The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking is a 1988 American fantasy–adventure–musical film written & directed by Ken Annakin based on the children's book series of the fictional character Pippi Longstocking, created by author Astrid Lindgren, starring Tami Erin in the lead role.
The film was released on July 29, 1988 by Columbia Pictures.
Plot[]
| Spoiler Warning: The following contains important plot details of the entire film. |
After her father is lost at sea during a sudden storm, a girl named Pippi Longstocking (Tami Erin) is stranded with her horse, Alfonso and pet monkey, Mr. Nilsson. She takes up residence in Villa Villekulla, which the neighborhood children believe is haunted.
Soon after that, a boy named Tommy Settigren (David Seaman, Jr.) and his little sister, Annika (Cory Crow), venture into the house after seeing lights in the windows. Looking for ghosts, they meet Pippi, Mr. Nilsson and Alfonso instead.
The three of them become friends and get into various adventures together such as making pancakes, cleaning the floor with scrubbing shoes, serving ice cream to children of the local orphanage, riding a motorcycle and dodging "splunks".
Pippi must also fight off Mr. Blackhart and his goons Rype & Rancid who want to demolish her house and sell the property as well as avoid being legally taken to the orphanage by Miss Bannister. She agrees to run away with Tommy and Annika in a homemade autogyro to avoid this fate, but they end up needing to be rescued after nearly going over a waterfall while riding barrels down a river.
Believing that Pippi will hurt their children, Tommy and Annika's parents refuse to let them play with her anymore. Pippi believes that Tommy and Annika would be better off without her and she goes to the orphanage and has to leave Mr. Nilsson & Alfonso behind.
Pippi does not fit in with the other children at the orphanage due to her lack of discipline and education, but after she saves the orphanage from a fire and becomes the town heroine, Pippi is allowed to return home and play with Tommy and Annika again.
On Christmas Day, Pippi is reunited with her father on Christmas Day and offers her the chance to become a cannibal princess of the uncharted island he had washed ashore on and was crowned king. Pippi agrees and everyone comes out to bid Pippi a tearful farewell.
Just as they prepare to sail off, Pippi decides to stay after seeing that everyone in the village is sad to see her go. She explains to Captain Longstocking that she can't leave Tommy and Annika. The captain understands and tells Pippi that he loves her.
Pippi & Captain Longstocking say their goodbyes and Pippi goes home with Tommy, Annika, Mr. Nilsson & Alfonso.
| Spoiler Warning: All spoilers have been stated and have ended here. |
Songs[]
- "Pippi Longstocking is Coming Into Your Town!" - Margie Nelson and the International Children's Choir
- "We Live on the Seas" - Michael Mendelson and the Hoptoad Crew
- "Scrubbing Day" - Marlene Ricci, Tami Erin, David Seaman, Jr., Cory Crow, and the International Children's Choir
- "Runnin' Away" - Margie Nelson, Tami Erin, Cory Crow, and the International Children's Choir
- "Runnin' Away (Reprise)" - Tami Erin, David Seaman, Jr., and Cory Crow
- "Sticky Situation" - Sandra Simmons
- "Merry Christmas Tree" - Gail Lopata Lennon
- "We Live on the Seas (Reprise)" - Tami Erin, Michael Mendelson, and the Hoptoad Crew
- "Pippi Longstocking is Coming Into Your Town! (Reprise)" - Margie Nelson and the International Children's Choir
Cast[]
- Tami Erin as Pippilotta Delicatessa Windowshade Mackrelmint Efraim's Daughter "Pippi" Longstocking, a spunky 9 year old girl who arrives on land after her father is lost at sea. When Pippi was a baby her mother died.
- David Seaman, Jr. as Thomas "Tommy" Settigren, Annika's older brother who becomes friends with Pippi.
- Cory Crow as Annika Settigren, Tommy's younger sister who becomes friends with Pippi.
