The Tigger Movie

The Tigger Movie

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Jun Falkenstein
Produced by
  • Cheryl Abood
  • Jennifer Blohm
  • Richmond Horine
Screenplay by Jun Falkenstein
Story by Eddie Guzelian
Based on Characters created
by A.A. Milne
Starring
Narrated by John Hurt
Music by
Edited by Makoto Arai
Robert Fisher, Jr.
Production
company
Distributed by Buena Vista Pictures
Buena Vista International[1]
Release dates
  • February 11, 2000 (2000-02-11)
Running time
 77 minutes[1]
Country United States
Language English
Budget $15 million[2][3]–$30 million[4]
Box office $96.2 million[4]

The Tigger Movie is a 2000 American animated musical comedy-drama film written and directed by Jun Falkenstein from a story by Eddie Guzelian. Part of the Winnie-the-Pooh series, this film features Pooh's friend Tigger searching for his family tree and other Tiggers like himself.

The film was the first feature-length theatrical Pooh film that was not a collection of previously released shorts.

This is also the first film in the series where Tigger is voiced by Jim Cummings (who also voices Pooh), Tigger's original voice actor, Paul Winchell, officially retired from the role in 1999 after A Valentine for You and died in 2005. Cummings had already played Tigger in Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue and the final 2 seasons of The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. It was followed by two theatrical animated films: the second Piglet's Big Movie (2003) and the third Pooh's Heffalump Movie (2005).

The film features original songs from the Sherman Brothers. Originally, the film was slated for a direct-to-video release, until then–Disney CEO Michael Eisner heard the Sherman Brothers' score, and decided to release the film in theaters worldwide. The film is also the highest-grossing film in the Winnie the Pooh franchise.

Plot

Tigger searches through the Hundred Acre Wood for somebody to bounce with him, but all of his friends are too busy getting ready for the coming winter. While he searches for a playmate, Tigger accidentally destroys Eeyore's house with a boulder. He later wrecks the complex pulley system that Rabbit has rigged up to remove the boulder and sends his friends flying into a mud puddle. Rabbit is furious at Tigger for destroying his Rock Remover, and the rest of Tigger's friends admit they're not quite as bouncy as he is because they aren't Tiggers. Tigger sadly wanders off in loneliness, wishing there was somebody else like him.

Roo, who wants to play with Tigger, catches up to him and asks if Tigger has a Tigger family he could bounce with. Tigger is fascinated by the idea and the two go to visit Owl for advice on finding Tigger's family. Owl shows them portraits of his own family and mentions the concept of family trees. Tigger accidentally knocks the portraits over. When he quickly hangs them back up, all of Owl's ancestors appear to be perched on a single tree. Tigger concludes that his family tree must be a real tree and he and Roo go searching for it.

After searching the wood without turning up any giant, Tigger-striped trees, Tigger and Roo go back to Tigger's house to search for clues to his family's whereabouts. They find a heart-shaped locket that Tigger hopes will contain a picture of his family, but it is empty. Roo suggests that Tigger try writing a letter to his family, which Tigger does. During this scene, Tigger teaches Roo the awesome Whoop-de-Dooper-Loop-de-Looper-Alley-Ooper Bounce.

When Tigger's letter gets no response, Roo gathers Tigger's friends together to write him a letter. Everyone contributes a bit of friendly advice and they sign it "your family." Tigger is overjoyed to receive the letter, but, "reading between the lines," misinterprets it and announces that his whole family is coming to visit him tomorrow. Tigger's friends don't have the heart to tell Tigger that the letter is from them, so they disguise themselves as Tiggers and attend his family reunion. Rabbit does not join in, but, rather, berates them for not getting ready for the approaching winter storm and slams off.

