While emigrating to the United States, a young Russian mouse gets separated from his family and must locate them while trying to survive in a new country.While emigrating to the United States, a young Russian mouse gets separated from his family and must locate them while trying to survive in a new country.While emigrating to the United States, a young Russian mouse gets separated from his family and must locate them while trying to survive in a new country.
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 6 wins & 7 nominations total
Dom DeLuise
- Tiger
- (voice)
Christopher Plummer
- Henri
- (voice)
Erica Yohn
- Mama Mousekewitz
- (voice)
Amy Green
- Tanya Mousekewitz
- (voice)
John Finnegan
- Warren T. Rat
- (voice)
Pat Musick
- Tony Toponi
- (voice)
Cathianne Blore
- Bridget
- (voice)
Neil Ross
- Honest John
- (voice)
Betsy Cathcart
- Tanya Mousekewitz
- (singing voice)
- (uncredited)
Johnny Guarnieri
- Italian Singer Mouse
- (voice)
- (uncredited)
Warren Hays
- Irish Singer Mouse
- (voice)
- (uncredited)
T. Daniel Hofstedt
- No Cats in America Chorus
- (voice)
- (uncredited)
Featured reviews
Not only is An American Tail easily one of the best animated features ever made, but it proves to be leaps beyond the efforts of recent Disney movies by refusing to be constricted to an all-too-familiar formula. This movie does not stay within the cozy, comfortable guidelines that Disney adheres to in order to make money. Instead, it tells a truly unique tale, one not borrowed from any other source, and one overflowing with artistic wonder and originality.
The characters you will see here are not stock, not pulled from the typical Disney hat. The story is not a chuckle-a-minute, lowbrow attempt to take the easy way out in pandering to children. The main character, Fievel, suffers real hardships and tragedy, and stares into the despair of his own soul before the movie is finished. This, of course, makes the ending that much more satisfying, an infinitely more significant and authentic moment than any cardboard cut-out Disney plot.
If you want to see what animation was meant to be as an art form, if you want to feel the power and emotion that can truly be reaped from this under-appreciated and over-commercialized medium, look no further than An American Tail.
The characters you will see here are not stock, not pulled from the typical Disney hat. The story is not a chuckle-a-minute, lowbrow attempt to take the easy way out in pandering to children. The main character, Fievel, suffers real hardships and tragedy, and stares into the despair of his own soul before the movie is finished. This, of course, makes the ending that much more satisfying, an infinitely more significant and authentic moment than any cardboard cut-out Disney plot.
If you want to see what animation was meant to be as an art form, if you want to feel the power and emotion that can truly be reaped from this under-appreciated and over-commercialized medium, look no further than An American Tail.
As a non-American who has heard so often of The American Dream, I saw this movie as a celebration of that dream. The flight of the poor and oppressed (and Jewish?) from Europe to the proposed Land of Freedom and Wealth (There are no cats in America and the streets are paved with cheese?) to find more poverty and oppression (workhouses, cats and workhouse tout Warren T. Rat), but with the opportunity to do something about it that they did not have in the old country.
The song "Somewhere Out There" is quite perfectly matched with Fyvel and his family searching for each other, and the version heard in the movie is rather more expressive than the released single.
It is not necessarily fun for the whole family. Children will find it fun. Adults will find it interesting, not so much in fun as in pride and awareness, at least if they are Americans .
The song "Somewhere Out There" is quite perfectly matched with Fyvel and his family searching for each other, and the version heard in the movie is rather more expressive than the released single.
It is not necessarily fun for the whole family. Children will find it fun. Adults will find it interesting, not so much in fun as in pride and awareness, at least if they are Americans .
I remember seeing American Tail when I was very little, and I loved it. I always felt sad for Fievel when he was away from his parents, and at the time, I never knew that they were always very near him. I thought that they were always far away from him like he thought. Not too long ago, I bought this movie and watched it again...for the first time in years. I'm 17 and I still love the movie. It's the ultimate animated movie when it comes to being gentle, heart warming, and full of good heart. And the film is such a wonder to behold, even after all these years. Despite another sequel and one (or was that 2?) (one was made in 1999 and it's coming soon to video?) direct to video movies. Out of the three I've seen, this one is still the best, and it's among my favorite animated movies of all time
We watched this in kindergarten. This is like the best film of all time of the century. There's no way in hell it deserves a 6.8. I don't know what's up with the kids these days they don't seem to understand Jack diddly squat 50 Moskowitz was my hero lol. How dare you write this a 6.8 lol I'm gonna write it at 10 just so it offsets and gets a better review lol coming to America. This is a true story one of the very few Walt Disney movies that I do enjoy and I like and not understood why it got such a bad review from other people. Anyways, not much more I can say about this just go ahead and watch it and you will love it because I do.
"An American Tail" was Don Bluth's second animated feature since leaving Disney, and, in my opinion, it is his best. It's got the most heart out of all of his movies. It's got the Oscar-nominated song "Somewhere Out There" and the main character of Fievel. This character just warms my heart and I can easily feel for him. Don Bluth has made only three very good animated features: this movie, "The Secret of NIMH", and "The Land Before Time". But "An American Tail" tops them both. No matter how predictable or sentimental the story is, I always get caught up in it. The sequel was good, but it was more like a fast-paced western comedy with some one-liners and such sight gags. The original is the better film in my opinion. Only complaint: one too many chase scenes with Fievel and other mice running from cats.
Did you know
- TriviaFievel was the name of Steven Spielberg's grandfather.
- GoofsIn the cat's lair Tiger mentions to Fievel that he is a fan of broccoli. The film is set in the 1885-1886 time frame. Both broccoli and cauliflower were unknown in the United States then. In fact, both vegetables were not commercially grown in the United States until Italian immigrants started commercially growing both vegetables in California in the 1920s.
- Quotes
Honest John: [At the wake of Mickey O'Hare] Poor lad. So young. He never had a chance to vote. Well, he'll vote from now on. I'll make sure of that.
[Writes Mickey's name on a notebook under "Ghost Votes"]
- Crazy creditsThe first half of the end credits feature period engravings of what New York City looked like in the 1880s.
- Alternate versionsThe 2006 DVD release includes a remastered 5.1 soundtrack, both in Dolby Digital and DTS. It also has some dialogue changes compared to the original, most noticeably: Extra dialogue that was recorded but never used, and different voices for the orphans towards the end of the film (adults instead of kids - these are actually the original voices, which were replaced by children after the scene was animated).
- ConnectionsEdited from The Secret of NIMH (1982)
- SoundtracksThere Are No Cats in America
Music by James Horner and Barry Mann
Lyrics by Cynthia Weil
Performed by Nehemiah Persoff, Johnny Guarnieri, and Warren Hays
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Un cuento americano
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $47,483,002
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $5,234,446
- Nov 23, 1986
- Gross worldwide
- $84,542,002
- Runtime1 hour 20 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
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