The Tigger Movie is a 2000 American-Japanese animated musical comedy-drama film written and directed by Jun Falkenstein from a story by Eddie Guzelian and a part of the "Winnie the Pooh" series.
It was the first feature-length theatrical Pooh film that was not a collection of previously released shorts and features original songs from the Sherman Brothers.
Originally, the film was slated for a direct-to-video release until then–Disney CEO Michael Eisner heard the Sherman Brothers's score and decided to release the film in theaters worldwide.
It is also the highest-grossing film in the Winnie the Pooh franchise.
Plot[]
| Spoiler Warning: The following contains important plot details of the entire film. |
Tigger searches through the 00 Acre Wood for somebody to bounce with him, but all of his friends are too busy getting ready for the winter.
While he searches for a playmate, Tigger accidentally destroys Eeyore's house with a boulder. To remove the boulder Rabbit makes a complex pulley system but things don't go well. Tigger comes by asking if they want to bounce but Rabbit tells him they have to remove the rock, to help, Tigger hits the Boulder with a super bounce which wrecks the rock remover Rabbit made and sends his friends flying down the hill into a mud puddle. Everyone is covered in mud except for Roo who landed in a tree clean and Eeyore who fell into a thorny bush. Tigger comes down and asks if everyone wants to bounce with him.
Rabbit is furious at Tigger for destroying his Rock Remover and the fact that all he can think about is bouncing while everything is a mess. The rest of Tigger's friends admit out of sadness they cannot bounce with him because they are not Tiggers. Tigger tearfuly wanders off on his own, wishing there was somebody else like him.
Roo (who wants to play with Tigger) catches up to him and asks if Tigger has a Tigger family he could bounce with. Tigger is fascinated by the idea and the 2 go to visit Owl for advice on finding Tigger's family. Owl shows them portraits of his own family and mentions the concept of the family trees.
Tigger accidentally knocks the portraits over. When he quickly hangs them back up, all of owl's ancestors appear to be perched on a single tree. Tigger concludes that his family tree must be a real tree and he and Roo go searching for it. After hearing about Tiger's search, Piglet, Pooh and Eeyore also decide to search for Tigger's family but are unsuccessful.
After searching the wood without turning up any giant, Tigger-striped trees, Tigger and Roo go back to Tigger's house to search for clues to his family's whereabouts. During this scene, Tigger teaches Roo the awesome Whoop-de-Dooper-Loop-de-Looper-Alley-Ooper Bounce. After Ron unsuccessfully does the bounce into the closet, they find a heart-shaped locket that Tigger hopes will contain a picture of his family, but it is empty. Roo suggests that Tigger try writing a letter to his family, which Tigger does.
When Tigger's letter gets no response, Roo gathers Tigger's friends together to write him a letter. Everyone contributes a bit of friendly advice and they sign it "your family." Tigger is overjoyed to receive the letter, but, "reading between the lines", misinterprets it and announces that his whole family is coming to visit him tomorrow. Tigger's friends do not have the heart to tell Tigger that the letter is from them yet, so they decide to disguise themselves as Tiggers and attend his family reunion. Unfortunately a grumpy Rabbit does not join in, but rather, berates them for not being ready for the approaching winter storm and slams off. At first the friends realize that Rabbit is right about them not being ready but also point out they are not like Tigger at all. Roo begs them not to leave as Tigger, would be broken hearted if they don't come, while they all feel bad, they remind Roo they are not Tiggers themselves. Kanga however assures everyone they have joy and laughter just like Tigger and that's all they need.
Tigger is completely taken in by the costumes and has a wonderful time even bouncing together until Roo attempts Tigger's complex Whoop-de-Dooper-Loop-de-Looper-Alley-Ooper Bounce, smashes into the closet and knocks his mask off. Believing that his friends are mocking him, Tigger goes out in the fierce snowstorm to search for his family after a final "TTFE, Ta-ta forever!!"
Back at home, Pooh is worried about Tigger who is out there alone and cold, he is also really short on food as well. Suddenly a sadden Roo comes to Pooh's house saying that they have to get Tigger back, and he never intended to hurt Tigger he just wanted to help. Pooh decides that they should go to Rabbit since he's the only one with any sense. At first he doesn't to help them (mainly because he can't stand Tigger's energy) but after hearing how much Tigger means to everyone, he agrees. Tigger's friends form an expedition to find him and convince Rabbit to lead them. They find Tigger sitting in a large tree with patches of snow on the trunk that resemble stripes. Rabbit insists that Tigger come home, but Tigger angrily refuses to leave his "family tree" until his Tigger family returns.
