The Little Bear Movie

Last updated
The Little Bear Movie
The Little Bear Movie.jpg
Digital release poster
Directed byRaymond Jafelice
Screenplay by James Still
Raymond Jafelice
Nancy Barr
Story by Else Holmelund Minarik
Based on Little Bear
by Else Holmelund Minarik
Maurice Sendak
Produced byMaurice Sendak
Starring
Music by Lesley Barber
Production
companies
Distributed by Alliance Atlantis (Canada)
Paramount Home Entertainment (United States)
Release date
  • August 7, 2001 (2001-08-07) [2]
Running time
75 minutes
CountriesCanada
United States
LanguageEnglish

Maurice Sendak's Little Bear: The Little Bear Movie, or simply The Little Bear Movie, also known as Maurice Sendak's Little Bear: The Movie or simply Little Bear: The Movie, is a 2001 Canadian-American direct-to-video children's animated adventure film directed by Raymond Jafelice who co-wrote the screenplay with James Still and Nancy Barr. It is based on the Canadian children's animated television series Little Bear , which in turn is based on the children's book series of the same name written by Else Holmelund Minarik and illustrated by Maurice Sendak.

Contents

In the film, Little Bear meets a wild bear cub named Cub during a camping trip. Upon learning that Cub got separated from his parents, Little Bear and his friends embark on a journey to help him reunite with his parents while coming face-to-face with a ferocious mountain lion along the way.

The Little Bear Movie was produced by Nelvana Limited in association with Wild Things Productions. The film was released direct-to-video on August 7, 2001, by Paramount Home Entertainment in the United States and Canada while it was also released in Canada by Alliance Atlantis. The film received positive reviews from critics and has Kristin Fairlie reprise her role as Little Bear, while featuring her brother Kyle Fairlie as the voice of Cub.

In addition to Lesley Barber's instrumental track from the series, The Little Bear Movie features two original songs composed by Marc Jordan and Anthony Vanderbilt and performed by Shawn Colvin: "Great Big World" and "Everybody Wants To Paint My Picture."

Plot

Little Bear and Father Bear set out on a camping trip. While camping on a hill Father Bear talks about the wilderness and the time he met an eagle. The next day Little Bear meets another bear in the wilderness called Cub. They both wrestle around in a river, Cub then chases after a moose leaving Little Bear all alone when he is met with a villainous mountain lion, but Cub comes back and saves him from being eaten. They then enjoy a grilled fish breakfast together with Father Bear before they decide it's time to start heading home. Little Bear asks Cub if he wants to come with them, Cub agrees.

Back at the house Cub tries to get used to living in a house. The whole family then makes Pancakes for lunch. Little Bear then wants Cub to meet his friends Cat, Owl, Duck, and Hen. When they learn that Cub got separated from his parents during an intense storm, they decide to go on a journey to search for them. They make missing person posters for Cub's parents and then head back into the wilderness to hang them up. While doing so they meet their friend Moose, he shows them that raccoons have used a poster to make a dam. Little Bear and Cub try to recover the banner, but beavers, angry with the raccoons break the dam and, in the process, Little Bear and Cub are washed away in a flood, straight over a waterfall getting separated from the rest of the group. They find Duck has wandered downstream as well, looking for Cub's parents.

The three become lost in the dark wilderness and are unable to find the rest of the gang. They then run into Cub's best friends Poppy and Pete, two playful and hyperactive red fox twins who took care of Cub after he got separated from his parents. They spend the night in the foxes den and the next day they keep looking and head towards a canyon.

While trying to help Cub after he gets his foot stuck in some rocks, they meet the mountain lion again and he tries to eat Duck, but Poppy and Pete try to tackle him to save her, which causes them to fall into the river. After helping Poppy and Pete make it out of the river, Little Bear notices the mountain lion drowning and tries to help him, only to end up getting cornered. Mountain lion is about to attack Little Bear, only to get scared off by the arrival of Cub's parents. Cub and his parents are reunited and Little Bear is found by his family and friends. After saying goodbye to Cub, Little Bear heads home and on the way back to the house it starts snowing.

Voice cast

Release

The film was released on VHS and DVD by Paramount Home Entertainment.

Reception

Tracy Moore of Common Sense Media gave the film a 5 out of 5 star rating, writing:

The Little Bear Movie, based on the TV series Little Bear, is such remarkably gentle, positive programming for children that it feels like an anomaly. Fit for any preschooler, and likely to incite a little nostalgia for organic, free-range play in adults, the film is slower-paced and practically quaint in its simple desire to show the budding friendship between a civilized bear and a wild bear, and the abiding respect they foster for each other's ways of life along the way.

