Annabelle's Wish (1997 Video) User Reviews

I love this Christmas cartoon - with the cutest calf featured!

[Mightyzebra · 8/10 · 10 April 2007]

This film is very good in my book. It stars a lovely, friendly boy named Billy who can't speak and a calf named Annabelle who was born on Christmas Eve. Annabelle has a special wish and she's going to tell it to Father Christmas next Christmas...

I recommend this for children who would like to watch a quick, pleasurable film, not JUST about Christmas, it's also for people who like animals, especially farm animals, people who still don't prefer computer to cartoon animation and a film with unforgettable characters, one or two lovely songs and a good storyline! PANT PANT. BOY was that a long sentence to explain why you should watch this film! :)

So, what are you waiting for? If you haven't had the chance, buy it or rent it from Amazon or the nearest shop and watch it! If you don't like it, you could lend it to a friend! ENJOY!! :)

P.S This is a very emotional film and for people who feel emotional, I suggest a few hankies provided, especially at the end.

Great for kids, so-so for adults

[bnakagaki · 8/10 · 18 June 2013]

DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED THE MOVIE! THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS ABOUT PLOT POINTS!

A classic straight out of the middle of my childhood, Annabelle's Wish is a kid's Christmas film about a talking calf who wants to become one of Santa's reindeer, and a mute boy who struggles to live with his disability.

When I was young, this was my favorite Christmas film, surprisingly blowing A Charlie Brown Christmas out of the water (I didn't understand much of the humor in the Peanuts cartoons, or the comics). The bond between Annabelle and Billy was my first taste of bittersweet endings (Although it was mostly sweet rather than bitter, otherwise it wouldn't be much of a kid's movie), and sort of set the standard for these sort of altruistic stories. I didn't understand much of the main conflict involving Aunt Agnes and how she was going to take Billy away, so unfortunately, that wasn't really a part I could get involved in. But the impact it left with the ending was something I was able to walk away with, permanently changing the way I thought about how unimportant my wants were compared to others' needs.

A decade later, I stumbled upon the full movie on YouTube, so I thought I'd give it a look. Surprisingly, it hasn't changed much. The bit with Aunt Agnes was something I could understand (Custody of kids and whatnot), but it wasn't something I was particularly interested in. It was still the bond between Annabelle and Billy that I could stay involved in. Although many of the potentially real moments in the movie were made cliché and corny, I can understand, seeing that it was made mostly for kids.

Overall, it's great for kids who are looking for something to do on Christmas, as well as give a lesson in selflessness. Helped steer me into thinking about putting myself in others' shoes, rather than always thinking for myself. Adults can watch too, if they're willing to bear the overused lines, as well as awkward kid gags that really aren't that funny.

Not that I care. Still gonna be one of my favorite movies I've ever watched.

An obscure yet charming animated Christmas special

[Stompgal_87 · 8/10 · 11 April 2014]

I first heard of this Christmas special when one of my university classmates recommended it to me when she said the storyline of 'Olive, The Other Reindeer (also very good)' reminded her of the plot of this one due to Annabelle and Olive both wanting to become reindeer, although Annabelle's true wish was Billy being able to talk again. I watched the first half of this on YouTube in the run-up to last Christmas and I found it rather enjoyable. This morning when I decided to watch the whole thing from the beginning due to having forgotten where exactly I'd left off, I was more satisfied because I got more out of it than I had done previously.

Although the character designs looked pretty generic, particularly the humans, I soon got used to them and although I initially thought Emily (also the name of the girl at uni who recommended this to me) was a boy, she was an endearing side-character and I found Annabelle absolutely adorable. When I first saw her, she reminded me of the ponies in the original 1980s 'My Little Pony' cartoon. Billy is a character who anyone watching this special would deeply sympathise with, his grandfather is supportive while Aunt Agnes is self-indulgent and the father of the boys who torment Billy and Emily is strict. The rest of the animal characters are more than worthy if Slim the pig is somewhat clichéd and stereotypical despite his name being the complete opposite of how he looks. The animation is fluid with rich shading and great uses of principles, most notably squash and stretch and follow-through and overlapping action. Both the background designs, especially those in the snowy exterior scenes and the springtime sequence, and music are beautiful. I particularly liked the songs accompanying Annabelle's dream of herself jumping in the sky like a reindeer and the springtime sequence. The story and the dialogue are both heartbreaking (Billy becoming mute when being traumatised by the barn fire) and heartwarming (Billy and Annabelle eventually getting their wishes) and I liked the ending of Billy and Emily as a married couple and Annabelle becoming a real reindeer. The voice acting has some great variety to it and Santa's voice here is more convincing and realistic than that in the mediocre 'The Christmas Tree, where it sounded creepy and robotic. There are more well-known voices in the cast of this special than first thought including Randy Travis, Cloris Leachman (Hydia in 'My Little Pony: The Movie'), Kath Soucie and Frank Welker.

