Tom Sawyer (2000 film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tom Sawyer |
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| Directed by |
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| Produced by |
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| Written by |
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| Music by | Mark Watters |
| Studio | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Animation |
| Distributed by | MGM Home Entertainment |
| Release date(s) | April 4, 2000 |
| Running time | 89 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Tom Sawyer is a fun animated musical adventure movie from 2000. It was directed by Paul Sabella and Phil Mendez. This film was released straight to video on April 4, 2000. MGM Animation produced it.
This movie is special because it was the last film made by MGM Animation before they closed in 2002. It's also the only MGM Animation movie not released by Warner Home Video. The story is based on Mark Twain's famous 1876 book, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. But in this movie, all the characters are talking animals instead of humans! Many of the voices you hear are from popular country music singers.
Contents
The Story of Tom Sawyer
Tom Sawyer and his half-brother Sid are on their way to school. They see Huckleberry Finn fishing by the river. Tom decides to skip school to join Huck. But then he spots Becky Thatcher and changes his mind. He tries to sneak into class. Sid, his brother, tells the teacher, Mr. Dobbins, about Tom.
Tom gets in trouble and has to sit with the girls. He actually likes this because he can sit next to Becky. He also sits near Amy Lawrence, who used to be his "girlfriend." Amy still likes Tom, but he only has eyes for Becky. Tom's pet frog, Rebel, causes a commotion in class. This makes everyone get to leave school early!
Adventures and Pranks
On the way home, Tom tries to get a kiss from Becky. But her father, Judge Thatcher, stops him every time. This happens during the song "Hook, Line and Sinker." The next day, Tom plans to go fishing with his friends. But his Aunt Polly makes him paint the house as a punishment.
Tom is clever and convinces his friends to paint the house for him. While they are all painting, Becky comes by. Tom offers to let her paint too, but only if she kisses him. As Tom gets ready for the kiss, Rebel the frog jumps up and kisses him instead! Everyone laughs at Tom.
A Secret and a Promise
That night, Tom and Huck go looking for treasure. They find Injurin' Joe and his friend Mutt Potter digging up a chest of gold. Deputy Bean, who is visiting a grave nearby, sees Joe and Mutt. Tom and Huck watch from behind a tombstone. Joe attacks Deputy Bean and makes it look like Mutt is responsible. Joe also captures Rebel the frog.
Tom knows that Joe could find him through Rebel. So, he and Huck make a secret promise. They promise never to tell anyone what they saw.
Taking the Blame and New Friends
The next day at school, Becky accidentally spills ink on her test. Amy is happy because she wants Becky to get in trouble. But Tom takes the blame for Becky. He gets a punishment from Mr. Dobbins. After school, Tom and Becky decide to be "engaged."
Becky and Amy sing "One Dream," showing they both like Tom. Tom then admits he was also "engaged" to Amy. This makes Becky upset, and she breaks off their engagement. Tom and Huck visit Mutt, who is in serious trouble. They try to help him remember what Injurin' Joe did. But Mutt can't remember. Joe finds Tom and Huck, but they escape on a raft. They celebrate their survival and friendship with the song "Friends for Life."
Heroes and a New Adventure
When Tom and Huck return to town, everyone thinks they have drowned. The townspeople are having a memorial service for them. Tom and Huck surprise everyone by showing up at their own funeral! Everyone is happy to see them. Amy, wanting to upset Becky, kisses Tom in front of her. Becky thinks Tom chose Amy and leaves before Tom can explain. Tom feels very sad.
Judge Thatcher is about to punish Mutt. But Huck and Tom bravely tell everyone what they saw about Joe. Joe tries to get Tom and Huck but falls into a river and is carried away. Mutt is set free, and the boys are seen as heroes!
During the celebration, Becky makes up with Tom. She convinces him to explore a cave. Amy follows them. Tom tells Becky she is the prettiest girl he has ever seen. This makes Amy sad, and she stops following them. Tom and Becky get lost in the cave. Becky starts to lose hope. Tom sings "Light at the End of the Tunnel" to cheer her up.
Instead of finding an exit, they find treasure! They also find Joe again. Meanwhile, the townspeople notice Tom and Becky are missing. Amy tells them where Tom and Becky went. The townspeople go to look for them in the cave. With Huck's help, Tom stops Joe. Rocks fall, and Joe is gone. Tom is reunited with the townspeople and Aunt Polly.
In the end, Amy becomes Huck's girlfriend because she was impressed by how he helped Tom. Becky becomes Tom's girlfriend. Amy is no longer jealous of Becky. The next day, Sid tries to get Tom in trouble again. But it backfires, and Aunt Polly makes Sid paint the house instead! The movie ends with Tom, Becky, Huck, and Amy having a picnic. Tom shows them a gold coin and talks about another treasure hunt.
