Walt Disney was often described as a cinematic titan who was taken before his time, yet the influence and legacy he left behind was tremendous. Most fans are quick to say that “The Jungle Book” was his last animated picture, and close enough, as he did pass away during the making of that production. However, I believe his last true animated gift to both children and families alike was the 1977 picture titled “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh”. This was the studios 22nd animated picture, and premiered a full ten years after his passing. How then could I claim this as Walt Disney’s final masterpiece … well, because the creation and history of this film is very different from any other Disney production.
The ensuing 1977 movie titled “The Many
Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” rounded up Disney’s first three Winnie the
Pooh shorts, with additional animated segues and new dialog added in to bridge
them together into one flowing picture. The result … in my view … is a minor
masterpiece. I say “minor” because the film is really nothing huge or epic, yet
it’s absolutely perfect when viewed by its own standards. There’s a gentle and
humble nature to the film that can entertain little kids, while also helping
them grow and mature, and probably in ways they don't even realize. Taking place
roughly over the course of a year in the imaginative land of the Hundred Acre
Wood, we see the various mini-ventures, obstacles and situations that Pooh and
friends get into … how they solve problems together, and how they treat one
another with kindness in the face of dilemmas. It creates this very unique and
warm atmosphere in which I don’t even care if the stories are light … I just
love being around these characters, and seeing how their unique personalities
bounce off one-another. In the end, the Hundred Acre wood is all a fantasy that
exists in the mind of a small boy named Christopher Robin, and it serves as a
metaphor of a special place where your imaginative childhood innocence continues to
live, even as you grow older.
In my opinion, Winnie the Pooh is one of
the most important animated characters for kids to grow up with, as there’s
something extra to him that goes beyond just being a cute mascot. The innocent,
gentle and light-hearted nature of Winnie the Pooh is a way of telling
meaningful stories of friendship, discovering courage, giving to others, and
it’s all conveyed in way that doesn’t feel like a lecture.
Winnie the Pooh
himself represents the innocents of childhood, discovering new things in life,
what we can take from them, and it allows kids to connect with him in a
personal way. Sterling Holloway’s iconic vocal portrayal of the character set
the standard of how Winnie the Pooh would be presented in all forms of media,
and even though I’ve always had more fondness for Jim Cummings in the role ...
I still can’t ignore the talent who started it all. It’s almost pointless to
name-off every other character in the Hundred Acre Wood, as they’ve all become
house hold names, but imagine for a moment what they’d be like today without
Disney bringing them to life in animation form. The books might still be known
to most British families, but the characters wouldn’t be the childhood mascots
they are today if it wasn’t for this Disney production.
One minor thing to note
is that everyone’s favorite gloomy Donkey Eeyore is barley present in this
film. Isn’t that curious, he’s one of the franchises most identifiable
characters, and yet, he’s barley more than an extra in this first movie. Of
course, there’s the classic opening in Christopher Robins bed room, paired with
the narration, as well as the initial “Winnie
the Pooh” theme song that introduces us to the characters. We can
thank the Sherman Brothers for the iconic songs and music that added to the
identity of the character. It’s such a simple opening that carries a
distinct charm, and draws me right in. Two little details I always loved
pointing out as a kid were that Piglets design didn’t match how he’d look in
the rest of the film, and that Tigger for whatever reason isn’t mentioned at
all in the introduction. I especially love the films Forth-Wall hummer, as the
characters frequently interact with the narrator, and there’s a lot of visual
gags revolving around the chapter book their in.
The best way to go from here
is to cover the individual shorts as their presented in the film, beginning
with …
“The Honey Tree”
In his first mis-venture, Pooh’s rumbly
tummy leads him into a series of antics in which he tries to get honey from a
Bee hive. After the Bee’s prove impossible to get around, Pooh tries to get his
sweets from his neighbor Rabbit … who’s up to his wits with Pooh’s narrow minded
obsession. It becomes a clear case of over-eating when Pooh gets himself stuck
in Rabbits front door, leaving the others to problem-solve how to get him out.
