The Wind in the Willows (1995)

When three tight friends Mole "Alan Bennett", Ratty "Sir Michael Palin", and Badger "Sir Michael Gambon", find out that the infamous Mr. Toad "Rik Mayall" of Toad Hall has been up to no good, they must find him and change his ways for good.

Directors:

Dave Unwin, Dennis Abey

Writers:

Kenneth Grahame (from the book by), Ted Walker (adapted by)

Stars:

Alan Bennett, Michael Palin, Michael Gambon

2 wins.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Alan Bennett	...	Mole (voice)
Michael Palin	...	Rat (voice)
Michael Gambon	...	Badger (voice)
Rik Mayall	...	Toad (voice)
James Villiers	...	Magistrate (voice)
Emma Chambers	...	Gaoler's Daughter (voice)
Judy Cornwell	...	Barge Woman (voice)
Enn Reitel	...	Otter / Rabbit / Policeman / Gaoler (voice)
David Sinclair	...	Clerk / Rabbit / Sergeant (voice)
Mark Lockyer	...	Car Owner / Rabbit / Policeman / Driver / Town Crier / Chief Weasel (voice)
Vanessa Redgrave	...	Grandmother (live action)
Jemima Ffyne	...	Alexandra (live action)
Jordan Hollywood	...	Emma (live action)
Tom Stourton	...	Edward (live action)
Barry Foster	...	Boatman (live action)

Storyline

A mole, taken from the fever of spring, comes out of her den, starting a journey with a rat friend on the river and in the woods, where there is the den of the badger and where they spend the lethargy. When the wind blows again in the willows in spring, the three friends leave to change the frog for the better, that is very fickle.

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Plot Keywords:

talking animal | based on book | 

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Genres:

Animation | Family

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Sir Michael Palin (the voice of Rat) had a cameo as The Sun in Terry Jones' cinematic adaptation of Kenneth Grahame's story, The Wind in the Willows (1996) (or "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride" to those in the U.S.).

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Quotes

Rat: [Ratty and Moley are both lost in the woods when Mole trips over a boot-scraper, then Ratty finds a doormat] Well? Doesn't that tell you something?
Mole: [Walking away grumpily] Doormats tell one nothing. Doormats know their place.

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Connections

Version of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1989)

User Reviews

This is not the "Monty Python" version.

I am writing this review after seeing this movie on the STARZ! channel by accident. Hopefully, I can save other viewers some confusion. This was advertised as The Wind in the Willows, the live-action film directed by Terry Jones of Monty Python fame and starring Jones along with other former Python stars. This is not that film. This film is actually an animated made-for-TV version. The confusion arises from the fact that both versions were made in 1996 and both feature former Python Michael Palin. He is the voice of Rat in this version and he is the only Monty Python star associated with this production.

To further the confusion this cartoon does begin and end with brief live-action scenes. These scenes show Vanessa Redgrave boating along a river and reading to some children. She also serves as narrator throughout the cartoon.

The animation here is about what you'd expect. It looks like every other version of The Wind in the Willows. But the story is a slight mixture of Kenneth Grahame's original "Willows" and the more recent sequel "Willows in Winter" by William Horwood. Toad's obsession with motor cars is taken from the first book rather than his obsession with airplanes in the second book. A few scenes of winter in the Wild Wood and a brief subplot of Portly the otter being lost are all that is taken from Willows in Winter.

Overall it is a good cartoon. The language is very close to the books and I was glad to see that the animals still smoked pipes and cigars and carried pistols. It has not been "watered-down" for children and simpletons.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 December 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Széljárta Fűzfa meséi

Filming Locations:

Eton College, Eton, Berkshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

TVC London, Carlton UK Productions, HIT Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

73 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color (YouTube) Color

Aspect Ratio:

16:9 HD