An American Tail facts for kids
Quick facts for kids An American Tail |
|
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster by Drew Struzan
|
|
| Directed by | Don Bluth |
| Produced by |
|
| Screenplay by |
|
| Story by |
|
| Starring |
|
| Music by | James Horner |
| Editing by | Dan Molina |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
| Release date(s) | November 21, 1986 (United States) June 19, 1987 (Ireland) |
| Running time | 80 minutes |
| Country |
|
| Language | English |
| Budget | $9 million |
| Money made | $104.5 million |
An American Tail is a 1986 American animated musical adventure comedy-drama film. It was directed by Don Bluth and tells a heartwarming story. The film features the voices of actors like Phillip Glasser, Dom DeLuise, and Christopher Plummer.
The movie is about a brave young mouse named Fievel Mousekewitz. He and his family are immigrants who leave their home in Russia. They hope to find a better life in the United States, a land they believe has no cats. But during their journey, Fievel gets separated from his family. The story follows his exciting and sometimes scary adventure to find them again in a big, new city.
An American Tail was released on November 21, 1986, by Universal Pictures. It became a big success at the box office. At the time, it was the highest-earning animated film not made by Disney. Its popularity helped lead to more movies and even a TV show about Fievel.
Contents
What is the Story About?
The story begins in 1885 in a place called Shostka, Russia. The Mousekewitzes are a family of mice who live with a human family. During a celebration, Fievel's father tells him about America. He describes it as a wonderful country where there are no cats. This dream is important because their village is attacked by Cossacks and their cats. Their home is destroyed, forcing them to leave.
The Mousekewitz family and many other mice board a ship to New York City. Everyone is excited about the idea of a cat-free America. But during a big storm at sea, Fievel is swept overboard. His family believes he is lost forever and continues their journey to America, heartbroken.
However, Fievel survives! He floats to New York City in a bottle. A friendly French pigeon named Henri encourages him. Fievel then starts his search for his family. He meets a tricky rat named Warren T. Rat, who tries to take advantage of him. Fievel escapes with a street-smart Italian-American mouse named Tony Toponi. They also meet Bridget, an Irish mouse who wants to unite mice against the cats. They soon learn that America does have cats, and they are a real problem!
A gang of cats called the Mott Street Maulers attacks a mouse market. This shows the immigrant mice that the stories of a cat-free land were not true. Bridget, Fievel, and Tony visit Honest John, a mouse politician. He knows many mice in the city but cannot help Fievel find his family because they haven't registered to vote yet. Meanwhile, Fievel's older sister, Tanya, feels that Fievel is still alive, but her parents are sad and don't believe her.
A wealthy mouse named Gussie Mausheimer organizes a meeting. The mice need to decide how to deal with the cats. Warren T. Rat has been tricking them, pretending to offer protection but actually causing trouble. Fievel whispers a plan to Gussie. His family is at the meeting, but they are too far back to see Fievel on stage.
The mice use an old museum on the Chelsea Piers to build their secret weapon. On the day of their plan, Fievel accidentally gets left behind. He hears what he thinks is his father's violin playing and finds Warren T. Rat. Fievel discovers that Warren is actually a small cat in disguise and the leader of the cat gang! Fievel is captured, but a kind, goofy cat named Tiger, who is part of Warren's gang, helps him escape. Tiger doesn't like Warren or his mean ways.
Fievel races back to the pier with the cats chasing him. Warren T. Rat tries to trick the mice again. But Tony uses a slingshot to remove Warren's disguise, showing everyone he is a cat. The mice refuse to give up. Warren sets the pier on fire. Then, Gussie tells the mice to release their secret weapon. It's a giant mechanical mouse, inspired by stories Fievel's father told him. This huge mouse chases Warren and his gang into the water. They are picked up by a ship going to Hong Kong. The fire spreads, and human firefighters arrive. The mice have to escape again.
During the fire, Fievel gets separated from his family once more. He ends up at an orphanage. Papa and Tanya hear Bridget and Tony calling for Fievel. Papa thinks it's just another mouse with the same name. But Mama finds Fievel's special hat, and they realize it's him!
With Gussie's help, Tiger carries them to find Fievel, and they finally reunite. The movie ends with Henri taking everyone to see the newly finished Statue of Liberty. It seems to smile and wink at Fievel and Tanya. This marks the beginning of the Mousekewitz family's new life in the United States.
Who are the Main Characters?
- Fievel Mousekewitz: He is the main character, a five-year-old Russian-Jewish mouse. Fievel is brave and curious but can be scared when he's alone. His new friends help him find his family and start a new life in America. The character's name was inspired by executive producer Steven Spielberg's grandfather.
- John Finnegan as Warren T. Cat: He is a small cat who pretends to be a rat. Warren leads the Mott Street Maulers, a gang of cats that scares the mice in New York City. He is very cunning and tries to trick Fievel.
- Amy Green as Tanya Mousekewitz: Fievel's 14-year-old older sister. She is hopeful and believes that Fievel is still alive, even when her parents don't.
- Nehemiah Persoff as Papa Mousekewitz: Fievel's father. He plays the violin and tells stories to his children, including the tale of the "Giant Mouse of Minsk."
- Erica Yohn as Mama Mousekewitz: Fievel's mother. She is practical and stricter than Papa.
- Pat Musick as Tony Toponi: A street-smart teenage mouse of Italian background. He becomes a good friend to Fievel and acts like a big brother. He also falls in love with Bridget.
- Dom DeLuise as Tiger: A large, orange tabby cat. He is part of Warren's gang but is very kind-hearted and doesn't like hurting mice. He's a vegetarian and enjoys card games.
- Christopher Plummer as Henri le Pigeon: A French pigeon who is helping to build the Statue of Liberty. He encourages Fievel when he first arrives in New York.
- Cathianne Blore as Bridget: An elegant Irish mouse. Her parents were harmed by cats, so she speaks out against them. She is kind and acts like a big sister to Fievel.
- Madeline Kahn as Gussie Mausheimer: A rich German-born mouse in New York City. She helps rally the mice to fight back against the cats.
What About the Music?
The film was planned as a musical from the start. The music was composed by James Horner and performed by The London Symphony Orchestra. The songs were written by Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann.
One of the most famous songs from the movie is "Somewhere Out There". It was sung by Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram for the end credits. This song became very popular and won two Grammy Awards: one for Song of the Year and another for Best Song Written for Visual Media. It was one of the most successful songs from an animated movie in many years.
An official soundtrack album was released in 1986. It included songs and musical scores from the film.
What Else Came From the Film?
An American Tail led to a whole series of stories!
- Sequels:
* An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991): This movie continues Fievel's adventures as his family moves to the Wild West. * An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island (1998) and An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster (1999): These were direct-to-video movies.
- TV Series: Fievel's American Tails (1992): A 13-episode TV show based on the films, which aired on CBS.
- Theme Park Ride: "Fievel's Playland" was built at Universal Studios Florida. It's a playground with giant objects, like books and cowboy boots, making you feel mouse-sized. A similar playground used to be at Universal Studios Hollywood.
- Mascot: Fievel became the mascot for Steven Spielberg's animation company, Amblimation, until it closed in 1997.
- UNICEF Spokesman: In 2000, Fievel was even named the official children's spokesman for UNICEF. This was because his story about immigration and new beginnings was seen as inspiring for children everywhere.
Images for kids
-
Executive producer Steven Spielberg in 2017
See also
In Spanish: An American Tail para niños