Despite its generic character designs and one clichéd, stereotypical character, 'Annabelle's Wish' is a charming, heartbreaking and heartwarming Christmas special that I would happily watch every festive season. 8/10.

why does no one know about this movie?

[kristihogan · 10/10 · 28 November 2009]

My mom bought this several years ago on VHS. I had never heard of it, but reluctantly watched it with her. Who knew a cartoon could be a tear- jerker? Now, several years later, I always ask if anyone has heard about it when people are talking about their favorite Christmas movies. I have never had someone say they have seen it! Netflix doesn't even carry it in their titles! If you can get your hands on a copy, watch it! It ranks right up there with 'It's a Wonderful Life', 'White Christmas', and 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' on my list! If you love animals it is a sure hit. Kids will love it, Parents will love it even more.

I just don't understand why more people don't know about it!

Wonderful, extremely cute and touching

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 16 September 2012]

I've always adored Christmas movies, from It's a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street to Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and The Snowman. Annabelle's Wish is another one of my favourites. It looks beautiful, the character designs are skillfully drawn and the backgrounds are colourful and fluid. The score is wonderfully whimsical, and the songs are catchy, while the writing is amusing and sweet and the story of friendship(always has been a great value) gives you that warm and cosy feeling as a Christmas movie should do and is genuinely touching without being sentimental. The characters are really likable, especially Annabelle, who is just adorable and you identify with her immediately. Billy also is enough to warm the heart. The voice acting from the likes of Kath Soucie, Jerry Van Dyke, Clancy Brown, Randy Travis and Cloris Leachman is very good. Overall, a cute, touching animation that is perfect for the Christmas season or if you want something very relaxing to watch. 10/10 Bethany Cox

The best cartoon I ever saw. Period.

[kikkoboy01 · 10/10 · 7 January 2001]

This is an animation for the ages. I thought "Mickey's Christmas Carol" was my absolute favourite of all time, until I saw Annabelle's Wish.

It's the tale of true friendship and unselfishness that I believe EVERYONE should watch. It touches the heart, body, and soul with stunning visuals, a great score, and wonderful art and voices. Buy it if you have kids. Buy it if you are a kid. Buy it... if ... if you still believe there is some good and worth in this world left.

A Fun and Touching Christmas Cartoon.

[movies2u · 23 December 2001]

Annabelle's Wish is the cutest Christmas cartoon. The movie had a good plot and was entertaining for young children. The movie is a great family Xmas movie that is cute and fun. I give Annabelle's Wish a 10 out of 10!!!

Emotionally terrifying for a five year old

[sarahlambert-13963 · 2/10 · 4 December 2019]

Let me start by saying that Annabelle's Wish is not a feel-good film for young children. I have THE WORST memories from viewing it way back when. Flipping through old VHS tapes this year, I found Annabelle, a film supposedly about a sweet little farm cow who dreams of being one of Santa's reindeer and I thought, "Why do I remember this as traumatic? Sounds cute and normal" BUT THEN I pressed play and it all came rushing back because Annabelle is a talking cow gifted to a child who WAS RENDERED SPEECHLESS after a BARN FIRE that killed his parents. The mute kid is mercilessly bullied (we find out the bullies also have a dead mom-what is going on in this backwoods town???), not to mention the boy's crazy estranged aunt is trying to take custody of him for reasons unknown. Eventually the cow gives up her voice so the boy can have his to verbally deny the aunt custody (????) and we're supposed to feel warm and fuzzy about this but yikes!!!! Years pass and Annabelle gets old and tired and decrepit until Santa, an emotional terrorist here, turns her into glamorous young reindeer. WHAT TOOK SO LONG SANTA??????? Idk, skip this one and watch Rudolph or Charlie Brown and save your kid the therapy expenses.

One of the greatest specials ever. It is a shame that this is so underrated. It deserves more popularity.

[goldentiger-44442 · 10/10 · 25 December 2018]

I really adore this movie and it deserves to be way more popularity than it has. It not only is in league with the likes of Rudolph, Frosty, the Grinch, and other animated tv classics, but it can shine better and brighter. It's a touching story about love, sacrifice for those you care about, and dreams coming true.

It is based on the legend that St. Nicolas gives not just children gifts but animals too; the ability to speak (God does in the original version). A calf named Annabelle is born on Christmas Eve and forms a friendship with the farmers mute grandson. She wants to fly and even have antlers like Santa's reindeer. However the boy's aunt seeks to take custody of him likely for selfish and prideful reasons. To keep the the boy on the farm with his grandfather Annabelle wishes to give her Christmas voice permanently to the boy Billy so that he can speak again.

Years later Annabelle's wish of flying is granted when Annabelle as an aged cow becomes a young reindeer leading Santa's team and her voice back. So much is right with this short film. The songs and score are excellent, the characters and their actions make sense, and the resolution is wonderful. It makes you cry happy. Yeah it is narrated by Randy Travis a country singer but it suits this movie well.

What a Bizarre World this Creates

[JayWolfgramm · 3/10 · 16 December 2022]

Let me just put into words the premise of this film:

Every year on Christmas, Santa throws magic dust onto animals. This dust gives the animals the ability to speak to humans for 3 days, but the animals are expressly forbidden to speak to any humans during that time. Why would he do this? Just to have a brief conversation with animals once a year? Why would he allow them to speak for 3 days, is that just the smallest amount of dust he could use? The animals can already communicate with each other fine. This isn't a gift; it is a curse. Being given a gift whose only purpose is prohibited from being used...that is torture.

Going on with the premise, the villain, Aunt Agnes, wants Billy to live with her instead of his uncle. She wants Billy to live with her because... she thinks he would make Christmas more fun.

There are other villains who are just bullies. Bullies who love to make fun of mute children. There isn't anything more to their characters, they are just the worst kids.

Oh, and Annabelle is a cow that wants to be one of Santa's reindeer. The payoff for that has an additional twist that makes no sense, but since this world makes no sense, I guess it works.

The rest of the movie is very by the numbers straight to video animated kids' movie. The voice acting is all good and the animation is fine. I'm an easy mark for this animation style. And I am a sucker for some of these Christmas clichés.

Not a perfect Christmas, but also not a complete barn fire.

This is one of the best Christmas movies ever. It is such a shame that it isn't better known.

[goldentiger-44442 · 10/10 · 25 December 2018]

I really adore this movie and it deserves to be way more popularity than it has. It not only is in league with the likes of Rudolph, Frosty, the Grinch, and other animated tv classics, but it can shine better and brighter. It's a touching story about love, sacrifice for those you care about, and dreams coming true.

It is based on the legend that St. Nicolas gives not just children gifts but animals too; the ability to speak (God does in the original version). A calf named Annabelle is born on Christmas Eve and forms a friendship with the farmers mute grandson. She wants to fly and even have antlers like Santa's reindeer. However the boy's aunt seeks to take custody of him likely for selfish and prideful reasons. To keep the the boy on the farm with his grandfather Annabelle wishes to give her Christmas voice permanently to the boy Billy so that he can speak again.

Years later Annabelle's wish of flying is granted when Annabelle as an aged cow becomes a young reindeer leading Santa's team and her voice back.

A sweet little tale with a couple of flaws

[LordNuggets · 8/10 · 14 December 2014]

If you're a parent and are looking for something to show your 3-12 y/o kids on the dark evenings before Christmas, I can recommend you to show them this movie. I will list a few of the good parts of this movie and a few of the bad parts of this movie so you can decide for yourself. If your child likes farms then I can truly recommend it. And given that I'm a more grumpy person than Scrooge and a notorious critic when it comes down to children stuff (and I tend to smash down films that offend the intelligence of kids) I think that will hopefully say something.

The good:

• The relationships in this movie are very genuine, especially between the main characters Billy and Annabelle. They are well build up, sweet and have meaning behind them, especially in the decisions they make and how they care for each other.