Tigger completely falls for the Tigger disguises until Roo attempts Tigger’s complex Whoop-de-Dooper-Loop-de-Looper-Alley-Ooper Bounce, crashes into the closet again and knocks his mask off. Tigger is struck with astonishment, and soon finds out that all of his friends are in on it. Frustrated thinking that his friends have betrayed him, Tigger goes out in a ferocious snowstorm to search for his family after a final “TTFE, Ta-ta forever!”

Tigger's friends form an expedition to find him and convince Rabbit to lead them. They find Tigger sitting in a large tree with patches of snow on the trunk that resemble stripes. Rabbit insists that Tigger come home, but Tigger refuses to leave his "family tree" until his Tigger family returns. They argue and Tigger's shouting causes an avalanche. Tigger bounces all of his friends to safety in the tree branches, but is swept away by the snow himself. Roo performs a perfect Whoop-de-Dooper-Loop-de-Looper-Alley-Ooper Bounce and rescues Tigger.

When the avalanche subsides, Tigger realizes he has lost the letter from his family. All his friends each recite their parts of the letter from memory and Tigger finally sees that they are his real family. He throws a new family reunion party with presents for everyone, including a beautiful new home for Eeyore. Roo receives the heart-shaped locket and Christopher Robin takes a picture of Roo, Tigger, and the rest of their family to go in it.

Cast

Production

The film was produced by the Walt Disney Television Animation's (WDTVA) division, Disney MovieToons,[5][6] and animated by Walt Disney Animation (Japan).[1] WDTVA's Executive in Charge of Production was Sharon Morrill Robinov.[1] Additional animation was done by Tandem Films, Cornerstone Animation Inc., Studio Basara, Tama Production, Creative Capers Entertainment and Telecom Animation Film Co. Ltd. Background work was done by Studio Fuga and Studio Moonflower with titles/opticals by Buena Vista Imaging. SimEx Digital Studios produced the live action footage.[1]

Paul Winchell, the original voice of Tigger, was originally cast to voice Tigger for the film, which was then titled Winnie the Pooh and the Family Tree.[7] During Spring 1998, Winchell participated in a single recording session for the film. However, Disney found his voice too raspy, and they dismissed him from the project.[7][8] He was replaced by Jim Cummings, who was already voicing Winnie the Pooh for the film, and doing Tigger's voice on various Disney television shows and for Disney consumer products.[7] Devastated by Winchell's dismissal, the Disney Imagineers hired him to perform the voice for the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh attraction at Walt Disney World, which opened a year before The Tigger Movie's release; it was Winchell's final performance before his retirement from acting and his death in 2005.[7]

Release

After a Hollywood red carpet premiere on February 6, 2000 at El Capitan Theatre,[9] the film was released theatrically on February 11, 2000. The movie was on screens for 23 weeks.[4]

Home media

The film was originally released on August 22, 2000, on both VHS and DVD.[10] The VHS and DVD included the Kenny Loggins music video "Your Heart Will Lead You Home." The DVD included additional special features. The film was later re-released on a 2-disc DVD on August 4, 2009 to coincide with its 10th anniversary. The 2-disc release includes a DVD and a digital copy. It contains all the 2000 DVD bonus features, but has more language tracks and special features. The film was also re-released as a Bounce-a-rrrific special edition on Blu-ray on August 21, 2012.

Reception

Critical reception

The Tigger Movie received generally positive reviews from critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 62% of critics gave the film "fresh" reviews on 71 reviews with a 5.9 rating. The site's consensus states, "The Tigger Movie may lack the technological flash and underlying adult sophistication of other recent animated movies, but it's fun and charming."[10]

Box office performance

The film opened at #4 at the North American box office making $9.4 million in its opening weekend. The film was a box office success, earning $45,554,533 in the United States alone while making $50,605,267 overseas and $96,159,800 worldwide.[4] Its budget is estimated at between $15 million[2][3] and $30 million.[4]

