Here Come the Littles facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Here Come the Littles |
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Original theatrical poster
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| Directed by | Bernard Deyriès |
| Produced by |
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| Screenplay by | Woody Kling |
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| Music by | |
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| Distributed by | Atlantic Releasing |
| Release date(s) | May 25, 1985 |
| Running time | 75 minutes |
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| Language | English |
| Money made | $6.6 million |
Here Come the Littles is a 1985 animated fantasy film produced in France by DIC Enterprises, Inc. and distributed by Atlantic Releasing. It was directed by Bernard Deyriès and adapted by Woody Kling from John Peterson's series of books, The Littles, and also based on the ABC television show of the same name.
Here Come the Littles follows a boy named Henry Bigg as he meets a family of miniature people that lives in his home. While his abusive uncle Augustus plans to build a shopping center at the site of his home, Henry teams up with the Littles to prevent this scheme.
Here Come the Littles was screened at weekend matinees during its original U.S. release, and made over US$6.5 million. It was not a critical success; reviewers found fault with the story and animation style. The film was released on VHS in late 1985, and on DVD in early 2004. Another Littles film, Liberty and the Littles, premiered on television in late 1986.
Contents
Plot
Henry Bigg learns that his parents have been lost during an archaeological trip to Africa, although the remains of their aircraft have been found. His housekeeper Mrs. Evans says his Uncle Augustus is his next of kin and therefore his legal guardian. Thus, Henry moves to Augustus' residence as the uncle neither wants to have a housekeeper nor move to his nephew's house.
Meanwhile, Tom and Lucy Little (two of the tiny people inside the walls of Henry's house) snag an apple that Mrs. Evans had left for Henry. They repay the boy by finding his lucky rabbit's foot and sneaking it in his suitcase. They are carried away to Augustus' house, trapped inside the luggage. Another two of the tiny creatures, Grandpa and Dinky, soon find them.
There, the Littles soon learn of Augustus' ill-tempered and mean-spirited ways: He treats Henry more like a slave, and is planning on replacing his nephew's house with a shopping mall. While the creatures try to escape, Henry discovers Grandpa and Dinky, not knowing who—or what—they are. Augustus also sees them, but mistaking them for toys, grabs them from Henry and locks them in the desk drawer in his study. Here, Dinky and Grandpa discover that Augustus forged the documents in order to become Henry's legal guardian, as well as to steal and redevelop the Biggs' property.
To rescue those two, Lucy persuades Tom to talk to Henry—a bold move, considering that humans never knew about the creatures until recently. Grandpa and Dinky, whom Henry finds inside the study, both prove the evidence of Augustus' fraud. Before Augustus locks him inside his room, Henry soon creates a diversion allowing Tom and Lucy to save them.
Eventually, Lucy and Tom are hungry, and begin to search for food. Tom gets trapped in a jar of honey, and a change of plans ensues: the Littles must rescue Henry before they can save Tom. At first Grandpa resists, but consents since Henry has already met them.
After several attempts to escape, the Littles finally flee away aboard their gas-powered toy aircraft, but cause a garage fire that wakes up Augustus. Henry attempts to go to the police station, but gets lost and is eventually caught by his uncle. The Littles, however, distract Augustus long enough for Henry to run down there. Meanwhile, Augustus orders the demolition crew by phone to start tearing down the Biggs' place.
When the Littles get to Henry's house, they split up; Grandpa looks for Mr. and Mrs. Little while the others try to sabotage the bulldozer. Both plans succeed just in the nick of time. The moment Augustus arrives and learns what happened, the police arrive arrest him for propose illegal destruction to private property and Henry’s abuse.
Henry is reunited with Mrs. Evans, and prepares to meet his rediscovered parents at the airport. He casts a knowing wink at the gate, as the Littles watch on.
Voice cast
| Name | Character |
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| Jimmy E. Keegan | Henry Bigg |
| Bettina Bush | Lucy Little |
| Donavan Freberg | Tom Little |
| Hal Smith | Uncle Augustus |
| Gregg Berger | Frank Little |
| Patricia Parris | Helen Little |
| Alvy Moore | Grandpa Little |
| Robert David Hall | Dinky Little |
| Mona Marshall | Mrs. Evans |
| Pat Fraley | Slick (uncredited) |
| B. J. Ward | Ashley (uncredited) |
Crew
- Wally Burr - Recording director
Sequel
A made-for-television follow-up, Liberty and the Littles, aired on the ABC network in 1986 as part of its Weekend Special anthology series. It first aired in three parts of 30 minutes, on October 18, October 25, and November 1. In the film, the Littles fly to the Statue of Liberty, and come across a group of French relatives who are under a tyrant's control.
According to one crew member, Liberty was planned for a theatrical release, but ended up on television because of a change in management during production.