- Eileen Brennan as Miss Bannister, the well meaning no nonsense owner of the town orphanage who believes that Pippi will be safer under her care. Miss Bannister tries to explain to Pippi that because she's an unaccompanied minor and can offer no proof that her father is still alive by law she has to live at the orphanage.
- Dennis Dugan as Mr. Settigren, Tommy and Annika's polite father who thinks that Pippi is annoying and wants her to leave Villa Villekulla.
- Dianne Hull as Mrs. Settigren, Tommy and Annika's overprotective mother who wants to keep her children safe from Pippi.
- George DiCenzo as Mr. Daniel "Dan" Blackhart, a local businessman who originally intended to knock down Pippi's house to make more space but after Pippi moves in, attempts to lure her out using his two clumsy henchmen.
- Dick Van Patten as Gregory "Greg" the Glue Man, a strange man who invented special sticky glue that walk him up and down anywhere. He uses his glue to sneak into the orphanage one night where he meets Pippi and instantly becomes her friend.
- John Schuck as Captain Efraim Longstocking, Pippi's widowed father who is captain of the ship "Hoptoad". After a storm he is washed out to sea and floats towards an island at the start of the movie but he later returns home during Christmas. Captain Longstocking's wife died before the events of the movie.
- Branscombe Richmond as Fridolf, Captain Longstocking's cabin boy and best friend who teaches Pippi while she is on board the Hoptoad.
- Fay Masterson as Head Girl, a bossy older girl at the orphanage.
- Carole Kean as Miss Messerschmidt a strict teacher at the orphanage who dislikes Pippi for her unruly behavior.
- Frank Welker and Michael Bell as Mr. Nilsson and Alfonso, Pippi's pet monkey and horse respectively.
- Clark Niederjohn as Jacob "Jake," the town pilot who befriends Pippi and invents an autogyro. When Pippi runs away with Tommy and Annika, he decides to take Mr. Settergren up in the autogyro to search for them and bring the kids home.
Production[]
"The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking" was filmed in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island and at soundstages in Jacksonville, Florida.
Producer Gary Mehlman was inspired to make the film when his daughters Romy and Alexandra watched the U.S. dubs of the "Pippi Longstocking" television shows & VHS movie rentals. He wanted the rights to produce a "Pippi Longstocking" film, but author Astrid Lingdren was reluctant to cooperate with the project.
Svensk Filmindustri (the Swedish studio that owned the production rights to Pippi and also produced the television series/movies) were interested in a possible foreign co-production, but they could only do it with Lingdren's approval.
Eventually in 1985, after Astrid met Melhman's daughters while in Stockholm, Sweden, she agreed to let him do an American remake of "Pippi Longstocking." Mehlman's daughters were credited in the closing credits of the movie as the ones "whose love for "PIPPI" provided the inspiration for this film."
Actress Tami Erin was selected for the title role of Pippi Longstocking out of over 8,000 actresses worldwide for her talents (which include singing, dancing, gymnastics/tumbling and horseback riding). She also dyed her naturally red hair to a more red shade for the movie. Even though the character of Pippi is 9 years old, Erin was 12 years old at the time the movie was filmed.
Box Office[]
"The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking" debuted at #16 at the box office, grossing only $933,462 during its opening weekend with an average of $1,105.
Domestically, it grossed $3,569,939.
Critical Reception[]
"The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking" received generally negative reviews from film critics.
The movie has a 17% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but it has a much more popular with the general public as 70% of the audience have given it a favorable opinion.
Janet Maslin (from the New York Times) wrote in her review: "While it would be impossible to prove scientifically that "The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking" is the longest children's film ever made or Pippi herself the most irritating of characters, it would be difficult to persuade any audience otherwise."
Richard Harrington from the Washington Post wrote: "It's hard to imagine any of the Swedish adaptations being as smarmy and inept as this one; it's just as hard to imagine Lindgren sending Pippi to Hollywood again anytime in the near future."
TV Guide gave the movie a rating of two stars, saying it was "a pretty sloppy picture, with obnoxiousness passing for acting."
Trailer[]
The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking Trailer