Kids will enjoy the sweet friendships, the silly foxes, and the outdoor adventure. Parents will like the attention paid to the dangers of the outdoors, the free-spirited play driven by imagination and a cardboard box, and the family-friendly themes. [3]

Shawn Colvin (performer) and Marc Jordan and Antony Vanderburgh (composers) were nominated for Best Original Song at the 2001 Video Premiere Awards for the song "Great Big World". [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>Mickey Mouse Works</i> American animated television series

Mickey Mouse Works is an American animated television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation featuring Mickey Mouse and his friends in a series of animated shorts. The first Disney television animated series to be produced in widescreen high definition, it is formatted as a variety show, with skits starring Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy, Pluto and Ludwig Von Drake while Horace Horsecollar, Clarabelle Cow, Morty and Ferdie Fieldmouse, Huey, Dewey and Louie, Chip 'n' Dale, Scrooge McDuck, Pete, Humphrey the Bear, J. Audubon Woodlore, Dinah the Dachshund, Butch the Bulldog, Mortimer Mouse, José Carioca, and Clara Cluck appear as supporting or minor characters. Musical themes for each character were composed by Stephen James Taylor with a live 12-piece band and extensive use of the fretless guitar to which the music of the series was nominated for an Annie Award in both 1999 and 2001. Most of the shorts from the series were later used in House of Mouse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nelvana</span> Canadian animation studio and entertainment company

Nelvana Limited is a Canadian animation studio and entertainment production company owned by Corus Entertainment and formerly Shaw Communications since 2000. Founded in July 1971 by Michael Hirsh, Patrick Loubert, and Clive A. Smith, it was named after Nelvana of the Northern Lights, the first Canadian national superhero, who was created by Adrian Dingle. The company's production logo is a polar bear looking at Polaris, the North Star.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maurice Sendak</span> American childrens book author and illustrator (1928–2012)

Maurice Bernard Sendak was an American author and illustrator of children's books. He became most widely known for his book Where the Wild Things Are, first published in 1963. Born to Polish-Jewish parents, his childhood was affected by the death of many of his family members during the Holocaust. Sendak also wrote works such as In the Night Kitchen, Outside Over There, and illustrated many works by other authors including the Little Bear books by Else Holmelund Minarik.

<i>Franklin</i> (TV series) Childrens television show

Franklin is an animated preschool educational children's television series, based on the Franklin the Turtle books by Brenda Clark and Paulette Bourgeois, and produced by Nelvana. It was followed up by a CGI adaptation, Franklin and Friends.

<i>The Care Bears Adventure in Wonderland</i> 1987 "`UNIQ--templatestyles-00000002-QINU`" film

The Care Bears Adventure in Wonderland is a 1987 animated musical fantasy film and the third theatrically released film in the Care Bears franchise. It was released in the United States and Canada on August 7, 1987, by Cineplex Odeon Films, and is based on Lewis Carroll's Alice stories. The fourth feature film made at Toronto's Nelvana studio, it was directed by staff member Raymond Jafelice and produced by the firm's founders. It starred the voices of Keith Knight, Bob Dermer, Jim Henshaw, Tracey Moore and Elizabeth Hanna. In the film, the Care Bears must rescue the Princess of Wonderland from the Evil Wizard and his assistants, Dim and Dumb. After the White Rabbit shows them her photo, the Bears and Cousins search around the Earth for her before enlisting an unlikely replacement, an ordinary girl named Alice, to save her true look-alike. Venturing into Wonderland, the group encounters a host of strange characters, among them a rapping Cheshire Cat and the Jabberwocky.

<i>Queer Duck</i> American animated web television series

Queer Duck is an American adult animated web series produced by Icebox.com that originally appeared on the company's website, then later moved to the American cable network Showtime, where it aired following the American version of Queer as Folk. Although far from featuring the first gay cartoon character, Queer Duck was among the first animated series to have homosexuality as its predominant theme.

Michael Hirsh (born 1948) is a Belgian-born Canadian producer, TV executive, entrepreneur, and author. He has been attributed to building from the ground up the Canadian animation industry and, more specifically, award-winning children's programming since the 1980s.  He co-founded Nelvana, a Canadian based animation and entertainment studio in 1971 with partners Patrick Loubert and Clive A. Smith producing numerous cartoons that established Nelvana as a leader in the industry including Little Bear, Franklin, Babar, Max & Ruby, The Magic School Bus, Care Bears, Adventures of TinTin, Inspector Gadget, Droids  and  Ewoks, among many, many others. After Corus Entertainment's acquisition of Nelvana, Hirsh became CEO of Cookie Jar Entertainment, which created numerous highly popular children's shows, among them  Arthur,  Johnny Test, and Strawberry Shortcake. When Cookie Jar was acquired by DHX Media Hirsh became the Executive Chairman of the company, the largest supplier of kids programming to online streaming services as well as a leader in production and licensing and merchandising for children. Three years after the acquisition by DHX Media, Hirsh left the company to serve as CEO and chairman of WOW! Unlimited Media from 2015 to December 2023.

