The Little Engine That Could (1991 film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Little Engine That Could |
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VHS cover
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| Directed by | Dave Edwards |
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| Screenplay by | Ray Rhamey |
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| Editing by | Terry Brown |
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| Distributed by | MCA/Universal Home Video |
| Release date(s) | November 22, 1991 (United States) |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
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| Language | English |
The Little Engine That Could is a heartwarming animated adventure film from 1991. It was directed by Dave Edwards and brought to life by Kalato Animation in Wales. This movie was released on VHS on November 22, 1991. It features the voices of talented actors like Kath Soucie and Frank Welker. The story is based on the famous 1930 children's book of the same name by Watty Piper. Many people might remember seeing it as a special TV show around Easter in 1993.
Contents
The Story of Tillie's Big Adventure
The movie begins with a young boy named Eric. He is very excited for his birthday! Eric believes a special birthday train will arrive for him. His older sister, Jill, doesn't think it's possible.
Far away, on the other side of a tall mountain, train engines are getting ready. A character called Tower gives them their jobs for the day. Big engines like Farnsworth and Pete are assigned to pull passenger and freight trains. Jebediah gets the milk train. Georgia is chosen to pull the special birthday train, which is being loaded by Rollo the clown.
Tillie is a small switcher engine. She really wants to pull a train too! But Tower tells her she's too small. Tillie feels a bit sad, but she doesn't give up on her dream.
A Train in Trouble
Suddenly, Georgia, the engine pulling the birthday train, breaks down! The train is stuck, and the children's birthday party is in danger. Rollo and the others try to find another engine to help. They ask Farnsworth, Pete, and Jebediah. But each of the bigger engines says no. They think the mountain is too hard to cross.
Tillie sees the problem and decides to help. While Tower is resting, Tillie quietly leaves the roundhouse. She bravely offers to pull the stranded birthday train.
Tillie's Journey and Challenges
Tillie starts her difficult journey up the mountain. She keeps repeating her famous words: "I think I can, I think I can!" Along the way, some animals make fun of her for being small. But Tillie doesn't let them stop her.
She faces many challenges. Tillie carefully crosses a bridge that is falling apart! She almost makes it, but the very last train car falls off. Still, Tillie keeps going.
Then, a big avalanche of snow buries Tillie and the train. It looks like the journey is over. But Tillie wakes up and uses her front part, called a cowcatcher, to plow through the snow. She pulls the train free!
Reaching the Goal
Tillie and the birthday train finally make it down the mountain. They arrive in town, and everyone cheers! Eric is overjoyed to see his birthday train. Even Jill is amazed by Tillie's courage.
Tillie feels very proud of herself for finishing the tough journey. She blows her whistle to call all the children. They can now enjoy the wonderful birthday party! This story teaches us that even the smallest among us can achieve great things with determination.
Who Lent Their Voices?
Many talented actors helped bring the characters to life! Here are some of the main voice actors:
- Kathy Soucie as Tillie, Missy, and Little Wolf
- Scott Menville as Chip and Stretch
- Frank Welker as Farnsworth, Jebediah, Rollo, Jeepers, Perky, Big Wolf, and Eagle
- B.J. Ward as Grumpella
- Neil Ross as Doc, Tower, and Handy Pandy
- Bever-Leigh Banfield as Georgia
- Peter Cullen as Pete and the Cave
- Billy O'Sullivan as Eric
- Diana Sherman as Jill
How People Watched the Movie
Even though The Little Engine That Could was first released directly on video, it also appeared on TV! It was shown on many independent television stations. This happened as a special Easter program for a couple of weeks in 1993.
For a long time in the United States, you could only watch this movie on VHS tapes or Laserdiscs. These were older ways to watch movies at home before DVDs became popular.
Want to Learn More?
- The Little Engine That Could – This is the original book from 1930 that inspired the movie.
- The Little Engine That Could (2011 film) – There's also a newer movie from 2011! It uses computer animation and stars Alyson Stoner.