While an okay start, this was admittedly my least favorite of the segments.
Most of our favorite characters are absent, and the set-up gets a tad
repetitive after a while. Still, there are some highlights, namely Rabbits
attitude after literally getting stuck with Pooh as a house guest. Really, the
best thing about Rabbit are his reactions to the mischief characters cause
around him, and he gets some good laughs here. This short is also credible for
introducing us to the character Gopher, who was never in the books, yet has
always stuck with me as one of my favorites of the Hundred Acre Wood characters.
Something about his voice and mannerism just made the character stand out, and
I like that Gopher even acknowledges he’s not from the book. Memorable songs
from this short include “I’m Just a Little Black
Rain Cloud”, which was part of Pooh's plan to fool the Bee’s, and
Pooh’s little warm up jingle called “Up, Down,
Touch the Ground” occasionally sneaks into my subconscious when I'm stretching.
The adventures of Pooh and friends continue with
…
“The Blustery
Day”
The
winds of change are quite literally on the horizon, as the face of the Hundred
Acre wood is reshaped by increasingly bad weather. First, it’s a freak
windstorm threatening to blow everyone away, and then a flood forces everyone
out of house and home. Now more than ever, our friends need to be there for
each other to weather the storm. This chapter initially won the Academy Award
for best Animated Short, and it’s absolutely my favorite segment of the film.
Not only containing the funniest predicaments, but it also sustains the best
atmosphere, as there’s something about changing weather, and its escalation
that puts me right in the thick of things. It’s also in this short that we’re
introduced to both Tigger and Piglet for the first time, the ladder of whom
takes center stage as Pooh’s best friend, and the one who needs the most help
braving the weather. It’s kind of embarrassing to note that as a kid, I was
always under the impression that Pigglet was a girl … silly me. Actually, I
never liked that the only female character was Kanga, as she’s a grown mother,
and not someone that little girls could connect too. Well, girls seem to
connect to Piglet, and I suppose that counts for something. I also need to give
credit to voice actor John Fiedler, who brought Piglet to life with his signature
voice. Now I’ve seen John Fiedler in a number of live action roles in films
like “12 Angry Men” “True Grit”, as well some of my favorite
episodes of both “Star Trek” and “The Twilight Zone”, and every
time I see him, he has that exact same high pitched Piglet voice.
This chapter also makes great use of Owl,
and highlights just how funny he can be in the face of certain perils. I think most
people look back on Owl as the smart guy who conveys friendly words of wisdom,
but he actually has a phew quirks. He’s madly in love with the sound of his
voice, and will just prattle on and on about whatever comes to mind. I think the
funniest little scene is when Pooh and Piglet literally drop in for tea, and
Owl gets so lost in his self-monologue that he’s completely oblivious to the
heavy winds rocking his house, and causing problems for his guests. One of the
more touching scenes revolves around Piglet giving his house to Owl after his
got destroyed by the storm. Pooh, being touched by his friend’s selflessness
invites Piglet to live with him, which is a detail I never noticed as a kid ...
Pooh and Piglet were roommates.
My favorite scene of all is when the
increasingly bad weather gets to Pooh’s anxiety, and he slips into a nightmare
revolving around mischievous beasts that might come after his honey. Said
threats come in the form of nasty creatures called Woozles and Hefalumps, who’ve
somehow become memorable Disney rouges, despite never physically appearing on
screen. This whole trippy dream sequence is like a call back to the Pink
Elephants from “Dumbo” (even recycling some cell-animation), and is
easily the most inventive animation highlight of the film. While the paired “Hefalumps
and Woozles” theme song is nothing really special, I always loved the
creativity in the designs and visuals on display. Nothing this strange or
imaginative ever happens again in the film, so it really stands out as one of
those memorable oddball highlights.
