lead. She's joined in the cast by Gilbert Gottfried, Barbara Cook, Carol Channing, and (another voice talent from THE LITTLE MERMAID) Kenneth Mars.

This film is just beautifully done. It's faithful to the original, it's lovely to see, and has a marvelous soundtrack. I don't care that I'm all grown up - this is a movie I can't help but love.