The Wind in the Willows

"Wind in the Willows" is one of the all-time classic children's books, no doubt about it. And this is quite a good production, made (I believe) for Saturday morning television. I was about 4 or 5 when this was first aired, we've taped it and had it for the ensuing 15 or 16 years. Even aside from the hilarious 80's commercials (remember how popular claymation was back then?), it's still a treat to pull out the old tape and run it through the VCR again. One of the keys to the cartoon's success was the excellent musical score, with some truly memorable songs (particularly the wistful title tune which perfectly captures the yearning spirit of Rattie). And there's a great sequence with the Seafaring Rat seducing Rattie with tales of the far-off wonders of the world...it gets right to the soul of every adventurous Englishman, divided between the serene comforts of home and the wide world beyond (it's almost a David Lean moment here). The animation is admittedly not up to Disney's caliber, but then neither was Disney at the time this was made (it would be a few years before "Little Mermaid" signified their renewal). Sometimes the drawings are a bit flat, but other times they're wonderfully evocative. All in all, I recommend this if you can find it--I really don't know if it's on video or not although it probably says so on this site. Oh, and one last thing: the voices are dead-on perfect, especially Roddy McDowell as the Rat (just found out it was him recently, but it makes perfect sense in retrospect. There have been many versions of "Wind in the Willows"--a stop-motion production done for PBS in the 90's, a lushly drawn cartoon introduced by Vanessa Redgrave, even a live action version starring the Monty Python crew, which is worth watching...and of course the Disney cartoon which is a big departure from the spirit and story of the book in many ways, but contains that irrestible Disney charm and enthusiasm. Still, in some ways, this remains my favorite production, both for personal reasons (it evokes as much nostalgia for me as Teddy Ruxpin and Mr. Potato Head) and because it is the movie which most lives up to the spiritual undertones in Graham's story.

This cartoon adaption of The Wind in the Willows is something rare: a perfect (or at least near-perfect) version of the novel it's based on. Forget the Disney version; this is the one to see. It leaves out only a few parts of the novel, and is very faithful to the tone of the story. Each character is perfectly realized as they were in the novel. The visual style is excellent too; it is what might be called "delightfully grotesque." If you love The Wind in the Willows, and want to see a version that does not ruin it, this is the version you want. Alas, it is unavailable on video or DVD (it was once available on video, but is no longer), and is only rarely (if ever) shown on T.V. I am fortunate that I have a copy taped from T.V. many years, a copy which is, sadly, slowly biting the dust. This movie is hard to find, but if you can find, watch it without delay.

...Well maybe I am a bit biased because I have such a ton of nostalgia for this movie. But I remember being six years old and constantly borrowing this film off my aunt, until she just let me keep it one day. I'm 25 now and all the songs and dialogue have stuck with me vividly ever since. The title song is beautiful, and the rest of the soundtrack is witty and catchy. The animation is perfectly acceptable and has a charm to it, but the main strength of this film is the great voice cast. Whenever I think of Toad, this is the one that comes to mind, wonderfully voiced by Charles Reilly. I thought he was hilarious and lively in his arrogance. Everyone else is just as wonderfully cast in their roles; special mention to Roddy Mcdowall, who is so heartwarming as Ratty. Badger is also a standout, though he is helped by his own song; "I hate company" which is a riot! I honestly can't say enough good things about this film! IMO it captures the spirit of the book best of all the adaptations I've seen. It has a real whimsy to it, and as I said before the theme song by Judy Collins is just beautiful and probably contributes a great deal of it's nostalgic charm for me. You could do far worse than watch this...I highly recommend it if you can get your hands on it. Definitely needs a DVD release pronto. And a soundtrack while they're at it!!

This version of "Wind in the Willows" is superior, by leaps and bounds, to the 1949 Disney version. Not only is it much more faithful to the novel as an adaptation, the animation actually looks better, and closer to many of the illustrations I've seen in different versions of "Wind in the Willows." Roddy McDowall, who you might remember from "Return of the King," is back as the water rat. Jose Ferrer is great as the gruff Badger. Best of all is the looney Charles Nelson Reilly as Toad. This guy has a great voice for cartoons, and his voice fits perfectly for the energetic and crazed personality of Toad, certainly more than the British actor used in the Disney version. I watched this as a little kid and enjoyed it. Watch it with your children, for it is one of Rankin-Bass's greatest TV specials, and a classic of made-for-TV children's animation.

The 1987 Rankin/Bass version of Wind in the Willows is simply the best version of the story that I have seen today. The film remains very true to the story with only some minor variations (Portly becomes Badger's nephew instead of Otter's son), has some catchy songs (my very favorite is the one sung by the weasels and stoats as they have overrun Toad Hall), and does a wonderful job of characterization (Moley is insecure but loyal, Ratty is dreamy, Badger is gruff yet compassionate, and Toad is, well, Toad)! More importantly, I think the film better than any other has captured the true essence of Grahame's original work, something most film versions have just not been able to do. This was always one of my favorite movies as a child, and I long for it to be released on DVD! It is a truly great movie!