Meet the Characters
Here are the actors who lent their voices to the animal characters in the movie:
- Rhett Akins as Tom Sawyer
- Mark Wills as Huckleberry Finn
- Hynden Walch as Becky Thatcher
- Lee Ann Womack as Becky Thatcher's singing voice
- Clea Lewis as Amy Lawrence
- Alecia Elliott as Amy Lawrence's singing voice
- Betty White as Aunt Polly
- Dean Haglund as Sid
- Richard Kind as Mr. Dobbins
- Hank Williams Jr. and Kevin Michael Richardson as Injurin' Joe
- Don Knotts as Mutt Potter
- Waylon Jennings as Judge Thatcher
- Dee Bradley Baker as Rebel the Frog
- Pat Corley as Sheriff McGee
- Marty Stuart as Reverend
- Thom Adcox as Deputy Bean
- Sheryl Bernstein
- Jennifer Hale
- David Kaufman
Book vs. Movie Characters
This table shows how the characters in the movie compare to the original book by Mark Twain. You can see what animal each character is in the film!
| Character in the book | Character in the movie | Species | Other characteristics |
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| Thomas "Tom" Sawyer | Same | Tabby cat | Has reddish-brownish hair; wears blue overalls and a white shirt. He usually wears black shoes, but sometimes he is shown without them. |
| Huckleberry "Huck" Finn | Same | Red fox | Wears green overalls and has white hair. He also wears a straw hat and is barefoot. |
| Rebecca "Becky" Thatcher | Same | Persian cat | Wears a pink dress and carries a pink umbrella. |
| Judge Edward Thatcher | Same | Russian blue cat | Wears a suit and cowboy hat. He is semi-barefoot. |
| Amy Lawrence | Same | Cat | Has orangeish hair. Wears green overalls and a white shirt. She is barefoot throughout the film. |
| Sidney "Sid" Sawyer | Same | Cat | Has black hair and wears a light blue shirt with a purple bowtie, dark blue overalls, and glasses. He wears shoes and is known for telling on others. |
| Mr. Reginald Dobbins | Same | Turkey | Has black hair and wears glasses. He has leggings on his feet. |
| Injun Joe | Injurin' Joe | American black bear | Wears blue jeans and a brown vest. He also wears a cowboy hat and a necklace. |
| Muff Potter | Mutt Potter | Dog | Wears a green shirt and brown pants. |
| Polly Sawyer | Same | Cat | Has grey hair. Wears a pink dress with a white smock. |
| Dr. Robinson | Deputy Bean | Dog | Wears a bluish shirt, bluish hat, and a deputy's badge. He wears boots. |
Where the Movie Was Shown
The film was shown in different places around the world:
- In Turkey, it was shown on Disney XD as part of their "Toon Movie" special.
- In the UK, it was broadcast on Cartoon Network as part of the "Cartoon Theater" premiere.
- In the Netherlands, it was also shown on Disney XD as part of the "Toon Movie."
Movie Music: The Soundtrack
The movie features many great songs, mostly sung by country music artists. Here are some of the songs from the soundtrack:
- "Leave Your Love Light On" - Marty Stuart
- "Can't Keep a Country Boy Down" - Charlie Daniels
- "Hook, Line, and Sinker" - Mark Nesler
- "Houseboat Painting Song"
- "One Dream" - Lee Ann Womack/Alecia Elliott
- "Friends for Life" - Rhett Akins/Mark Wills
- "Light at the End of the Tunnel"/Reprise - Bryan White/Rebecca Lynn Howard/Rhett Akins/Lee Ann Womack
- "Never, Ever, and Forever" - Lee Ann Womack/Mark Wills
- "Injurin' Joe" - Ray Stevens
Making the Movie
The idea for Tom Sawyer was first talked about in March 1998. In June 1998, MGM Animation made a deal. They worked with Stone Canyon Investments to help pay for three animated movies. Tom Sawyer was the first of these films.
MGM Animation produced the movie. They also made other animated films like All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 and An All Dogs Christmas Carol. The animation for Tom Sawyer was done by Wang Film Productions in Taiwan. Even though it was first planned for movie theaters, Tom Sawyer was released directly to video instead.
Betty White, a famous actress, voiced Aunt Polly in the film. She said she really enjoyed playing a strong animal character. She loved that her character was "barrel-chested" and an animal. Betty White explained, "I'm closer to animals than I am to anything else." When asked why she was in a movie with mostly country singers, she said she had "no idea" how she got the part!
How the Movie Was Released
Tom Sawyer first showed on The Nashville Network (TNN) on March 27, 2000. It was shown again on April 1. TNN had planned to show a car race that day. But it rained, so they showed Tom Sawyer instead!
MGM released Tom Sawyer on DVD and VHS on April 4, 2000. The movie's soundtrack was also released on the same day by MCA Records. The DVD version came with a special video. This video showed how the movie was made.
MGM released the DVD again in the United States on July 30, 2002. It was also re-released in the United Kingdom on March 14, 2005. Later, on March 5, 2007, MGM put Tom Sawyer in a special DVD set with two other movies: The Secret of NIMH (from 1982) and its sequel.