Tigger's loud and enraged shouting causes an avalanche. Tigger bounces all of his friends to safety in the tree branches, but is swept away by the snow himself. Roo performs the fastest Whoop-de-Dooper-Loop-de-Looper-Alley-Ooper Bounce and rescues Tigger. When the avalanche subsides, everyone is amazed at Roo's bouncing and quick thinking, Tigger is also pleased but becomes saddened by the fact that there are still no other tiggers. A saddened Roo begs Tigger not to leave again, moment later Owl and Kangaroo arrive to find the others and even Christopher Robin has come. He asks them where they were and Pooh explains they were looking for Tigger who was looking for his family. Christopher walks to Tigger nd questions why he was looking for other tiggers, Tigger realizes he has lost the letter from his family. All his friends each recite their parts of the letter from memory and Tigger finally sees that they are his real family.
He throws a new family reunion party with presents for everyone including a beautiful new home for Eeyore. For Pooh, enough honey for the whole winter, for Piglet, lots of firewood, he promises to Rabbit to watch where he bounces and hugs him. Roo receives the heart-shaped locket and Christopher Robin takes a picture of Roo, Tigger, and the rest of their family to go in it.
Voice Cast[]
- Jim Cummings as Tigger and Winnie the Pooh
- Kath Soucie as Kanga (Australian with an Australian accent)
- Nikita Hopkins as Roo (Australian with an Australian accent)
- John Fielder as Piglet
- Peter Cullen as Eeyore
- Ken Sansom as Rabbit
- Andre Stojka as Owl (Strong Southern English with a Strong Southern English accent)
- Tom Attenborough as Christopher Robin (British with a British accent)
- John Hurt as the Narrator (Southern English with a Southern English accent)
- Frank Welker as the Bees and the Frogs (Additional Voices)
Songs[]
- "The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers" – Tigger (replaced the theme song of Winnie the Pooh)
- "Someone Like Me" – Tigger and the forest animals
- "The Whoop-de-Dooper Bounce" – Tigger and Roo
- "Pooh's Lullabee" – Pooh
- "Round My Family Tree" – Tigger
- "How to Be a Tigger" – Roo, Owl, Piglet, Eeyore, Pooh, Kanga and Rabbit
- "Your Heart Will Lead You Home" – Kenny Loggins
Production[]
The film was produced by Cheryl Abood. Paul Winchell (who was the original voice of Tigger) was originally cast to voice Tigger for the film, which was then titled "Winnie the Pooh and the Family Tree."
During Spring 1998, Winchell participated in a single recording session for the film. However, Disney found his voice too raspy and they dismissed him from the project. He was replaced by Jim Cummings, who was already voicing Winnie the Pooh for the film and doing Tigger's voice on various Disney television shows and for Disney consumer products.
Devastated by Winchell's dismissal, the Disney Imagineers hired him to perform the voice for "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" attraction at Walt Disney World which opened a year before The Tigger Movie's release; it was Winchell's final performance before his retirement from acting and his death in 1999.
Release[]
After a Hollywood red carpet premiere on February 6, 2000 at El Capitan Theatre, "The Tigger Movie" was released theatrically on February 11, 2000 and was on screens for 23 weeks.
| Countries | Premiere |
|---|---|
| USA Japan |
February 11, 2000 |
Box Office[]
"The Tigger Movie" opened at #4 at the North American box office making $9.4 million in its opening weekend. It was a box office success, earning $45,554,533 in the United States alone while making $50,605,267 overseas and $96,159,800 worldwide.
The film's budget is estimated at between $15 million and $30 million.
Critical Reception[]
"The Tigger Movie" received generally positive reviews from critics.
Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 62% of critics gave the film "fresh" reviews on 71 reviews with a 5.9 rating.
The site's consensus states, "The Tigger Movie may lack the technological flash and underlying adult sophistication of other recent animated movies, but it's fun and charming."
Then-4th-grade student Mia Addiego (the daughter of Walter Addiego, a staff member for the San Francisco Examiner) wrote her review of the film in the Examiner and said, "I think this movie is perfect for kids my age, 9, or younger. Older kids would think it was a little too young for them. But grown-ups might enjoy watching it with their children."
Peter Stack from the San Francisco Chronicle said "The Tigger Movie" stands as "Disney's lovely cartoon shrine to the classic characters."
Stephen Holden of the The New York Times' review of the film: "Of course, "The Tigger Movie" is meant to be just innocent fun (bouncy, trouncy, flouncy fun, to be exact). But it isn't -- it's transparently cynical, and not as much fun as it should be. The songs, by the redoubtable team of Robert and Richard Sherman, seem to have been written over lunch at the Disney cafeteria. Not one is memorable, musically or lyrically, which may well be a blessing."
Accolades[]
The film was nominated for numerous awards in 2000 including the following:
- Annie Award for "Outstanding Individual Achievement for Directing in an Animated Feature Production"; Jun Falkenstein for "Outstanding Individual Achievement for Music in an Animated Feature Production"
- Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman (music and lyrics) for the song "Round My Family Tree"
- "Outstanding Individual Achievement for Voice Acting by a Male Performer in an Animated Feature Production": Nikita Hopkins as the voice of "Roo".
- Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards
- The Sierra Award for "Best Family Film"
- Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award.