Pooh's Heffalump Movie

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Pooh's Heffalump Movie
Poohs heffalump movie.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed byFrank Nissen
Screenplay by
Based on Characters
by A. A. Milne
Produced byJessica Koplos-Miller
Starring
Edited byRobert Fisher Jr.
Nancy Frazen
Anthony F. Rocco
Music by Joel McNeely
Production
companies
Distributed by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution [2]
Release dates
  • February 11, 2005 (2005-02-11)(United States)
  • May 24, 2005 (2005-05-24)(Disney DVD and video)
Running time
68 minutes
CountryUnited States [2]
LanguageEnglish
Budget$20 million
Box office$52.9 million [3]

Pooh's Heffalump Movie (also known as The Heffalump Movie in the working title) is a 2005 American animated musical adventure comedy-drama film produced by the Japanese office of Disneytoon Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Featuring characters from A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh stories, the film is the fourth theatrical animated film in Disney's Winnie the Pooh franchise and DisneyToon Studios's third adaptation of Winnie the Pooh stories, following The Tigger Movie (2000) and Piglet's Big Movie (2003). The film was released theatrically on February 11, 2005. The film was followed by a direct-to-video Halloween sequel titled Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie which came out seven months after the film's release.

Contents

Plot

One morning in the Hundred Acre Wood, Winnie the Pooh and his friends Piglet, Tigger, Roo, and Eeyore wake up to hear a loud trumpeting noise and while visiting Rabbit, they find a set of large, circular footprints. Rabbit deduces that elephant-like creatures called "Heffalumps" have invaded and per Roo's suggestion, he organizes an expedition to travel to Heffalump Hollow and capture them. After Roo is forbidden from joining the expedition due to his young age, he sneaks out of his home to search for a heffalump on his own.

While exploring Heffalump Hollow, Roo meets a young heffalump named Heffridge Trumpler Brompet Heffalump IV - "Lumpy" for short and decides to show the heffalump to his friends, which Lumpy agrees to after being assured by Roo that the wood's populace is friendly. After discovering that Pooh and his friends are still on the heffalump expedition, Roo and Lumpy play games together during which they accidentally make a mess of Pooh's house and Rabbit's garden. Meanwhile, Rabbit and the gang return home from the unsuccessful expedition to find the mess that Roo and Lumpy made; concluding that a heffalump was the cause of this, they begin setting up traps to catch it.

After hearing Lumpy's mother calling him, Roo and Lumpy begin to search for her. While searching, Lumpy tries using his trunk to call her, but it does not work properly. Roo eventually decides to get his mother, Kanga, to help Lumpy. Roo and Lumpy soon find Kanga and the rest of the populace, who erroneously believe that Lumpy has kidnapped Roo and start attacking him. Thinking that Roo lied to him about the inhabitants' friendliness, Lumpy runs away only to get trapped in a cage. Roo apologizes to Lumpy and dissembles the cage, freeing Lumpy and regaining his trust.

Rabbit, Pooh, Piglet, and Tigger find Lumpy and attack him again until Roo calls them out for their prejudiced views of heffalumps and urges them to let Lumpy go. Then suddenly, a still-scared Lumpy stumbles off a ledge and accidentally knocks Roo into a large pile of logs. When Roo's friends are unable to move the logs, Lumpy decides to use his trunk to call his mother; after a few unsuccessful tries, he finally gets it right. Upon finally hearing his calls, Lumpy's mother arrives and successfully rescues Roo. This act of heroism causes Pooh and his friends to realize the heffalumps' benevolence and they apologize for their actions, making peace with the heffalumps.

Cast

Production

The film was originally intended as a direct-to-video release. [4]

Heffalumps were first mentioned in the original Winnie-the-Pooh books. They appeared in a nightmare sequence –along with their fellow scary creatures, the woozles  –in 1968's Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day . Though heffalumps and woozles have appeared in other Disney Pooh media, such as the New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh TV series, this was the first theatrical film to feature a "real" heffalump. Lumpy's design is similar to the heffalumps seen in the 1968 featurette and the song "The Horribly Hazardous Heffalumps!" is in the same style as "Heffalumps and Woozles" from Blustery Day. Carly Simon came up with Lumpy's full name, Heffridge Trumpler Brompet Heffalump, IV.

This was the final theatrically released film to feature voice actor John Fiedler as Piglet. It also marked the final Pooh film to be released in Fiedler's lifetime, as he died four months later from cancer.

This was also the final production of Walt Disney Animation Japan. Once the film was completed, Disney closed the studio in June 2004, eight months before the film's release.