Accolades

The film was nominated for numerous awards in 2000 including the following:

for "Outstanding Individual Achievement for Directing in an Animated Feature Production"
Jun Falkenstein
for "Outstanding Individual Achievement for Music in an Animated Feature Production"
Richard M. Sherman (music and lyrics)
Robert B. Sherman (music and lyrics)
For the song "Round My Family Tree"
for "Outstanding Individual Achievement for Voice Acting by a Male Performer in an Animated Feature Production"
Nikita Hopkins
As the voice of "Roo".
The Sierra Award for "Best Family Film"

It was also given an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award.[11]

Soundtrack

The songs for The Tigger Movie were written by Robert and Richard Sherman who had not written a feature for Disney in over 28 years. Their last fully original feature film score was for the Oscar nominated film, Bedknobs and Broomsticks which was released in 1971. Originally slated for video or television release, the score was so well received (in demonstration form) by then Disney CEO, Michael Eisner, that the project's priority level moved up to feature theatrical release. The score of the film is composed and conducted by Harry Gregson-Williams

This was due in great part to the perceived caliber of the song score throughout the studio. All the songs were created new for the film except for "The Wonderful Things About Tiggers" which was originally written in 1968 for the featurette, Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day (released in 1968). That song was also by the Sherman Brothers. The "punch line" of the song: "But the most wonderful Thing About Tiggers is I'm the only one..." provides the basis of The Tigger Movie's storyline. "Your Heart Will Lead You Home" was the last song written for the film and is a collaborative effort between the Sherman Brothers and singer Kenny Loggins. Richard Sherman described the song as "a song about the picture, as opposed to songs of the picture."

It marks the only time the trio worked together on a song.[12]

Song titles include:

The original theatrical trailer for the film featured the song "Semi-Charmed Life" by alternative band Third Eye Blind. A Disney spokeswoman claimed that she was unaware of the sexual content within the song's lyrics.[13]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Newman, Kim (2000). "The Tigger Movie (2000)". Sight & Sound. British Film Institute. Retrieved September 8, 2015.
  2. 1 2 Orwall, Bruce (December 14, 2000). "Disney Hopes to Get Its 'Groove' Back in Suffering Family Films". The Walt Street Journal. Retrieved September 11, 2015. February's "The Tigger Movie," produced for a bargain-basement $15 million,...
  3. 1 2 Natale, Richard (February 14, 2000). "Moviegoing's Much More Than a 'Scream'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 11, 2015. The low-budget ($15-million) "Tigger"...
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "The Tigger Movie Summary". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved July 2, 2012.
  5. ↑ Ball, Ryan (September 23, 2003). "Pencils Down at Walt Disney Animation Japan". Animation Magazine. Retrieved September 8, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Annual Report 2000" (PDF). The Walt Disney Company. 2001. p. 29. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 22, 2014. Retrieved September 17, 2015. Walt Disney Television Animation’s Movietoons continued to bring popular Disney characters to the big screen. The Tigger Movie was the first original, full-length animated feature...
  7. 1 2 3 4 Hill, Jim (June 27, 2005). "Remembering John Fiedler (1925-2005)". Jim Hill Media. Archived from the original on July 19, 2015. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
  8. ↑ Graham, Jefferson (November 25, 1998). "Original Tigger voice bounced from 'Pooh'". USA Today. Retrieved July 19, 2015. Fiedler completed that movie, but Disney let Winchell go after his first day, telling the actor's representative that Winchell's voice was now too "raspy."
  9. ↑ McCarthy, Todd (February 10, 2000). "Review: 'The Tigger Movie'". Variety. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  10. 1 2 "The Tigger Movie - Rotten Tomatoes". Retrieved July 2, 2012.
  11. ↑ "Early School Years: Feature-Length Films". Oppenheim Toy Portfolio. Retrieved April 22, 2009.
  12. ↑ Susan King, The Pair Who Write Songs for Nannies and Pooh Bears", Los Angeles Times, February 11, 2000.
  13. ↑ Kim, Ellen (2000) [1999]. "NEWSMAKERS: 'Veronica's Closet' star offers settlement". Hollywood.com. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
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