James and the Giant Peach (1996)
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An orphan boy finds himself on a perilous journey across the ocean inside a massive fruit after a magical mishap.
The story
In the summer of 1948, young orphan James Henry Trotter lives under the care of his two domineering aunts, Spiker and Sponge. After his parents were tragically lost, James's life is mundane until he obtains magic "crocodile tongues" from a mysterious old man. These tongues have the power to grow anything they touch to a colossal size. When James accidentally spills them near an old peach tree, a massive fruit grows, which his aunts turn into a tourist attraction. However, when James discovers a group of human-sized insects living inside the fruit, the peach rolls away into the Atlantic Ocean, beginning an unexpected journey.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After the peach rolls into the ocean, James and his new insect friends—including Mr. Grasshopper, Mr. Centipede, Ms. Spider, Mr. Earthworm, Mrs. Ladybug, and Mrs. Glowworm—travel toward New York City. They face various perils, including a mechanical shark and pirates, before being attacked by the rhinoceros that killed James's parents. The group eventually lands on the Empire State Building. After being rescued, James exposes his aunts' abusive behavior, leading to their arrest. The film concludes with James and the insects forming a new family in a cottage made from the peach pit in Central Park, where they find success and fame in various roles in the city.
- First release year
- 1996
- Runtime (minutes)
- 79
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Henry Selick
- Writers
- Karey Kirkpatrick · screenplay; Jonathan Roberts · screenplay; Steve Bloom · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Paul Terry · James; Joanna Lumley · Aunt Spiker; Miriam Margolyes · Aunt Sponge; Pete Postlethwaite · the old man; Simon Callow · Mr. Grasshopper; Richard Dreyfuss · Mr. Centipede; Jane Leeves · Mrs. Ladybug; Susan Sardon · Miss Spider
- Genres
- musical; fantasy; animation
- Themes
- found family; overcoming adversity
- Tone and mood
- whimsical; adventurous
- Setting
- England and New York City in 1948.
- Premise and plot tags
- fantasy; adventure; musical; stop-motion
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1961 novel by Roald Dahl
- Reception
- The film received highly positive reviews from critics who praised its visuals and story, though it was a box office failure.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 78 · scale: 100 · review count: 36
- Awards and nominations
- Best Animated Feature Film · Annecy International Animated Film Festival · won
- Production trivia
- The film was originally intended to be fully live-action.; The film's color palette changes when James enters the peach to indicate a magical setting.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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