The Rescuers (1977)
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Two brave mice from an international rescue organization must journey to a dangerous bayou to save a young girl from a greedy villain.
The story
In a remote area of Louisiana, a young orphan girl named Penny sends a plea for help in a bottle. The Rescue Aid Society, an international organization of mice, receives the message and dispatches two agents: the sophisticated Miss Bianca and the timid Bernard. The pair must navigate a treacherous journey to the Devil's Bayou to rescue Penny from the clutches of Madame Medusa and her partner, Mr. Snoops. The villains are searching for the world's largest diamond, the Devil's Eye, and intend to use the girl to help them obtain it. The mice must navigate dangerous terrain and outsmart the villains to ensure the girl's safety.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After receiving a plea for help from a girl named Penny in a bottle, two mice—the sophisticated Miss Bianca and the timid Bernard—are dispatched by the Rescue Aid Society to find her in the Devil's Bayou. They discover that Penny has been kidnapped by Madame Medusa and Mr. Snoops, who seek the 'Devil's Eye' diamond. The mice travel to the bayou with the help of an albatross and a dragonfly. They find Penny and, during a tense sequence in a pirate's cave, they manage to escape as the cave floods. Medusa betrays Snoops and hides the diamond in Penny's teddy bear. The mice and local animals help Penny escape on a makeshift airboat while Medusa is left behind. The film ends with the diamond being donated to the Smithsonian and Penny being adopted, while the mice receive a new call for help.
- First release year
- 1977
- Runtime (minutes)
- 77
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Wolfgang Reitherman; John Lounsbery; Art Stevens
- Writers
- Larry Clemmons · story; Ken Anderson · story; Vance Gerry · story; Ted Berman · story; Burny Mattinson · story; Frank Thomas · story; David Michener · story; Fred Lucky · story; Dick Sebast · story; Dick Sebast · story
- Cast and characters
- Bob Newhart · Bernard; Eva Gabor · Miss Bianca; Joe Flynn · Mr. Snoops; Geraldine Page · Madame Medusa; Michelle Stacy · Penny; Jim Jordan · Orville; John McIntire · Rufus; James MacDonald · Evinrude
- Genres
- animated; adventure
- Themes
- bravery; faith
- Tone and mood
- adventurous; whimsical
- Setting
- New York City and the Devil's Bayou, Louisiana.
- Premise and plot tags
- animal adventure; rescue mission
- Source material / true-story basis
- A series of books by Margery Sharp, including The Rescuers (1959) and Miss Bianca (1962).
- Reception
- The film received positive critical reception and was considered a high-quality production that signaled a new era for Disney animation, praised for its animation and storytelling.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 74 · scale: 100 · review count: 8
- Awards and nominations
- Top 10 Animated Films · American Film Institute · 2008 · nominated
- Production trivia
- The character Medusa was based on the real-life wife of animator Milt Kahl.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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