Home media

Pooh's Heffalump Movie was released on DVD and VHS on May 24, 2005 in the United States. In the United Kingdom, the film was released on July 11, 2005, and later in a trilogy DVD on November 7, 2011, along with The Tigger Movie and Winnie the Pooh . [5]

Music

The Best of Pooh and Heffalumps, Too
The Best of Pooh and Heffalumps, Too cover.jpg
Soundtrack album by
Carly Simon
ReleasedFebruary 8, 2005 (2005-02-08)
Recorded2004
Length33:34
Label Walt Disney Records
Producer
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [6]

American singer-songwriter Carly Simon wrote five new songs exclusively for the film and performed four of them ("Winnie the Pooh", "Little Mr. Roo", "Shoulder to Shoulder", and "In the Name of the Hundred Acre Wood"), [7] while in "The Horribly Hazardous Heffalumps!" Simon is accompanied by Jim Cummings, Ken Sansom, John Fiedler, and Nikita Hopkins. "The Name Game" features Kyle Stanger and Nikita Hopkins as Lumpy and Roo.

Two songs from Simon's earlier soundtrack for Piglet's Big Movie are also included on the soundtrack, "Winnie the Pooh (Theme Song)" and "With A Few Good Friends", in which Simon is joined by her children Ben Taylor and Sally Taylor. [8]

The soundtrack also features one instrumental track entitled "The Promise" by Joel McNeely, as well as seven classic Winnie The Pooh songs written by the Sherman Brothers.

Songs

Original songs performed in the film include:

No.TitlePerformer(s)Length
1."Winnie the Pooh" Carly Simon & Ben Taylor2:52
2."The Horribly Hazardous Heffalumps!" Jim Cummings, Ken Sansom, John Fiedler & Nikita Hopkins 1:53
3."Little Mr. Roo" Carly Simon & Kath Soucie 2:02
4."The Name Game" Kyle Stanger & Nikita Hopkins 0:46
5."Shoulder to Shoulder" Carly Simon & the Heffalump Chorus3:22
6."In the Name of the Hundred Acre Wood" Carly Simon & the Heffalump Chorus2:26
7."With a Few Good Friends" Carly Simon, Ben Taylor & Sally Taylor 2:38

Reception

Box office

The film made $5.8 million in its opening weekend, a per theater average of $2,296 from 2,529 theaters. The film ended up with a final gross of $18.1 million in North America and $34.8 million in other countries, bringing the total worldwide gross to $52.9 million. [3]

Critical response

Reviews were generally positive, resulting in a rating of 80% on Rotten Tomatoes based on reviews from 89 critics with a 6.54/10 rating. The site's consensus states, "A charming and delightful walk through the Hundred Acres Woods for young viewers." [9]

Sequel

A sequel, Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie , was released direct-to-video on September 13, 2005.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tigger</span> Fictional tiger-like character

Tigger is a fictional character in A.A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh books and their adaptations; an anthropomorphic toy tiger. He was originally introduced in the 1928 story collection The House at Pooh Corner, the sequel to the 1926 book Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne. Like other Pooh characters, Tigger is based on one of Christopher Robin Milne's stuffed toy animals. He appears in the Disney animated versions of Winnie the Pooh and has also appeared in his own film, The Tigger Movie (2000).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heffalump</span> Fictional species from Milnes Winnie the Pooh stories

A Heffalump is an elephant-like creature in the Winnie-the-Pooh stories by A. A. Milne. Heffalumps are mentioned, and only appear, in Pooh and Piglet's dreams in Winnie-the-Pooh (1926), and are seen again in The House at Pooh Corner (1928). Physically, they resemble elephants; E. H. Shepard's illustration shows an Indian elephant. They are later featured in the animated television series The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1988–1991), followed by two animated films in 2005, Pooh's Heffalump Movie and Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piglet (Winnie-the-Pooh)</span> Fictional character

Piglet is a fictional character from A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh books. Piglet is Winnie‑the‑Pooh's closest friend amongst all the toys and animals featured in the stories. Although he is a "Very Small Animal" of a generally timid disposition, he tries to be brave and on occasion conquers his fears.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roo</span> Character in Winnie-the-Pooh

Roo is a fictional character created in 1926 by A. A. Milne and first featured in the book Winnie-the-Pooh. He is a young kangaroo and his mother is Kanga. Like most other Pooh characters, Roo is based on a stuffed toy animal that belonged to Milne's son, Christopher Robin Milne. Though stuffed, Roo was lost in the 1930s in an apple orchard somewhere in Sussex.

<i>The Tigger Movie</i> 2000 animated Disney film directed by Jun Falkenstein

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<i>Piglets Big Movie</i> 2003 film

Piglet's Big Movie is a 2003 American animated musical adventure comedy-drama film released by Walt Disney Pictures on March 21, 2003. The film features the characters from the Winnie-the-Pooh books written by A. A. Milne and E. H. Shepard and is the third theatrically released Winnie the Pooh feature. In this film, Piglet is ashamed of being small and clumsy and wanders off into the Hundred Acre Wood, leading all of his friends to form a search party to find him.

