Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme
A musical journey through Rhymeland to find Mother Goose.
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Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme is a 1990 American musical television film that aired on the Disney Channel. It stars Shelley Duvall as Little Bo Peep and Dan Gilroy as Gordon Goose, the son of Mother Goose. The film won a Peabody Award for its production company, Think Entertainment, and an Emmy Award for Patricia Field.
Plot
Gordon Goose, son of Mother Goose, dislikes living in Rhymeland and finds its denizens too strange. While heading to work, he meets Little Bo Peep, who tells him Mother Goose and Bo Peep's sheep have vanished. They search for clues and discover other Rhymies are also missing. They learn that an 8-year-old boy named Michael from the real world pulled Mother Goose out of his nursery rhyme book.
Gordon and Bo Peep convince Michael to return her, restoring the rhymes. Mother Goose then reveals that Gordon is actually the first Rhymie, though she kept this secret because the rhyme was poor. Gordon happily offers to help Bo Peep find her sheep, and they set off together.
Production
Mark Curtiss and Rod Ash wrote the script, based on a story by Hilary Hinkle and Linda Engelsiepen. Jeff Stein directed, and Shelley Duvall produced and starred as Little Bo Peep. Filming took 21 days in a repurposed warehouse on a $2.5 million budget.
The cast included Jean Stapleton, Dan Gilroy, and several musical bands and artists. Duvall stated she wanted the film to appeal to both adults and children without condescending to younger viewers. Sets were designed by Allee Willis, known for her work on music videos for Debbie Harry and Heart.
Reception
Critical reception upon release was favorable. Lee Winfrey of the Knight-Ridder Tribune News praised it as a cheerful, colorful show and highlighted Little Richard's musical number. Nanciann Cherry of The Blade compared it to a music video and said it was done with good spirit and deft touch.
Martin F. Kohn of the Detroit Free Press noted high spots and a serviceable plot but suggested young viewers might not appreciate all the jokes. Ron Weiskind of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette questioned the target audience, finding some humor and allusions aimed at adults. The film won a Peabody Award and an Emmy Award for Patricia Field's costume design.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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