The Incredible Elephant (2001)

The lonely boy who magically got the elephant he wished for from a falling star.

Director:

Martin Wood

Writer:

Robert C. Cooper

Stars:

Mia Sara, Nicholas Lea, Mark Rendall

1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mia Sara	...	Molly Connor
Nicholas Lea	...	Steven Harris
Mark Rendall	...	Daniel Harris
Alex Doduk	...	Gilbert (Trout)
Jordan Becker	...	Butterbutt
Sandy Robson	...	Lenny (as Sandy Wayne Robson)
William Sarto	...	George Gerbner (as William Taylor)
Sean Hoy	...	Bob
Mitchell Fehr	...	Kyle Peters
Emma Davison-Roy	...	Miranda
Dwayne Brenna	...	Principal Duncan
Lana Haight	...	Bus Driver
Sheldon Bergstrom	...	Jack
Emily Slocombe	...	Amy
Andrea Menard	...	Miss Parker

Storyline

Motherless Daniel 'Danny' Harris believed his dad that wishes to falling stars don't just come true, but when he wishes for an elephant a baby one magically appears in a crate in their back yard. Naturally father Steven, a newspaper journalist, isn't to popular when he responsibly brings the new 'pet' to the local zoo, nor its caretaker George when he admits such an animal, especially this one who soon falls sick, needs specialist care they can't provide and will therefore be shipped to San Diego. The only one who helps Danny is nerdy genius Gilbert Trout, who is also constantly bullied at school, but proves a valuable ally in a daring attempt to spring free the pachyderm, and then more magic happens...

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Plot Keywords:

asian elephant | riding elephant | trained elephant | reference to an elephant | reference to elephant | 

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Taglines:

With a good friend by your side, anything is possible.

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Genres:

Adventure | Family

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in Best of the Worst: Supergirl, Captain America (1990), and Roger Corman's Fantastic Four (2014)

User Reviews

A nice family film, starts off better than the finish, which becomes a bit more than far-fetched

Daniel (Mark Rendall) is a middle schooler who is being bullied for his "uncool" stature. On pet show-and-tell day, for example, he has nothing to exhibit, unlike the boy who brings in a poisonous snake with altered, benign glands...no longer harmful. When he asks his dad, Steven (Nicholas Lea) if he can have a pet, Dad says no, even though his close female friend, Molly (Mia Sara) thinks it might be a good idea. In any case, Daniel sees a falling star and makes a wish for a truly posh pet. Whoa! During the wee hours of the morning, Daniel discovers that an ELEPHANT, in a large box, has landed on his lawn. Not only that, this elephant, which he names Lumpy, is talented to the point of kicking balls and picking up objects. Naturally, Dad says there is no way to keep such a hefty animal BUT he does permit Daniel to show the pachyderm at school before it goes to the local zoo. Doesn't make much difference, one of the big bullies is still after our Dan. Curiously, Lumpy doesn't thrive at the zoo, mostly because he misses Daniel. So, the lad decides to arrange a jailbreak for the beloved creature, with the help of a new friend. Will the young man succeed and will he be able to keep the mighty big friend? This started off so well, dealing with not only the weighty topics of death of a parent, bullying, new relationships but with an absolutely darling little elephant. This viewer's expectations were that eventually the circus would come back to pick up their "lost" star that somehow ended up in a child's lawn. But, no, instead, it goes for fantasy, an elephant that came from a wish, can fly, and the tale travels in a new, unwelcome (my opinion) direction. Nevertheless, the film still qualifies as "nice" material for a family watch, especially one with animal lovers and/or boys in the audience. The cast and all of the production values are of good quality, yes. So, if your loved ones are being "impossibly good", get this little film as a reward.

Details

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 April 2001 (Canada)

Also Known As:

The Incredible Elephant

Filming Locations:

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Edge Entertainment, Global, Saskatchewan Employment Tax Credit Program

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color