Thumbelina (1994 film)

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Thumbelina

Directed by	Don Bluth Gary Goldman
Produced by	Don Bluth
Written by	Hans Christian Andersen (original fairy tale) Don Bluth
Starring	Jodi Benson Gino Conforti Barbara Cook
Music by	Barry Manilow
Distributed by	Warner Bros. 20th Century Fox (2002 DVD release)
Release date(s)	March 30, 1994
Running time	86 min.
Language	English
Budget	N/A
IMDb profile

Thumbelina is a 1994 animated film directed by Don Bluth, and released by Warner Bros. It is based on the original Thumbelina fairy tale written by Hans Christian Andersen.

On March 26, 1995, the movie was dishonored with a Razzie in the category of "Worst Original Song" for "Marry The Mole" sung by Carol Channing against "The Color of The Night" from the movie of the same name and "Under The Same Sun" from On Deadly Ground.^[1]

1 Plot
2 Voice cast
3 Musical numbers
4 Trivia
5 References
6 External link

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The film features a number of changes from the fairytale for dramatic effect. Most prominently is that Thumbelina meets the Flower Prince (Cornelius) very early on in the movie, before she gets kidnapped by Mrs. Toad. This sets up the rest of the film as Thumbelina tries to find her way home and to Cornelius, and creates a subplot where Cornelius has to search for Thumbelina.

Character changes include that the Mayfly in the original fairytale has been changed to Berkeley Beetle and Mr. Fieldmouse has been changed to Mrs. Fieldmouse. Additionally, various characters that Thumbelina only encounters briefly in the fairytale have also been extended, such as the Swallow (in this film, named Jacquimo) who meets Thumbelina relatively early in the film and helps her search for Cornelius in the Vale of the Fairies, as well as the Toad (Grundel) who continues to hunt down Thumbelina after she initially escapes from him.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Voice cast

Jodi Benson as Thumbelina
Gino Conforti as Jacquimo
Barbara Cook as Mother
Will Ryan as Hero
Gilbert Gottfried as Berkeley Beetle
June Foray as Queen Tabitha
Kenneth Mars as King Colbert
Gary Imhoff as Prince Cornelius
Joe Lynch as Grundel
Charo as Mrs. Toad
Carol Channing as Ms. Fieldmouse
John Hurt as Mr. Mole

[edit] Musical numbers

Thumbelina and Prince Cornelius, shortly after their first meeting.

"Follow Your Heart" (Intro) - Jacquimo
"Thumbelina" - Thumbelina, Farm Animals
"Soon" - Thumbelina
"Let Me Be Your Wings" - Cornelius, Thumbelina
"On the Road" - Mrs. Toad, Thumbelina, Singers de Espana (Los Sapos Guapos)
"Follow Your Heart" - Jacquimo
"Yer Beautiful, Baby" - Berkeley Beetle, Beetle Chorus
"Soon (Reprise)" - Thumbelina's Mother
"Let Me Be Your Wings (Sun Reprise)" - Thumbelina
"Marry the Mole" - Ms. Fieldmouse
"Let Me Be Your Wings (Wedding Reprise)" - Cornelius
"Let Me Be Your Wings" (Reprise) - Thumbelina, Jacquimo
"Follow Your Heart" (Finale) - Chorus

[edit] Trivia

Three of the voice actors (Jodi Benson, Will Ryan, and Kenneth Mars) previously starred in another animated movie adapted from a story by Hans Christian Andersen (Disney's The Little Mermaid, in 1989). Jodi Benson also played the leading female protagonist in both films.
The film was released with an Animaniacs short called I'm Mad.