The Willoughbys facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Willoughbys
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Kris Pearn
Produced by	Brenda Gilbert Luke Carroll
Screenplay by	Kris Pearn Mark Stanleigh
Story by	Kris Pearn
Narrated by	Ricky Gervais
Starring	Will Forte Maya Rudolph Alessia Cara Terry Crews Martin Short Jane Krakowski Seán Cullen Ricky Gervais
Music by	Mark Mothersbaugh
Cinematography	Sebastian Brodin
Editing by	Fiona Toth Ken Schretzmann
Studio	Bron Animation Creative Wealth Media
Distributed by	Netflix
Release date(s)	April 22, 2020 (2020-04-22)
Running time	92 minutes
Country	Canada United States
Language	English

The Willoughbys is a fun computer-animated comedy film released in 2020. It was directed by Kris Pearn. The movie is based on a book by Lois Lowry with the same name. It tells the story of a group of children who try to find a better family.

The film features the voices of many famous actors. These include Will Forte, Maya Rudolph, Alessia Cara, and Ricky Gervais. Ricky Gervais also narrates the whole story. The Willoughbys became available on Netflix on April 22, 2020.

The Story of the Willoughbys

A friendly stray cat tells us the tale of the Willoughby family. Long ago, the Willoughbys were known for being brave and loving. But the parents in the current family are only interested in each other. They don't pay much attention to their four children.

The children are:

• Tim, the oldest, who tries to keep everyone safe.
• Jane, the middle child, who loves to sing but is often told to be quiet.
• The twin boys, both named Barnaby, who are very creative.

The parents often neglect the children. They sometimes don't give them food. They even make them sleep in a dusty old coal bin as punishment.

A New Baby and a Big Plan

One day, Jane and the twins find a baby left outside their house. Their parents get very upset. They tell the children they can't come back home with the baby. So, the children leave the baby at a candy factory. The kind owner, Commander Melanoff, takes the baby in. Tim names the baby Ruth.

The Willoughby children decide they need to get away from their parents. They create a fake travel brochure. It shows dangerous places like volcanoes and bears. They hope their parents will go on a "dangerous vacation" and not come back.

A Nanny Arrives

The children celebrate their new freedom. But then, a nanny hired by their parents arrives. Her name is Linda. She quickly wins over Jane and the twins. Tim, however, doesn't trust her.

Linda learns about baby Ruth. She takes the children to Commander Melanoff's candy factory. There, they save Ruth from a candy assembly line. Linda sees that Ruth is safe and loved with Melanoff.

Meanwhile, Mr. and Mrs. Willoughby survive their dangerous trip. They don't want to go home to their children. They sell their house online to get more money for their travels. Tim overhears a voicemail about this. He thinks Linda is working with his parents. So, he calls Orphan Services to report her.

Separated and Reunited

The parents' realtor tries to sell the house. The siblings set up traps to scare away buyers. Linda helps scare away one last family. Tim finally realizes she is a good person. But then, Orphan Services arrives. The head agent recognizes Linda. She was an orphan herself and never found a family.

Linda leaves, feeling sad. Jane gets very angry at Tim for calling Orphan Services. The siblings are then separated. They are sent to different foster homes. Tim keeps running away from his new families. He finds out that the Willoughby mansion has been sold and torn down. He ends up at the Orphan Services center.

The stray cat finds Linda. It brings her Tim's special helmet. This convinces Linda to help the children. Linda breaks Tim out of the center. She gathers all the siblings. Tim apologizes to Jane. They decide to find their parents. They hope this will make Orphan Services leave them alone.

The Final Adventure

Linda and the children get help from Commander Melanoff. He builds a candy-powered airship. They plan to fly to "Sveetzerlünd" (like Switzerland). Their parents are trying to climb a very tall mountain there.

The siblings fly off without Linda, Melanoff, and Ruth. They reach Sveetzerlünd. They follow a trail of their mother's yarn up the mountain. They find their parents almost frozen. The children save them. They admit they sent their parents away. But they hope they can all be a family again.

However, Mr. and Mrs. Willoughby haven't changed. They abandon their children again. They take the airship, but they crash it. The siblings prepare to freeze on the mountain. Jane sings a sad song. But then, Ruth, Linda, and Melanoff arrive and rescue them!

A New, Loving Family

Linda and Commander Melanoff decide to adopt Ruth. They also adopt the Willoughby children. They all live happily together at the candy factory. They finally have a loving family.

Mr. and Mrs. Willoughby survived the airship crash. They are last seen floating at sea.

In a short scene after the credits, the cat cleans itself. Then it notices the audience watching!

Meet the Characters

• Will Forte as Tim Willoughby: The oldest and most sensible of the Willoughby children.
• Maya Rudolph as Linda (The Nanny): An energetic babysitter who cares for the kids. She was an orphan herself.
• Alessia Cara as Jane Willoughby: The middle child who loves to sing and is full of spirit.
• Terry Crews as Commander Melanoff: The kind and lonely owner of a big candy factory.
• Martin Short as Walter "Father" Willoughby: The children's father, who doesn't care for them well.
• Jane Krakowski as Helga "Mother" Willoughby: The children's mother, who loves knitting but neglects her kids.
• Seán Cullen as Barnaby A and Barnaby B Willoughby: The inventive and sometimes "creepy" twin boys.
• Ricky Gervais as The Cat: A talking blue cat who tells the story.
• Colleen Wheeler as Orphan Service Agent
• Nancy Robinson as Irene Holmes
• Kris Pearn as Spoons McGee

Music from the Film

The music for The Willoughbys was created by Mark Mothersbaugh. He also worked with director Kris Pearn on Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2. A special song from the film is "I Choose." It is sung by Alessia Cara, who voices Jane in the movie.

Score Track List

All music composed by Mark Mothersbaugh.

See also

In Spanish: Los hermanos Willoughby para niños