An American Tail (1986)
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A young mouse travels from the Russian Empire to the United States to find his family after being separated during their journey.
The story
Set in the late 19th century, the story follows the Mousekewitzes, a family of Russian-Jewish mice emigrating from the Russian Empire to the United States for freedom. During their journey to New York City, the youngest member, Fievel, becomes separated from his family. He must navigate the dangers of the city and the threat of predatory cats to find his way back to his family. Along the way, he meets various allies who help him navigate the challenges of their new life in America.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1885, the Mousekewitz family of mice flees the Russian Empire for the United States. During a voyage to New York, Fievel is washed overboard and separated from his family. He eventually reaches New York in a bottle and meets Henri, a French pigeon. Fievel joins forces with Tony Toponi, an Italian mouse, and Bridget, an Irish mouse, to navigate the city. They encounter Warren T. Rat, a conman who is actually a cat in disguise, and a group of other mice led by Gussie Mausheimer who are trying to fight back against the 'Mott Street Maulers' (a gang of cats). Fievel eventually discovers Warren's true identity and helps the mice defeat him. After a series of events, including a fire at the pier, Fievel is reunited with his family, and they begin their new life in America near the Statue of Liberty.
- First release year
- 1986
- Runtime (minutes)
- 80
- Production countries
- United States; Ireland
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Don Bluth
- Writers
- Judy Freudberg · screenplay; Tony Geiss · screenplay; David Kirschner · story; Judy Freudberg · story; Tony Geiss · story
- Cast and characters
- Cathianne Blore · Bridget; Dom DeLuise · Tiger; John Finnegan · Warren T. Rat; Phillip Glasser · Fievel Mousekewitz; Amy Green · Tanya Mousekewitz; Madeline Kahn · Gussie Mausheimer; Nehemiah Persoff · Papa Mousekewitz; Erica Yohn · Mama Mousekewitz; Pat Musick · Tony Toponi; Christopher Plummer · Henri le Pigeon; Neil Ross · Honest John; Will Ryan · Digit
- Genres
- animated; musical; comedy-drama
- Themes
- immigration; family; perseverance
- Tone and mood
- heartwarming; adventurous
- Premise and plot tags
- animal adventure; historical fiction; musical
- Reception
- The film was a commercial success but received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising the animation while others found the story too dark or depressing for children.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 38 · scale: 100 · review count: 7
- Production trivia
- The film was originally conceived as a television special.; The film's animation style was intentionally designed to mimic the look of 1940s Disney films.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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