The Wind in the Willows (1987) (TV)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Directors:

Jules Bass
Arthur Rankin Jr.

Writers:

Kenneth Grahame (novel)
Romeo Muller (screenplay)

Release Date:

5 July 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Family

Plot Keywords:

Based On Novel

Cast

Charles Nelson Reilly	...	Mr. Toad (voice)
Roddy McDowall	...	Ratty (voice)
José Ferrer	...	Badger (voice)
Eddie Bracken	...	Moley (voice)
Paul Frees	...	Wayfarer (voice)
Bob McFadden	...	Magistrate (voice) (as Robert McFadden)
Ray Owens	...	(voice)
Gerry Matthews	...	(voice)
Ron Marshall	...	(voice)
Alice Tweedy	...	(voice) (as Alice Tweedie)
Jeryl Jagoda	...	(voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Coen Flink	...	Toad (voice: Dutch version)

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Rankin/Bass Productions

Trivia:

The film was finished in 1985, but its television premiere was delayed several times.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Moley is at Ratty's house for the first time, he and Ratty are warming themselves in front of a fire. He is at first wearing his everyday overalls and coat, but from the fire's view, he is suddenly wearing his green bathrobe.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Mr. Toad: Oh... was there ever such a yachtsman as Mr. Toad?
[camera flash, followed by a puff of smoke]
Mr. Toad: Never!

Movie Connections:

Version of The Adventures of Mole (1995) (TV)

Soundtrack:

We Don't Have Any Pate de Foie Gras

Classic TV production with surprisingly high quality

"Wind in the Willows" is one of the all-time classic children's books, no doubt about it. And this is quite a good production, made (I believe) for Saturday morning television. I was about 4 or 5 when this was first aired, we've taped it and had it for the ensuing 15 or 16 years. Even aside from the hilarious 80's commercials (remember how popular claymation was back then?), it's still a treat to pull out the old tape and run it through the VCR again. One of the keys to the cartoon's success was the excellent musical score, with some truly memorable songs (particularly the wistful title tune which perfectly captures the yearning spirit of Rattie). And there's a great sequence with the Seafaring Rat seducing Rattie with tales of the far-off wonders of the world...it gets right to the soul of every adventurous Englishman, divided between the serene comforts of home and the wide world beyond (it's almost a David Lean moment here). The animation is admittedly not up to Disney's caliber, but then neither was Disney at the time this was made (it would be a few years before "Little Mermaid" signified their renewal). Sometimes the drawings are a bit flat, but other times they're wonderfully evocative. All in all, I recommend this if you can find it--I really don't know if it's on video or not although it probably says so on this site. Oh, and one last thing: the voices are dead-on perfect, especially Roddy McDowell as the Rat (just found out it was him recently, but it makes perfect sense in retrospect. There have been many versions of "Wind in the Willows"--a stop-motion production done for PBS in the 90's, a lushly drawn cartoon introduced by Vanessa Redgrave, even a live action version starring the Monty Python crew, which is worth watching...and of course the Disney cartoon which is a big departure from the spirit and story of the book in many ways, but contains that irrestible Disney charm and enthusiasm. Still, in some ways, this remains my favorite production, both for personal reasons (it evokes as much nostalgia for me as Teddy Ruxpin and Mr. Potato Head) and because it is the movie which most lives up to the spiritual undertones in Graham's story.