• A cheap gimmick often used in other children movies (I'm looking at you, Care Shits- I mean, Bears) is that a child has ''suffered'' from something just to make it all dramatic, but in the end it is all contrived, doesn't make sense and means nothing. In this movie however, there is actually build up to events that happened to Billy and they are shown to the audience. - The struggles the grandfather of Billy is going through are very well understood and have a lot of meaning. - The dramatic moments are very sweet,genuine and can cause tears, and are not forced in.

The bad:

• the trick behind characters in stories for young children is to make archetypes so they are more easily understood. This often gets confused for making stereotypes, and this movie sometimes falls into that trap, especially with Slim the pig and with the chickens. Fortunately though those character do not matter a whole lot except of being filler to fill up the animals needed on a farm.

• With 53 minutes I still find it a tad short. I wouldn't have mind learning more from our main characters. - The designs are rather bland and the animation is not the best ever. This does really impact the experience, however.

• Some emotional scenes drag on too long while others are, in my opinion, too short.

In conclusion, despite a couple of flaws, it is a very sweet and genuine tale that actually can move a person, and I believe children can enjoy it. For adults it may seem a bit bland, however.

It's a shame this isn't better known

[hotrobinproductions · 8/10 · 28 November 2019]

I remember watching this as a young kid. Nostalgia man. I was born in 98' never knew this came out in 97' that's crazy, I'm glad this film was a piece of my childhood, hopefully Netflix or Disney+ gets their hands on this so it can be more well known, it deserves to, this film is very magical!

It was one of my favorites in 1997 and it still is!

[kelaneyrg · 10/10 · 5 December 2021]

AnnaBelle's wish is still one of my absolute favorite Christmas Movies. It still makes me tear up! It is just as magical as it was for me as an 8 year old when I saw it the first time in 1997. It is a fun story of sorrow turning into joy, love, and sacrifice. It is an absolute joy to sit down with my children and watch this precious story again as an adult. A wonderful family film!

An Underrated Classic

[Jace_the_Peanuts_Fan · 9/10 · 24 December 2023]

I've watched Annabelle's Wish on VHS a few times when I was little, and I enjoyed it and still enjoy it to this day! Last year, I watched the same videotape for the first time in many years, and I watched it again a couple days ago. I don't hear a lot of people talk about it, and I'll bet it hasn't been on TV in a long time. What a shame that it doesn't get much recognition! This is one of many Christmas movies that gives me a warm, cozy, and touching feeling! It really touches the heart, body, and soul with stunning visuals, a great musical score, and wonderful art and voice acting!

In this movie, Santa Claus doesn't only give presents to people. He also gives one very special present to animals every year: the power to talk, but they can talk only on Christmas Eve and Christmas day. That's a great gift, but it leads to a plot hole: the animals are not allowed to talk to people other than Santa, only each other. If they can't talk to humans, then what's the point of them talking? I'm sure they can still understand each other just fine through their normal animal sounds. That's why I give this a 9/10. To be fair, Annabelle tells Billy "Bless you" after he sneezes, with the former not knowing the rule, but all the farm animals talk when he's around and not anyone else; after all there's no way to magically erase Billy's memory, or is there?

In a flashback, it is shown that a few years before, Billy's parents got killed when his grandpa Charlie's barn caught on fire, which caused Billy to get his vocal cords destroyed and lose his ability to speak, and the doctor who treated Billy said that he might never talk again. I must say that this is indeed a heartbreaking story! Grandpa Charlie has a music box that belonged to his daughter/Billy's mother, and it reminds him of her and brings back sad memories for him. Later in the film, the sheriff tells Billy and Grandpa's mean neighbor, Gus Holder, that the latter's former Christmas spirit is likely still deep down inside him and everyone knows (or should know) what it's like to lose a loved one. Judging by that bit of dialogue, I'm guessing that Gus's wife died, which led to his turn to evil, hatred of Christmas, and a hardship of being a single father to his sons Bucky and Buster. I actually feel sorry for him. It seems like he has a lot of issues with raising 2 boys on his own, but the problem is that the aforementioned scene is rushed and doesn't give the audience time to feel for Gus and understand his struggles, but at least they tried, and he is voiced by the late Jim Varney, who also voiced Slinky Dog in the first 2 Toy Story movies.

