The Tigger Movie

Plot

An animated Tigger interrupts the films live-action introduction, complaining that Pooh is the subject of too many stories already. He rearranges the letters and illustrations from the books title page to spell "The Tigger Movie".

Tigger is searching through the Hundred Acre Wood for someone to bounce with, but all of his friends are too busy getting ready for the coming winter. While he searches for a playmate, Tigger accidentally destroys Eeyores house with a boulder. He later wrecks the complex pulley system that Rabbit has rigged up to remove the boulder and sends his friends flying into a mud puddle. Rabbit is furious and the rest of Tiggers friends admit theyre not quite as bouncy as he is because they arent Tiggers. Tigger sadly wanders off on his own, wishing there was someone else like him.

Roo, who does want 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 two go to visit Owl for advice on finding Tiggers family. Owl shows them portraits of his own family and mentions the concept of family trees. Tigger accidentally knocks the portraits over. When he quickly hangs them back up, all of owls 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 searching the wood without turning up any giant, Tigger-striped trees, Tigger and Roo go back to Tiggers house to search for clues to his familys whereabouts. 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 Tiggers letter gets no response, Roo gathers Tiggers 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 misinterprets it and announces that his whole family is coming to visit him tomorrow. Tiggers friends dont have the heart to tell Tigger that the letter is from them, so they disguise themselves as Tiggers and attend his family reunion. Tigger is completely taken in by the costumes until Roo attempts Tiggers complex Whoop-de-Dooper-Loop-de-Looper-Alley-Ooper Bounce and knocks his mask off. Believing that his friends are mocking him, Tigger goes out in a fierce snowstorm to search for his family after a final "TTFE, Ta-ta forever!!"

Tiggers 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 refuses to leave his "family tree" until his Tigger family returns. They argue and Tiggers 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 a perfect Whoop-de-Dooper-Loop-de-Looper-Alley-Ooper Bounce and rescues Tigger.

When the avalanche subsides, Tigger realizes he has lost the letter from his family. 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. 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.

Cast

Production

The film was animated by Walt Disney Animation Japan. Tokyo Movie Shinsha, a Japanese animation studio, took part in some of the animation.

Paul Winchell, the original voice of Tigger, was originally set to voice Tigger for the film, which was then titled Winnie the Pooh and the Family Tree. In the spring of 1998, Winchell participated in a single recording session for the film, but Disney people found his voice too raspy, and they let him go from the project. He was replaced by Jim Cummings, who was already voicing Winnie the Pooh for the film, and doing Tiggers voice on various Disney television shows and for Disney consumer products.

Release

The film was released theatrically on February 11, 2000.

Home media

The film was originally released on August 22, 2000, on both VHS and DVD. The VHS and DVD included the Kenny Loggins music video "Your Heart Will Lead You Home." The DVD included additional special features. The film was later re-released on a 2-disc DVD on August 4, 2009 to coincide with its 10th anniversary. The 2-disc release includes a DVD and a digital copy. It contains all the 2000 DVD bonus features, but has more language tracks and special features. The film was also re-released as a Bounce-a-rrrific special edition on Blu-ray on August 21, 2012.

Critical reception

The Tigger Movie received generally mixed to 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 sites consensus states, "The Tigger Movie may lack the technological flash and underlying adult sophistication of other recent animated movies, but its fun and charming."

Box office performance

The film opened at #4 at the North American box office making $9.4 million in its opening weekend. The film 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 against a budget of $30 million.

Accolades

The film was nominated for numerous awards in 2000 including the following:

It was also given an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award.

Soundtrack

The songs for The Tigger Movie were written by Robert and Richard Sherman who had not written a feature for Disney in over 28 years. Their last fully original feature film score was for the Oscar nominated film, Bedknobs and Broomsticks which was released in 1971. Originally slated for video or television release, the score was so well received (in demonstration form) by then Disney CEO, Michael Eisner, that the projects priority level moved up to feature theatrical release. This was due in great part to the perceived caliber of the song score throughout the studio. All the songs were created new for the film except for "The Wonderful Things About Tiggers" which was originally written in 1968 for the featurette, Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day (released in 1968). That song was also by the Sherman Brothers. The "punch line" of the song: "But the most wonderful Thing About Tiggers is Im the only one..." provides the basis of The Tigger Movie???s storyline. "Your Heart Will Lead You Home" was the last song written for the film and is a collaborative effort between the Sherman Brothers and singer Kenny Loggins. Richard Sherman described the song as "a song about the picture, as opposed to songs of the picture." It marks the only time the trio worked together on a song.

Song titles include: