The Little Bear Movie
A gentle adventure of friendship and family.
The Little Bear Movie is a 2001 Canadian direct-to-video animated adventure film directed by Raymond Jafelice. It is based on the television series Little Bear, which itself adapts the book series by Else Holmelund Minarik with illustrations by Maurice Sendak. The film follows Little Bear as he helps a wild bear cub named Cub reunite with his parents.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Raymond Jafelice
- Screenplay
- James Still
- Raymond Jafelice
- Nancy Barr
- Story
- Else Holmelund Minarik
- Based on
- Little Bear, Else Holmelund Minarik; Maurice Sendak
- Producer
- Maurice Sendak
- Music
- Lesley Barber
- Studio
- Nelvana Limited; Wild Things Productions Inc.
- Distributor
- Paramount Home Entertainment
Facts from the source article.
Plot
Little Bear and Father Bear go on a camping trip. While camping on a hill, Father Bear talks about the wilderness and the time he met an eagle. The next day, Little Bear meets another bear named Cub. They wrestle in a river, and Cub chases a moose, leaving Little Bear alone. A mountain lion named Trouble appears, but Cub returns and saves Little Bear. They eat grilled fish with Father Bear before heading home. Little Bear invites Cub to come with them, and Cub agrees. At the house, Cub adjusts to living indoors. The family makes pancakes for lunch. Little Bear introduces Cub to his friends Cat, Owl, Duck, and Hen. When they learn Cub was separated from his parents during a storm, they decide to search for them. They create missing person posters and hang them in the wilderness, including a banner of Cub. The signs disappear; Moose explains that animals took the papers for nests and raccoons used the banner for a dam. Little Bear and Cub try to recover the banner, but beavers break the dam, washing the two bears and Duck over a waterfall. Separated from the group, Duck drops the last sign in the river, and an eagle snatches it. Cub feels like giving up, but Little Bear encourages him. Night falls, and the three become lost. Owl searches but cannot find them. The friends return to Little Bear's house to tell Mother and Father Bear, who begin a larger search.
Reception
Tracy Moore of Common Sense Media gave the film a 5 out of 5 star rating, describing it as gentle, positive programming for children. Moore noted that the film is slower-paced and focuses on the friendship between a civilized bear and a wild bear, with respect for each other's ways of life. The review highlighted the sweet friendships, outdoor adventure, and family-friendly themes. Shawn Colvin, Marc Jordan, and Antony Vanderburgh were nominated for Best Original Song at the 2001 Video Premiere Awards for the song "Great Big World".
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