Now we come to the final episode titled …
“Winnie the Pooh and Tigger
Too”
After being introduced in the last chapter,
Tigger finally takes center stage, and his bouncy antics are getting on everyone’s
nerves. Especially Rabbit, who’s dead set on snuffing the bounce out of him,
and thus, he sets up various plans to change his cheery personality around. Of
all the characters of the Hundred Acre Wood, Tigger was always my childhood
favorite, and I still think he’s the best thing about the whole film. His tops
are made of rubber, his bottom made of springs, he’s bouncy, prouncy and offers
no shortage of FUN, FUN, FUN, the most wonderful thing about Tigger is ...
well, let’s just say there’s no other character like him. There’s something about
the relentless cheer and excitement of Tigger that instantly has me smiling
from ear to ear. As a kid, I wanted to be just like Tigger, the one with all
the energy and excitement in the room, and one who would figuratively bounce
off everything that was going on. Paul Winchell not only gave Tigger his voice,
but also breathed life into the characters signature personality and mannerism.
This short also highlights Tigger’s friendship with Roo, which is nothing short
of delightful. On his own, Roo would have just been a one-note kid character,
but pair him with Tigger and he becomes something sweet. In the end, the two
get stuck in a tree, and it’s up to their friends to talk them down. It’s about
as close to a climax as we get, and it’s all the film really needs.
The actual ending comes in Chapter X, in which
it’s time to say goodbye. This ending was never part of any of the three shorts,
was completely original to the film, and it’s easily the emotional highlight of
the movie. Christopher Robin is seen less and less in the woods, and it’s soon
revealed that he’s been going to school. He then shows up one day to have a
talk with Winnie the Pooh, and in a very mature presentation, it’s established
that it’s time to grow up and except change. While I never found Christopher
Robin an especially fun character to have on screen, this ending makes him a
terrific role model for viewers both young and young at heart. There’s nothing overly
sentimental in this conversation, or needlessly dramatic, it’s just the boy
excepting that he needs to grow-up, move on to the next chapter of his life,
but promises that he’ll always carry with him the warmth and magic of his childhood
friends. In a sense, I think this might just be the most mature message Disney
has ever conveyed in any of their films, as it speaks to both kids and adults. We
all have our figurative Hundred Acre Woods, and while we shouldn’t live in
them, we should still revisit them once in a while … just to rediscover that
special part of ourselves that made our childhoods feel magical, and helped
shape us into the adults we are now.
I’d be lying if I said this was a Disney
movie I’d want to pull out and watch on my own, but I love sharing it with kids,
and I think it offers … not just a simpler form of entertainment, but one that’s
kind of mature. Kids these days have no shortage of films and programming that go for the basic flashy spectacles, obnoxious hummer and relentless energy, so I think
it’s healthy for them to be exposed to something calmer, a little slower paced,
but still engaging to watch. “The Many Adventures of Winne the Pooh” is
just that, a simple, but fulfilling experience, with lovable characters, and a
lot of heart.
Winnie the Pooh has a peculiar strength in which he can lure you
in with very little, and treat you with so much. If Walt Disney had lived to
see this film in its full form, I think he would have been very proud of it,
maybe even more so then his other animated offerings. It’s a film that not only
feels faithful to its source material, but it perfectly captures the spirit of A.A.
Milne, while giving it an identifiable Disney makeover. As of now, “The Many
Adventures of Winne the Pooh” is the only other animated Disney movie with
a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, and it really is kind of perfect in its
own simple way. Certainly not one of my absolute favorites, but it doesn’t have
to be a favorite in order for me to respect it. Winnie the Pooh is a character that
I’d want every child to grow up with, and I sincerely hope this movie doesn’t get
lost in the sea of modern entertainment. It’s definitely something to expose to
kids while their still bright eyed, and filled with wonder. Weather it was a
colorful adventure in the woods, or learning valuable life lesions, I’ll always
have fond memories of that magical forest, and the humble characters that lived
within it.
Thanks for reading my review of Disney’s 1977 animated classic “The Many Adventures of Winne the Pooh” … and continue to enjoy the movies you Love!
No comments:
Post a Comment