This really is a tale of friendship and unselfishness, as mentioned on the back cover of the videotape. Billy receives Annabelle as a Christmas gift from Santa, and the two of them bond and become good friends throughout the movie. The former gets bullied by the other kids at first, mostly for being nonverbal, but it changes when he meets Annabelle, and the two of them strengthen their bond with each other and their friend Emily. What a gift we have in pets, and anyone else we love! The idea of a disabled kid who is bullied by most kids, makes one friend who accepts him for who he is, and receiving a new pet to comfort him is heartwarming, with me being disabled myself (I have autism, for those of you who don't know, though I can actually talk. I'm aware that some people on the spectrum can't talk.)! I got to admit that Annabelle looks cute with the reindeer antlers Billy made, but she's cute without them too. The scene where she pulls Billy and Emily on the sled is fun to watch. The three of them accidentally destroy Gus's fence, but Grandpa has to sell his daughter's music box to make money to pay for the damage. At first, Annabelle wants to fly and pull Santa's sleigh, but she gives up that wish and wishes for Billy to talk again instead. In order to make her wish come true, she has to give up her own voice, and she does. That is an unselfish thing to do. When Billy talks for the first time in years, his grandpa is touched, and so am I! To put more bread on the table, the Holders redeem themselves towards the end and give Grandpa the music box back, and when the main characters are all grown up, Annabelle finally gets to pull Santa's sleigh, physically turn into a reindeer, and talk again!

I highly recommend Annabelle's Wish.

An obscure, yet charming animated Christmas special.

[ryanward-45039 · 8/10 · 12 December 2022]

I've always adored Christmas movies and specials, from It's a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street to Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer and The Snowman. Annabelle's Wish is one of those that most people including ones I know personally don't know of it's existence.

It's produced by Hallmark Entertainment and it is based on the legend that St. Nicolas gives not just children gifts but animals too; the ability to speak (God does in the original version). A calf named Annabelle is born on Christmas Eve and forms a friendship with the farmers mute grandson Billy. She wants to fly and even have antlers like Santa's reindeer. However the boy's aunt seeks to take custody of him likely for selfish and prideful reasons. To keep the boy on the farm with his grandfather, Annabelle wishes to give her Christmas voice permanently to the boy so that he can speak again.

Years later Annabelle's wish of flying is granted when Annabelle as an aged cow becomes a young reindeer leading Santa's team and her voice back. So much is right with short film. The songs and score are excellent, the characters and their actions make sense, and the resolution is wonderful. It makes you happy cry. Yeah it is narrated by Randy Travis a country singer but it suits this movie well.

It looks beautiful, the character designs are wonderfully drawn and the backgrounds are colorful and fluid, well maybe not Disney but still great. The score is wonderful whimsical, and the songs are catchy, while the writing is amusing sweet and the story of friendship (always has been a great value) gives you that warm and cozy feeling as a Christmas movie should do and is genuinely touching without being sentimental. The characters are really likable, especially Annabelle, who is just adorable and you identify with her immediately. Billy also is enough to warm the heart. The voice acting from the likes of Kath Soucie, Jerry Van Dyke (Dick Van Dyke's brother), Clancy Brown, Jim Varney, Randy Travis and Cloris Leachman (as a generic, weak antagonist) is very good.

Overall: a cute, touching animation that is perfect Christmas season or if you want something very relaxing to watch.

8/10.

A Very Sweet and Charming Little Christmas Movie!

[jomarieszoo · 9/10 · 23 December 2021]

At first, I thought this was just a cheesy little kids' film, not really worth watching. But it turned out to be one of the sweetest little Christmas films I've ever seen. The characters, for the most part, are well-rounded and you can sense the grandfather's love for his grandson, and his willingness to help however he can, even selling his daughter's beloved music box so that he can buy Annabelle back from the mean neighbor; the young friend Emily's devotion to Billy, the rich but selfish aunt's greed, and Annabelle's tender heart and self-sacrifice for Billy, giving up her own dream of being able to fly, and even her Christmas voice, so that her friend can talk again.

There's a lot of love and tenderness in this film! The animation is simple, yet somehow effective. This film would make a terrific live-action film, with some of the missing details filled in. For example, why was the fire in the barn apparently more traumatizing for Billy than the loss of his parents, especially since no animals seemed to have died in it? What exactly had made the neighbor so mean, even though we know he had somehow lost his wife? We didn't even know if she had died or left him. Did the mean neighbor and the rich aunt actually get married? And how did the adult Billy explain to Emily exactly what had happened to Annabelle after she was turned into a reindeer?

Anyway, this is a lovely Christmas film that's definitely worth a watch. Even adults should probably enjoy this one!