The Pebble and the Penguin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Pebble and the Penguin |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Don Bluth (uncredited) Gary Goldman (uncredited) |
| Produced by | Russell Boland |
| Screenplay by | Rachel Koretsky Steven Whitestone |
| Narrated by | Shani Wallis |
| Starring |
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| Music by | Mark Watters |
| Editing by | Fiona Trayler Aran O'Reilly |
| Studio | Don Bluth Limited |
| Distributed by | MGM/UA Communications Co. (United States) Warner Bros. (International) |
| Release date(s) | April 12, 1995 (United States) |
| Running time | 74 minutes |
| Country | United States Ireland |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $28 million |
| Money made | $3.9 million |
The Pebble and the Penguin is a fun animated musical adventure movie from 1995. It was directed by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman. The movie features the voices of famous actors like Martin Short, Jim Belushi, Tim Curry, and Annie Golden.
The story is about Adélie penguins in Antarctica. These penguins have a special tradition. Male penguins give a pebble to the female they want to marry. The film follows a shy penguin named Hubie. He wants to impress a beautiful penguin named Marina. Hubie finds a special pebble that fell from the sky. But an evil penguin named Drake also wants Marina. Hubie must protect Marina from Drake and give her his pebble.
Near the end of making the movie, the company Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer made many changes. This caused Don Bluth and Gary Goldman to leave the project. They even asked for their names to be removed from the film. They then started working at Fox Animation Studios.
The movie was released in the United States on April 12, 1995. It received mostly negative reviews from critics. The Pebble and the Penguin was the last film made by Sullivan Bluth Studios. The studio closed down soon after due to financial problems.
Plot Summary
In Antarctica, Adelie penguins have a special way to find a mate. During mating season, male penguins look for a perfect pebble. On the night of the full moon, they propose to a female by giving her the pebble. If she accepts, they become a married couple.
Hubie is a shy but kind male penguin. He loves Marina, who is the most beautiful penguin in the group. Marina seems to like him too. But Drake, a strong and mean penguin, also wants Marina. One night, Hubie and Marina talk about their feelings. Hubie cannot find a good pebble to propose with. Other penguins are also looking for pebbles, making it hard. Hubie wishes on a star for his dream to come true. Suddenly, a beautiful green emerald cube falls from the sky.
Hubie is very excited and rushes to find Marina. But Drake stops him and makes fun of him. Drake tells Hubie that no one will marry him. Drake demands Hubie give him the emerald. Hubie refuses, so Drake throws him into the water. Hubie barely escapes from a leopard seal. He climbs onto a piece of iceberg and is carried away from Antarctica.
Hubie sleeps for three days on the iceberg. He is then picked up by humans. They put him in a cage on a ship called "Misery." This ship takes penguins to a zoo. On the ship, Hubie meets Rocko. Rocko is a tough, grumpy, but kind rockhopper penguin. Hubie sees a vision of Drake trying to force Marina to marry him. Drake tells Marina she will be sent away if she doesn't find a mate soon. Hubie decides he must escape with Rocko.
Hubie and Rocko escape and hide on a beach. Rocko tells Hubie that he dreams of flying and living somewhere warm. He tricks Hubie into helping him return to Antarctica. Rocko makes up a story about a flying penguin named Waldo. They have a small fight after Rocko tries to fly off. They fight again after Rocko saves Hubie from a killer whale. Hubie then admits he lied about Waldo. Rocko gets angry but then laughs when Hubie makes a funny noise. Rocko praises Hubie for his strong desire to get back to Marina.
Hubie and Rocko run into the hungry leopard seal again. They manage to escape it. After this, they become true friends. Rocko even teaches Hubie how to fight for Marina. But their happiness doesn't last long. Three killer whales attack them. Hubie's special pebble gets lost in the fight. Rocko goes missing, and Hubie thinks he is gone forever.
Heartbroken, Hubie eventually finds Drake's secret home. He discovers that Drake has kidnapped Marina. Drake wants to force her to be his mate. Drake and Hubie charge at each other. Drake knocks Hubie out. Thinking he has won, Drake tries to carry Marina away. But Hubie wakes up. He remembers what Rocko taught him. Hubie fights Drake using martial arts moves. He defeats Drake by kicking him off a stairway.
Hubie is overjoyed when Marina accepts his marriage proposal. He is even happier when Rocko appears, alive and well! As they reunite, Marina screams. Drake lifts the stairway she was standing on. In a final move, Drake throws the large stone at Hubie. Both Hubie and Rocko dodge it just in time. The impact damages Drake's tower. Several pieces fall, and one crushes Drake.
Rocko saves Hubie and Marina as the tower collapses. Rocko is somehow able to fly! They arrive at the mating ceremony. Rocko gives Hubie his pebble. Hubie presents it to Marina. She tells him she loves his pebble, but she loves him even more. Hubie and Marina become mates. Rocko decides to stay in Antarctica. The movie ends with Rocko teaching Hubie and Marina's baby penguins how to fly.
Main Characters
- Martin Short as Hubie, a shy and kind adélie penguin.
- Annie Golden as Marina, the beautiful penguin Hubie loves.
- Jim Belushi as Rocko, a tough but friendly Northern rockhopper penguin who becomes Hubie's best friend.
- Tim Curry as Drake, the mean and selfish penguin who wants Marina for himself.
- Shani Wallis as the narrator, who tells the story.
Music in the Movie
The songs for The Pebble and the Penguin were written by Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman. Barry Manilow also wrote songs for the movie Thumbelina. The background music for the film was created by Mark Watters.
Barry Manilow, who always wanted to compose music, got the chance to write both songs and background music for this film. A singer named Geoffrey Holder sang a song called "The Beachmaster" that was later removed from the movie. A soundtrack album with all the songs was released on April 11, 1995. The music was played by The Irish Film Orchestra. This soundtrack is now hard to find.
See also
In Spanish: The Pebble and the Penguin para niños