<i>The Care Bears Big Wish Movie</i> 2005 Canadian film

The Care Bears' Big Wish Movie is a 2005 direct-to-video animated musical fantasy film, produced by Nelvana Limited and released by Lions Gate Home Entertainment. Directed by Larry Jacobs and Ron Pitts, and written by Jeffrey Alan Schechter, the film is a follow-up to the Care Bears' previous efforts in 2004's Journey to Joke-a-lot. It was the fifth film to feature the Bears, and the second to be computer-animated. The Care Bears' voice actors reprise their roles from the previous film, including Sugar Lyn Beard as Wish Bear.

Little Bear may refer to:

<i>Little Bear</i> (TV series) Childrens animated television series

Little Bear, also known as Maurice Sendak's Little Bear, is a Canadian children's animated television series produced by Nelvana Limited in association with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is based on the Little Bear series of books, which were written by Else Holmelund Minarik and illustrated by Maurice Sendak. In the United States, the show premiered on Nickelodeon as part of the Nick Jr. block on November 6, 1995, until the final episode aired on June 1, 2001. The show also aired on CBS on Saturday mornings from September 16, 2000, until September 15, 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scouting in popular culture</span>

Since Scouting began in 1907, it has entered into many elements of popular culture, including movies, TV and books.

<i>Little Bear</i> (book) Childrens picture books written by Else Holmelund Minarik and illustrated by Maurice Sendak

Little Bear is a series of children's books written by Else Holmelund Minarik and primarily involving the interaction of Little Bear, an anthropomorphic cub, and Mother Bear, his mother. The first book in the series, titled Little Bear, was published in 1957 by Harper and Brothers. It is an ALA Notable Children's Book.

<i>Babar: King of the Elephants</i> 1999 film

Babar: King of the Elephants is a 1999 animated coming-of-age adventure film directed by Raymond Jafelice and made by Nelvana Limited, Home Made Movies, and TMO-Loonland, in association with The Clifford Ross Company. The film was released in theaters in Canada by Alliance Communications and was released straight-to-video in the United States by HBO Home Video. It is the second film based on Jean de Brunhoff's original book series, following Babar: The Movie. The story chronicles the events of the first four Babar books.

<i>The Adventures of the Wilderness Family</i> 1975 film

The Adventures of the Wilderness Family is a 1975 American family adventure drama film directed by Stewart Raffill and starring Robert Logan, George Buck Flower and Susan Damante-Shaw. The film is about Skip Robinson and his family who decide to move from Los Angeles, California to a new home in the majestic Rocky Mountains, Skip builds a log cabin, and the children befriend wild animals. As the intrepid Robinsons make a simpler life for themselves off the grid, they discover that, in the wilderness, each day brings its own adventure.

Koba Entertainment is a producer of original musical theatre based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. To date, they have produced numerous Canadian and U.S. tours for such famous children's properties as Bubble Guppies, Max & Ruby, Toopy & Binoo, The Backyardigans, The Big Comfy Couch, Caillou, The Doodlebops, Franklin the Turtle, and Maurice Sendak’s Little Bear.

<i>Tales of Tatonka</i> French computer-animated cartoon series

Tales of Tatonka is a French computer-animated cartoon series produced by Cyber Group Studios and broadcasters TiJi and RAI in 2010.

<i>Harold and the Purple Crayon</i> (film) 2024 American film by Carlos Saldanha

Harold and the Purple Crayon is a 2024 American fantasy comedy film directed by Carlos Saldanha from a screenplay by David Guion and Michael Handelman, based on the 1955 children's book by Crockett Johnson. Combining live-action and animation, the film stars Zachary Levi, Lil Rel Howery, Jemaine Clement, Tanya Reynolds, Alfred Molina, and Zooey Deschanel. It serves as a sequel to the original book, with Harold growing up with his magical purple crayon. After he draws himself off the book's pages and into the physical world, Harold finds that he has a lot to learn about real life.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Jafelice, Raymond (director) (August 7, 2001). The Little Bear Movie (Motion picture). Nelvana Limited. Credits start at 1:12:42. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
  2. "The Little Bear Movie VHS". Amazon.com . October 26, 2006. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  3. Moore, Tracy. "Parents' Guide to The Little Bear Movie". Common Sense Media . Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  4. Hettrick, Scott (September 23, 2001). "More than awards for vid nods". Variety . Retrieved October 7, 2023.