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Piglet's Big Movie

The message of Piglet's Big Movie is very clear--don't overlook the little guys.

Story

Poor Piglet. It's hard to be a misunderstood little pink guy in a big ol' world. Winnie-the-Pooh, Eeyore, Tigger and the other denizens of the Hundred Acre Wood are always making big plans, including the most recent--to harvest some honey--yet they always leave Piglet out. It's not because they don't like him; they just think he's too small to help, and that's enough to give anyone an inferiority complex. A dejected Piglet walks away, and when his friends realize he's gone and can't find him anywhere, they use his scrapbook, which outlines all the fun adventures they've had, as a map to find their little friend. In the process, they discover that this ''Very Small Animal'' has had a bigger influence--and been a bigger hero-- then they ever imagined.

Acting

Never before have animated characters been so indelibly stamped on our imaginations than those of A.A. Milne's classic Winnie-the-Pooh stories, brought vividly to life by Walt Disney. Although most of the original actors who lent their voices to the characters, including Sterling Holloway, who first gave us the Pooh's gravely drawl in 1966, have passed on, their replacements carry on their work very well. The personalities are all there: cuddly Pooh, willing to partake of your honey; rambunctious Tigger, ready for a bounce; jittery Rabbit, eager to pass judgment; sad-eyed Eeyore, the doom and gloomer; the motherly Kanga and her active youngster Roo, on hand to help out; the know-it-all Owl, spouting advice; the watchful Christopher Robin, presiding over the adventures; and, of course, the ever-loyal Piglet, the unobtrusive voice of reason.

Direction

Disney first started turning the classic Pooh stories into short animated featurettes in 1966 with Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree but only just released its first full-length feature film in 2000 with The Tigger Movie. Now it's Piglet's turn, and it's about time they made a movie about the little guy. With his unassuming ways but dogged determination to help his friends, Piglet infuses all the heart in the Pooh tales--and gets little recognition for it. To center the story around him gives a great message to the little folks out there: that they, too, can make a difference. Piglet's Big Movie doesn't pretend to be one of Disney's most lush animated films, but the original songs by Carly Simon give the simplistic storytelling an invigorating boost.

Bottom Line

Piglet's Big Movie is a delightfully entertaining film for young children--showing them that even smallest of us can be the big hero.