Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas (1999)

Mickey and his friends star in 3 heartwarming stories of Christmas past.

Directors:

Alex Mann, Jun Falkenstein

Writers:

Charlie Cohen (screenplay), William Dean Howells (story inspired by "Christmas Every Day")

Stars:

Kelsey Grammer, Wayne Allwine, Russi Taylor

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kelsey Grammer	...	Narrator (voice)
Wayne Allwine	...	Mickey Mouse (voice)
Russi Taylor	...	Minnie Mouse / Huey / Dewey / Louie (voice)
Tony Anselmo	...	Donald Duck (voice)
Diane Michelle	...	Daisy Duck (The Gift of Magi) (voice)
Tress MacNeille	...	Chip / Daisy / Aunt Gurtie (voice)
Alan Young	...	Uncle Scrooge McDuck (voice)
Bill Farmer	...	Goofy / Pluto (voice)
Corey Burton	...	Dale (voice)
Shaun Fleming	...	Young Max Goof (voice)
Jim Cummings	...	Pete / Postman / Santa / Police / Fire Chief / Dad / Man (voice)
Jeff Bennett	...	Mortimer / Firefighter #2 / Store Announcer / Man / Customer / Dad (voice)
Gregg Berger	...	Mr. Anderson / Shopper (voice)
Kylie Dempsey	...	Kid #2 / Little Girl (voice)
Taylor Dempsey	...	Kid #1 / Little Jimmy (voice)

Storyline

A Christmas themed, three-part anthology-style video. The first part, "Donald Duck: Stuck on Christmas", is essentially a retelling of Groundhog Day (1993), with Huey, Dewey, and Louie reliving Christmas ad infinitum. Next is "A Very Goofy Christmas", in which Goofy tries to overcome his son's skepticism about Santa Claus. Finally, "Mickey & Minnie's Gift Of The Magi" recreate the classic tale of ironic Christmas selflessness. The stories are linked together by narration by Kelsey Grammer.

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Plot Keywords:

christmas | duck | gift | time loop | time travel | 

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Genres:

Animation | Comedy | Family | Fantasy

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jim Cummings voices six different characters in this movie.

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Goofs

In the second story (Goofy and Max's story) Max stays up all night with numerous shots of his alarm clock. The next to last time you see the clock it is 4:39 AM and the very next time you see it the clock reads 3:00 AM.

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Quotes

[Chip 'n' Dale are playing with a toy train inside a treehouse]
Dale: [imitating a train whistle] Whoo-whoo!
Chip: All aboard! Next stop, Waterville!
[both laugh]

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Connections

References Monty Python's Flying Circus: Full Frontal Nudity (1969)

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Soundtracks

Jingle Bells
(uncredited)
Written by James Pierpont
jazzy version

User Reviews

A Little-Known Christmas Surprise

The only time I ever heard about this movie is when I pass by it each time I visit Hollywood Video. I've never seen it on TV or seen commercials, but after working with Disney and becoming a big fan, I figure I should give this Christmas special a chance. And it paid off! This is a very nice, funny, and heartwarming movie, and frankly, I'm surprised we don't hear more about it every Christmas.

My favorite character, Donald, opens the movie strongly with a hilarious episode reminiscent of the great Bill Murray comedy, 'Groundhog Day.' Huey, Dewey, and Louie wish everyday were Christmas, and soon learn they wished for more than they bargained for. In the end, they learn an important lesson, as does anyone watching this episode. Who among us didn't wish we had Christmas everyday when we were kids? This episode also has a memorable visit with the Duck family, including Daisy and Scrooge.

Next up is Goofy's chapter of the movie. Physical comedy is Goofy's trademark, which isn't a favorite comedic style of mine, but he does it well in this cartoon. Goofy is as lovable as always while his son, Max, is much more appealing as a kid than when he grows up (A Goofy Movie). The bond between Goofy and Max is very heartwarming, as Goofy never gives up in his belief in Santa and in his attempt to convince Max. The end result is touching, and also satisfying when neighbor, Mr. Pete, gets what's coming to him!

Last and definitely not least, is Mickey and Minnie's version of 'The Gift of the Magi.' This isn't the funniest episode of the bunch, but just like it has been throughout Disney history, Mickey and Minnie serve as the heart and soul of this picture. They both overcome the odds and indulge in the holiday spirit, only to come up empty-handed. This doesn't matter though, as they have each other, and that's all that matters. Side Note: One tiny thing I really enjoyed about this episode was Mickey's dance move that was first seen in 1942's 'Mickey's Birthday Party.' It's fun to remember the classics!

Overall, this is a very satisfying and heartwarming Christmas special. The animation is quite nice and vibrant to show off our favorite Disney characters, and the voice-work is well done too (especially by Kelsey Grammar as the perfect narrator!) I wouldn't necessarily label this movie a masterpiece like 'Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer' or my personal favorite, 'Mickey's Christmas Carol,' but it's quite strong nonetheless. ABC and Disney Channel should definitely let people know about this special. It has the potential to be a classic!

My IMDb Rating: 9/10. My Yahoo! Grade: A (Outstanding)

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 November 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas

Company Credits

Production Co:

Disney Television Animation, Disneytoon Studios, Walt Disney Feature Animation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

66 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS (Digital DTS Sound) SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1 / (high definition)