<i>The House at Pooh Corner</i> 1928 book by A. A. Milne

The House at Pooh Corner is a 1928 children's book by A. A. Milne and illustrated by E. H. Shepard. This book is the second novel, and final one by Milne, to feature Winnie-the-Pooh and his world. The book is also notable for introducing the character Tigger. The book's exact date of publication is unknown beyond the year 1928, although several sources indicate the date of October 11.

<i>Welcome to Pooh Corner</i> American TV series or program

Welcome to Pooh Corner is a live-action/puppet television series that aired on Disney Channel, featuring the characters from the Winnie the Pooh universe portrayed by actors in human-sized puppet suits, except Roo, who was originally a traditional puppet. The animatronic costumes used for the characters were created by Alchemy II, Inc., headed by Ken Forsse who later created Teddy Ruxpin. The show was first aired on April 18, 1983, the day The Disney Channel was launched. Its timeslot for its early run was at 8:30 a.m. Eastern/Pacific Time, making it the third program of The Disney Channel's 16 hour programming day. Reruns of the show aired on The Disney Channel until May 30, 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hundred Acre Wood</span> Fictional forest in the Winnie-the-Pooh series

The Hundred Acre Wood is a part of the fictional land inhabited by Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends in the Winnie-the-Pooh series of children's stories by author A. A. Milne. The wood is visited regularly by the young boy Christopher Robin, who accompanies Pooh and company on their many adventures.

<i>Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day</i> 1968 short film directed by Wolfgang Reitherman

Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day is a 1968 American animated featurette based on the third, fifth, ninth, and tenth chapters of Winnie-the-Pooh and the second, eighth, and ninth chapters from The House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne. The featurette was directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by Buena Vista Distribution Company on December 20, 1968, being shown in theaters with The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit. This was the second of the studio's Winnie the Pooh theatrical featurettes. It was later added as a segment to the 1977 film The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. The music was written by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman. It was notable for being the last Disney animated short to be produced by Walt Disney, who died of lung cancer on December 15, 1966, two years before its release.

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<i>Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore</i> 1983 animated short film directed by Rick Reinert

Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore is a 1983 American animated featurette based on the sixth chapter of both books Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne. Produced by Walt Disney Productions and distributed by Buena Vista Distribution, the short initially received limited release on March 11, 1983, before expanding to a wide release on March 25 as part of a double feature with the re-issue of The Sword in the Stone (1963), which it accompanied in most countries except Australia where it accompanied a reissue of Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971). Directed by Rick Reinert, the featurette featured the voices of Hal Smith, John Fiedler, Will Ryan, Ralph Wright, and Paul Winchell.

<i>Poohs Heffalump Halloween Movie</i> 2005 animated film by Saul Andrew Blinkoff, Elliot M. Bour

Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie is a 2005 American direct-to-video Halloween animated fantasy adventure comedy-drama film produced by Walt Disney Pictures and DisneyToon Studios, featuring the characters from Disney's Winnie the Pooh franchise, and it was the sequel to Pooh's Heffalump Movie. This was the final Winnie the Pooh film to be produced by DisneyToon Studios before they moved to Tinker Bell films.

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Tigger & Pooh and a Musical Too is a 2009 American direct-to-video animated musical film produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. The film is based on the hit Playhouse Disney series My Friends Tigger & Pooh. In the film, Darby, Tigger and Pooh make a musical concert for the Hundred Acre Wood.

<i>Winnie the Pooh</i> (franchise) Disney media franchise

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References

  1. ↑ "Pooh's Heffalump Movie (2005)". BFI.org.uk. Archived from the original on March 1, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 "Pooh's Heffalump Movie". AFI Catalog of Feature Films . Retrieved May 18, 2020.
  3. 1 2 "Pooh's Heffalump Movie". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved April 1, 2015.
  4. ↑ Lenburg, Jeff (2009). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons (3rd ed.). New York: Checkmark Books. pp. 214–215. ISBN   978-0-8160-6600-1.
  5. ↑ "The Winnie the Pooh Movie Collection Winnie the Pooh Movie/ Heffalump Movie/ Tigger Movie DVD: Amazon.co.uk: Stephen J. Anderson, Don Hall, Jun Falkenstein, Frank Nissen, Peter Del Vecho, Clark Spencer, Cheryl Abood, Jessica Koplos-Miller". Amazon.co.uk. November 7, 2011. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
  6. ↑ "AllMusic review". AllMusic . Retrieved April 11, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Carly Simon Official Website – Soundtracks". Archived from the original on December 13, 2010. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Piglet's Big Movie". Allmusic . Retrieved April 1, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Pooh's Heffalump Movie". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved April 1, 2015.
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