Pippi Longstocking (1997 film)

This article is about the film. For the television series, see Pippi Longstocking (1997 TV series).
Pippi Longstocking

Video release poster
Directed by
Produced by
Screenplay by Catharina Stackelberg
Based on Pippi Longstocking
by Astrid Lindgren
Starring
Music by
Edited by Noda Tsarmados
Production
companies
Distributed by Legacy Releasing
Release dates
  • 22 August 1997 (1997-08-22) (US)
  • 3 October 1997 (1997-10-03) (Sweden)
  • 22 January 1998 (1998-01-22) (Germany)
Running time
 78 minutes[1]
Country
  • Sweden
  • Germany
  • Canada
Language English
Budget
  • 80 million kr[2]
  • ($11.5 million)
Box office $505,335[3]

Pippi Longstocking is a 1997 animated musical comedy-adventure film co-directed by Michael Schaack and Clive A. Smith and written by Catharina Stackelberg, based on the eponymous children's books by Astrid Lindgren. The film features the voices of Melissa Altro, Catherine O'Hara, Gordon Pinsent, Dave Thomas, Wayne Robson, and Carole Pope.

The film, an international co-production between companies from Sweden, Germany, and Canada, was distributed theatrically by Legacy Releasing, and on VHS and DVD by Warner Bros. Family Entertainment, and was served as a pilot of a spin-off television series on HBO in addition to another animated film, Pippi Longstocking's Adventures on the South Seas.

Pippi Longstocking is Nelvana's first feature film since Babar: The Movie.

Plot

The film begins with Pippi sailing around the world with her father, Captain Efraim Longstocking, her pet horse, Horse, her pet monkey, Mr. Nilsson, and various members of the ship's crew. One night during a hurricane, the captain is washed over board into the sea. As he drifts off, he calls to Pippi that he will "meet her in Villa Villekulla". To that effect, Pippi and her pet animals make their way home, Villa Villekulla, to await his return. Not long after arriving, she makes friends with the two children across the street — Tommy and Annika, who are captivated by her free spirit and fun-loving attitude. They soon convince her to go to school (for the first time in her life) where she gets into trouble, despite winning the hearts of her classmates.

Pippi also soon attracts the attention of a local social worker, Mrs. Prysselius, who conspires to put her into foster care. When Miss Prysselius goes to speak with the local law enforcement of the need for the girl to be placed in a home for orphans, she lets certain details (her lack of adult supervision, living alone, having a large supply of gold coins kept out in the open, and most of all, leaving her door unlocked) be revealed to a pair of thieves already in jail. The thieves, Bloom and Thunder-Karlsson, decide to rob Pippi themselves once they break out of jail.

Pippi and her friends take part in many adventures and close-calls, winning over almost everyone, with the exception of Miss Prysselius and Tommy and Annika's parents. Just when Miss Prysselius has had enough and is about to drag Pippi straight to the children's home herself, Pippi's father returns to take her back to their life on the sea. However, Pippi decides that she can't leave her new friends and decides to stay in Villa Villekulla.

Cast

Musical numbers

  1. "There's Magic Everywhere" - Pippi
  2. "Come and Be Happy" - Pippi
  3. "Recipe for Life" - Pippi, Tommy, and Annika
  4. "A Bowler and a New Gold Tooth" - Bloom and Thunder-Karlsson
  5. "Pluttifikation" - Teacher, Pippi, and Students
  6. "There's Magic Everywhere" (Reprise) - Pippi

Release

Box office

Pippi Longstocking opened theatrically in the United States on 22 August 1997 in 73 venues. In its opening weekend, the film earned $62,196, ranking number 23 in the box office.[4] The film closed on 30 October 1997, having grossed $505,335.[3]

Critical reception

The film received mixed reviews from critics. Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports a 43% rating based on 7 reviews, with an average rating of 4.4/10.[5] Lawrence Van Gelder of The New York Times gave the film a mixed review, stating "As Goldilocks might say, when it comes to uncomplicated children's entertainment, this Pippi Longstocking is not too big, not too small, but just right."[6]

References

  1. ↑ "PIPPI LONGSTOCKING (U)". British Board of Film Classification. 7 February 2000. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  2. ↑ "Pippi Longstocking (1997) - Box office / business". Internet Movie Database. Amazon.com. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  3. 1 2 "Pippi Longstocking (1997)". Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. 31 October 1997. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  4. ↑ "Weekend Box Office Results for August 22-24, 1997". Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. 25 August 1997. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  5. ↑ "Pippi Longstocking (1997)". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  6. ↑ "Movie Review: Pippi Longstocking (1997) - A Little Girl So Perky and Powerful". Lawrence Van Gelder. New York Times. 22 August 1997. Retrieved 26 September 2015.

External links

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