Thumbelina (1994 film) (Don Bluth)

Thumbelina (also known as Hans Christian Andersen's Thumbelina) is a 1994 American animated musical fantasy film directed by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman from a screenplay by Bluth based on the book of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen and starring the voices Jodi Benson, Gary Imhoff and Joe Lynch, with supporting roles from Gino Conforti, Gilbert Gottfried, Carol Channing and John Hurt.

The film was produced by Sullivan Bluth Studios and was released to movie theaters by Warner Bros. Family Entertainment on March 30, 1994.

Plot
A widowed old woman (Barbara Cook) is given a seed by a good witch. Once planted, the seed grows into a flower, and a tiny girl (Jodi Benson) emerges from inside the blossom, no bigger than the old woman's thumb. The old woman names the tiny girl Thumbelina and raises her as her own.

Although Thumbelina loves her mother, she craves companionship from someone her own size. One night, the fairy prince Cornelius (Gary Imhoff) stumbles upon Thumbelina after hearing her beautiful singing. The two take a ride on Cornelius' bumblebee, and fall in love; during this ride Mrs. Toad (Charo) and her son Grundel (Joe Lynch) are enchanted by Thumbelina's singing. Cornelius promises to return the next day, but that night, Mrs. Toad kidnaps Thumbelina from her bed and takes her away to her show boat, where she desires Thumbelina to join their troupe and marry Grundel, who is in love with her. They leave Thumbelina alone on a lily pad to fetch a priest; she is rescued by a friendly swallow, Jacquimo (Gino Conforti). Jacquimo's friends, the jitterbugs, promise to help Thumbelina get home safely while Jacquimo sets off to find Cornelius. Meanwhile, Cornelius learns of Thumbelina's kidnapping and ventures out to find her.

While trying to get home, Thumbelina is ambushed by Berkeley Beetle (Gilbert Gottfried), who scares the jitterbugs away. He too becomes enamored with her singing and promises to show her the way home if she sings at his Beetle Ball first. She reluctantly complies, but her bug disguise falls off during the concert and she is denounced as ugly. Beetle throws her out without helping her. Jacquimo appears and promises that he will find Cornelius and bring him to Thumbelina, but winter arrives and Jacquimo impales his wing on a thorn and is knocked out by the cold while Cornelius falls into a lake and ends up frozen in the ice. Thumbelina is later found by Miss Fieldmouse (Carol Channing) and taken to her underground home for shelter. She tells her of Cornelius' fate, leaving her devastated. She later meets Miss Fieldmouse's neighbor, Mr. Mole (John Hurt), who leads her to Jacquimo's body, though Thumbelina realizes he is alive. Mr. Mole expresses a desire to marry Thumbelina, and she reluctantly accepts after persuasion from Miss Fieldmouse. Jacquimo, however, recovers and leaves to find Cornelius, refusing to believe he is dead.

Grundel ventures out to find Thumbelina and finds Beetle, who he coerces into helping him by removing his wings to ensure his cooperation. Beetle finds Cornelius and brings him to Grundel, also informing him of Thumbelina's wedding to Mr. Mole. They head for Mr Mole's home to retrieve Thumbelina, while the jitterbugs find and thaw Cornelius' body out. At the wedding, Thumbelina finds herself unable to marry Mr. Mole. Grundel and Beetle appear and a chase ensues. Cornelius appears and confronts Grundel; the ensuing fight sends them both falling into an abyss. Thumbelina escapes and is reunited with Jacquimo, who takes her to Cornelius' kingdom, the Vale of the Fairies, and has her sing in order to lure Cornelius out. He appears, having survived the fall, and proposes to her; Thumbelina accepts.

With Jacquimo, Thumbelina's mother and the fairy court in attendance, Thumbelina and Cornelius are married and depart on Cornelius' bumblebee. Images shown during the credits reveal that Beetle resumed his singing career and grew new wings; Miss Fieldmouse married Mr. Mole; Grundel survived the fall with minor injuries and fell in love with a female toad; and Mrs. Rabbit and Mr. Fox settled their differences and found friendship.

Voice cast

 * Jodi Benson as Thumbelina
 * Gary Imhoff as Prince Cornelius - the Prince of the Fairies and Thumbelina's love interest.
 * Joe Lynch as Grundel Toad - a toad in love with Thumbelina
 * Gino Conforti as Jacquimo - a wise swallow who speaks with a French accent. He is the partial narrator of the story.
 * Gilbert Gottfried as Berkeley Beetle - a singer beetle who owns his own "beetle band" and a so-called "connoisseur of sweet nectars, a fancier of fine threads and judge of beautiful women." He is forced by Grundel to help him to find Thumbelina.
 * Carol Channing as Miss Fieldmouse - a rather greedy yet kind, caring and unbearably beautiful field mouse who takes Thumbelina in from the cold and persuades her to marry Mr. Mole.
 * John Hurt as Mr. Mole - a fabulously wealthy but self-involved and cynical mole.
 * Barbara Cook as Thumbelina's Mother - the widow who mothers Thumbelina since her birth from a flower.
 * Charo as Mrs. Toad - a gorgeous and famous Spanish singer and mother to her three sons Mozo, Gringo, and Grundel.
 * Kenneth Mars as King Colbert, Cornelius' father
 * June Foray as Queen Tabitha, Cornelius' mother
 * Will Ryan as Hero, Reverend Rat, The Goat
 * Danny Mann as Mozo, Grundel's younger brother
 * Loren Lester as Gringo, Grundel's younger brother
 * Pat Musick as Mrs. Rabbit
 * Neil Ross as Mr. Bear, Mr. Fox
 * Tony Jay as the Bull
 * Tawny Sunshine Glover as Gnatty, one of the jitterbugs.
 * Michael Nunes as Li'l Bee, one of the jitterbugs.
 * Kendall Cunningham as Baby Bug, one of the jitterbugs

Music
Barry Manilow agreed to compose the songs for three Don Bluth pictures. Thumbelina was the first, followed by The Pebble and the Penguin, and the third was canceled. The film's soundtrack was released for a limited time and has since gone out of print. "Marry the Mole" won a Razzie for Worst Original Song.
 * "Follow Your Heart" (Intro) - Jacquimo
 * "Thumbelina" - Thumbelina, Farm Animals
 * "Soon" - Thumbelina
 * "Let Me Be Your Wings" - Cornelius, Thumbelina
 * "On the Road" - Mrs. Toad, Thumbelina, Singers de Espana (Los Sapos Guapos)
 * "Follow Your Heart" - Jacquimo, Jitterbugs, Birds
 * "Yer Beautiful, Baby"- Berkeley Beetle, Beetle Chorus
 * "Soon (Reprise)" - Thumbelina's Mother
 * "Let Me Be Your Wings (Sun Reprise)" - Thumbelina
 * "Marry the Mole" - Ms. Fieldmouse
 * "Let Me Be Your Wings (Wedding Reprise)" - Cornelius
 * "Let Me Be Your Wings" (Reprise) - Thumbelina, Cornelius, Jacquimo
 * "Let Me Be Your Wings" - Barry Manilow & Debra Byrd