Stuart Little (film)

Cleanup|date=November 2007Infobox Film
name = Stuart Little

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caption = Theatrical Release Poster
director = Rob Minkoff
writer = E.B. White (book)
M. Night Shyamalan
Greg Brooker
starring = Michael J. Fox
Geena Davis
Hugh Laurie
Jonathan Lipnicki
Nathan Lane
Steve Zahn
producer = Douglas Wick
music = Alan Silvestri
cinematography = Guillermo Navarro
editing = Tom Finan
distributor = Columbia Pictures
budget = US$103,000,000
released = December 17, 1999 (USA)
July 21, 2000 (UK)
runtime = 84 min.
language = English
followed_by = "Stuart Little 2" (2002)
imdb_id = 0164912

"Stuart Little" is a 1999 live-action film, based on the novel of the same name. It combines live-action and computer animation. The screenplay was co-written by M. Night Shyamalan and Greg Brooker, with uncredited script doctoring by David O. Russell and Billy Ray.

Michael J. Fox is the voice of the titular character. Geena Davis and Hugh Laurie star as Eleanor and Fredrick Little, with Jonathan Lipnicki as Stuart's big brother George and Nathan Lane as the voice of the family cat Snowbell.

This film was rated PG by the MPAA for "brief language".

Plot

The film opens with Mr. and Mrs. Little (Hugh Laurie and Geena Davis) and their son George (Jonathan Lipnicki) on the day of adoption. While George is at school, the parents go to the orphanage where they see many kids, but fall in love with one mouse named Stuart (Michael J. Fox), Who knows almost everything about the other children due to having been at the orphanage for so much time. Despite the warnings of Mrs. Keeper (the woman in charge), the Littles decide to take Stuart and adopt him as their second son.

Immediately after getting home Stuart meets George and Snowbell (Nathan Lane) the family cat. Although neither are happy to see him, Snowbell tries to eat Stuart and George is generally unimpressed. That night, Snowbell visits Stuart and requests that he keep a low profile, so as to avoid getting seen by the other cats and damaging Snowbell's image (being a cat with a mouse for an owner).

Over time Stuart gradually becomes part of the family, but also earns Snowbell's wrath when Snowbell's friend, Monty the Mouth (Steve Zahn) visits for food and sees Stuart. Collapsing with laughter upon discovering that Stuart is a mouse with a pet cat. Enraged, Snowbell tries to kill Stuart who narrowly escapes by jumping into the basement. Here Stuart learns that George keeps a playroom and the two play together for a while. George finally coming to like having Stuart as his brother. They decide to work together to finish George's homemade model boat, the "Wasp", for the Central Park Boat Race the following week.

Snowbell, however, isn't finished. He and Monty go to an alley that night to visit Smokey (Chazz Palminteri), a Mafia Don-like Russian Blue Cat who is the leader of the alley cats. Since Snowbell doesn't want Stuart killed, he makes a plan with the alley cats to remove Stuart from the house. The next day, George and Stuart along with their parents, enter the boat race, and Stuart is forced to pilot the boat himself when a stranger carelessly steps on the remote control. Despite the cheating of George's rival, Anton (who smashes the other boats with his stronger one and is not disqualified for it), Stuart manages to win, happily taking home with him the trophy.

The celebration is short lived however, as during the party that night, the Littles are visited by Reginald and Camille Stout (Bruno Kirby and Jennifer Tilly), a mouse couple claiming to be Stuart's parents. After discussion Stuart sadly decides to leave with his real parents, taking a small car with him as a goodbye present from George. Just then, Snowbell returns home satisfied.

Stuart and his parents arrive at a small castle on a golf course which is revealed to be their home. Stuart, still miserable does his best to settle in. Three days later, the Littles are visited by Mrs. Keeper whom they had asked to do a little background research on Stuart. She tells them that, according to the records Stuart's parents died years ago after getting crushed by a pile of creamed soup tins. Convinced that they have been tricked, the Littles call the police.

A terrified Snowbell rushes to the alley and warns Smokey and the others about the Littles' discovery. Smokey then decides that the only way to rectify things is to kill Stuart. They call a meeting with Reginald and demand that he and Camille hand Stuart over. But the Stouts, having grown to care for Stuart, reveal the truth and advise him to escape before the cats find him. Stuart does so after telling his "fake parents" goodbye.

Meanwhile, the Littles decide to place "missing" posters around the city to get help in finding Stuart. Stuart meanwhile is on his way home. While going through Central Park, is ambushed by Smokey and a few cats. He succesfully manages to evade them by driving his car into the sewer, but at a high cost: he loses the car and his luggage while escaping the storm drain.

Eventually, Stuart finds his way home just as the Littles leave to hang the posters. The only one home is Snowbell, and he tells Stuart a lie about how the Littles are enjoying life without him. Proving his story by revealing that Stuart's face has been cut off the family photo (really done so to enlarge Stuart's face for the posters). Tears falling from his eyes, Stuart leaves home yet again.

Later on Monty visits Snowbell and informs him that Smokey and the others have spotted Stuart in the park. Reluctantly, Snowbell joins them and is ultimately the first one to find Stuart, sitting alone in a bird's nest. Snowbell captures Stuart and is ready to drop him to the cats, but he turns on them at the last moment and decides to rescue Stuart. The cats give chase, and eventually corner Stuart hanging from a tree branch. The cats group together on a lower branch to catch Stuart, but Snowbell breaks it at the last minute and sends the cats into the water below. Smokey sneaks up behind Snowbell and attempts to murder him, but Stuart releases a thin branch that hits Smokey in the face and knocks him into the water. Enraged, Smokey walks off only to be mauled and killed by dogs upon turning a corner.

Snowbell and Stuart walk home and Stuart shares a warm reunion with his family, telling them that Snowbell helped him home. The Littles bring Stuart and Snowbell inside, and close the windows, ready for bed.

Cast

*Michael J. Fox as Stuart Little (voice)
*Geena Davis as Mrs. Eleanor Little
*Hugh Laurie as Mr. Fredrick Little
*Jonathan Lipnicki as George Little
*Nathan Lane as Snowbell 'Snow', the Little's house-cat (voice)
*Chazz Palminteri as Smokey, the Chief Alley-Cat (voice)
*Steve Zahn as Monty the Mouth (voice)
*Jim Doughan as Detective Allen / Voice of Lucky (Alley Cat)
*David Alan Grier as Red (Alley Cat) (voice)
*Bruno Kirby as Mr. Reginald 'Reggie' Stout (voice)
*Jennifer Tilly as Mrs. Camille Stout (voice)
*Stan Freberg as Race Announcer (voice)
*Jeffrey Jones as Uncle Crenshaw Little
*Connie Ray as Aunt Tina Little
*Allyce Beasley as Aunt Beatrice Little
*Harold Gould as Grandpa Little
*Estelle Getty as Grandma Estelle Little
*Taylor Negron as Salesman in Mall

Cats featured in film

Persian Cat

Russian Blue

Siamese Cat

Orange Tabby

Black Cat

Grey Persian Cat

Tabby

equels

*"Stuart Little 2" (2002)
*"" (2006) (direct-to-video)

External links

*imdb title|id=0164912|title=Stuart Little

Box Office Leaders USA
before = "Toy Story 2"
date = December 19
date2 = December 26
year = 1999
after = "Any Given Sunday"