The Wind in the Willows (1983 film)

The Wind in the Willows is a 1983 79-minute film by the studio Cosgrove Hall for Thames Television and aired on the ITV network. The movie is based on Kenneth Grahame's classic story The Wind in the Willows. It won a BAFTA award and an international Emmy award. Subsequently the studio made a 52 episode series, The Wind in the Willows based on characters from the Wind in the Willows between 1984 and 1990. The Stone Roses guitarist John Squire worked on this series for Cosgrove Hall. Voice actors on this adaptation included David Jason, Ian Carmichael and Michael Hordern.

Plot

After being fed up with spring cleaning, Mole ventures out of his underground home. He goes for a walk in the countryside and soon comes to a river where he meets and befriends Ratty (who lives there). Rat takes Mole on a picnic and he briefly meets Badger who just says "Hmm Company!" and walks off home,Rat warns Mole of the Wild Wood and it's inhabitants, then the Chief weasel and his henchman interrupt Rat and Mole's picnic and while the Chief distracts them his henchmen steals a jar of potted meat. Then Rat takes Mole to visit Toad at Toad Hall and Toad wants them to come with him on a caravan trip on the Open Road. Rat misses his river but does not want to disappoint his friends. On the Open Road disaster strikes as a passing motorcar sends the caravan in a ditch and has Toad struck down with motoring insanity.

After Toad buying and smashing cars constantly, Rat and Mole worry and Rat tells Mole only Badger can deal with Toad. Mole decides to visit Badger in the Wild Wood and becomes scared and lost. Rat soon notices Mole's absence and finds a note written by Mole telling him where he is. Rat takes some pistols and a cudgel and goes to search for his friend. After Rat finds Mole, they both find Badger's House ( Mole hurts his foot on Badger's door scraper buried in the snow) and Badger lets them in. They then discuss how to help Toad. Next morning Toad won't listen to Badger's advice and the three lock Toad in his bedroom. One day Toad fools Rat, pretending to be very ill, and asks Rat to fetch a lawyer. Toad then escapes while Rat tells the others. Rat and Mole chase Toad but can't find him. Toad stops a motorist "Reggie" and his wife "Rosemary," tricks them and steals their car, then insults a policeman by calling him "Fatface!". Meanwhile Mole becomes homesick and he and Rat visit Mole End and spend Christmas there, some field mice tell them Toad has been arrested. Toad is sentenced to; "12 months for the theft, three years for furious driving, and fifteen years for the cheek. And another year for being green!"

The Jailer's Daughter feels sorry for Toad and helps him escape as being disguised as a "Washerwoman". Toad acts his way as the humble "washerwoman" into a train driver at a local railway giving him a free ride home, but it isn't long until another train full of Police; Reggie, Rosemary, the Magistrate and the Clerk are after him. Toad is found out but the engine driver but still lets him escape. Toad calls in at Rat's on the way home and Rat tells him the Weasels have over thrown Badger and taken over Toad Hall. Toad is upset after losing his ancestral home but Badger has a plan. The next night, the friends sneak through the secret tunnel and fight the weasels(except Toad, who is fooling around on his chandeliers). But he manages to fall on top of the Chief Weasel and therefore knocking him unconscious. After victory, Badger, Mole, and Ratty settle down and think of the peaceful future, until Toad flies by in his new "Flying Machine".

Differences between the Novel and the Feature Film.

1. When Mole goes to row Ratty's boat - In the book they fall into the river. In the film they remain dry.

2. The Picnic - In the book Otter joins them. In the film their picnic is disturbed by the weasels.

3. In the book the weasels really only have a small role. They take over Toad Hall and when the four friends go into battle for Toad Hall the weasels just run away. In the film they are depicted as more evil and sinister. They block road signs when Toad is driving his motor cars to make him crash. They petrify Mole in the Wild Wood to try and stop him from finding Badger's house and getting Badger's help to stop Toad's motoring insanity and they are also in the jury of the court room when Toad is being sentenced. And in the Battle for Toad hall they fight Toad and his friends. Though of course the friends win.

4. Three chapters of the book are omitted from the film: "The Further Adventures of Toad", "Wayfarer's All" and "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn." These chapters were adapted as TV episodes in the first series of The Wind in the Willows.

External links

The Wind in the Willows at the Internet Movie Database