What if TriStar Pictures was founded in 1934?/The Trumpet of the Swan

The Trumpet of the Swan is a 2001 animated film produced by TriStat Pictures and Columbia TriStar Animation, directed by Terry L. Noss and distributed by Columbia TriStar Distribution, being TriStar's first animated film since 1990's Super Why!: The Movie and is TriStar's first non-Super Why! animated film.

Premise
Based on E. B. White's popular children's book of the same name, it tells the story of a young trumpeter swan who is born with muteness and is vying for the attention of a beautiful pen. He overcomes this by learning to play the trumpet.

Cast

 * Dee Bradley Baker as Louie
 * Jason Alexander as Father
 * Mary Steenburgen as Mother
 * Reese Witherspoon as Serena
 * Seth Green as Boyd
 * Carol Burnett as Mrs. Hammerbotham
 * Joe Mantegna as Monty
 * Sam Gifaldi as Sam Beaver
 * Melissa Disney as Billie
 * Kath Soucie as Serena (cygnet) / Paramedic / Newscaster
 * E.G. Daily as Ella
 * Pamela Segall Adlon as A.G. Skinner
 * Steve Vinovich as Maurice / Roger
 * Gary Anthony Williams as Sweets
 * Corey Burton as Senator
 * Michael Winslow as Chief
 * David Jeremiah as Squirrel/Hawk
 * Julie Nathanson as Felicity
 * Dana Daurey as Apathy
 * Michael Kostroff as Waiter
 * Lee Magnuson as Clerk
 * Steve Franken as Bud
 * Norman Parker as Policeman
 * Jack Angel as Justice of the Geese

Critical reception
This film received mostly negative reviews from critics. Most of the criticism came from the animation, writing, and voice cast, but the biggest criticism came from the fact the movie didn't follow the original book very well, which disappointed many fans of the book. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film scored a 15% 'Rotten' rating. The site's critical consensus says "An uninspired E.B. White adaptation that's targeted at the very young."

Box office
It failed to get an audience at the box office for two reasons: A small limited release, and the release of DreamWorks' Shrek the following week which would cause the film to lose most of its potential audience. By the end of its run, the film grossed a mere $102,202.

However, it did better on video, leading TriStar to make a sequel to The Trumpet of the Swan.

Awards and nominations
In 2001, it was nominated by the Casting Society of America for best voice-casting in an animated film, but lost the award to Disney's The Emperor's New Groove. It is notable, however, that an independent animated film would be able to win such a nomination. It was the last film based on a book by E. B. White until 2006's Charlotte's Web.