Stuart Little (film)
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''Stuart Little'' is a 1999 American
live action Live action (or live-action) is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live-action with animation to create a live-action animated film. Live-action is used to define film, video ...
/ computer-animated
comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...
loosely based on the 1945 novel of the same name by
E. B. White Elwyn Brooks White (July 11, 1899 – October 1, 1985) was an American writer. He was the author of several highly popular books for children, including ''Stuart Little'' (1945), ''Charlotte's Web'' (1952), and '' The Trumpet of the Swan'' ...
. Directed by
Rob Minkoff Robert Ralph Minkoff (born August 11, 1962) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for co-directing ''The Lion King'' (along with Roger Allers), and live-action films including ''Stuart Little'' (1999), ''Stuart Little 2'' (2002), ''The Haun ...
in his live-action debut, the screenplay was written by M. Night Shyamalan and Greg Brooker, and stars
Geena Davis Virginia Elizabeth "Geena" Davis (born January 21, 1956) is an American actor
,
Hugh Laurie James Hugh Calum Laurie (; born 11 June 1959) is an English actor, comedian, writer, and musician. He first gained recognition for his work as one half of the comedy double act Fry and Laurie with Stephen Fry. The two men acted together in ...
, and
Jonathan Lipnicki Jonathan William Lipnicki (born October 22, 1990) is an American actor who is known for his roles as a child actor. He has appeared in films such as ''Jerry Maguire'' (1996), ''Stuart Little'' (1999) and its 2002 sequel '' Stuart Little 2'', '' ...
, alongside the voices of
Michael J. Fox Michael Andrew Fox (born June 9, 1961), known professionally as Michael J. Fox, is a Canadian-American retired actor. Beginning his career in the 1970s, he rose to prominence portraying Alex P. Keaton on the NBC sitcom ''Family Ties'' (1 ...
,
Nathan Lane Nathan Lane (born Joseph Lane; February 3, 1956) is an American actor. In a career spanning over 40 years he has been seen on stage and screen in roles both comedic and dramatic. Lane has received numerous awards including three Tony Awards, ...
, Chazz Palminteri,
Steve Zahn Steven James Zahn (; born November 13, 1967) is an American actor and comedian. His film roles include ''Reality Bites'' (1994), ''That Thing You Do!'' (1996), ''Stuart Little'' (1999), '' Shattered Glass'' (2003), ''Sahara'' (2005), '' Chicken Li ...
,
Bruno Kirby Bruno Kirby (born Bruno Giovanni Quidaciolu Jr.; April 28, 1949 – August 14, 2006) was an American actor. He was known for his roles in ''City Slickers'', '' When Harry Met Sally...'', '' Good Morning, Vietnam'', ''The Godfather Part II'', and ...
, and
Jennifer Tilly Jennifer Tilly (born Jennifer Ellen Chan; September 16, 1958) is an American–Canadian actress and poker player. Known for her distinctive voice and comedic timing, she has been nominated for an Academy Award, two MTV Movie Awards and three Sa ...
. The film was released on December 17, 1999 by
Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...
. The film received generally positive reviews, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, losing to ''
The Matrix ''The Matrix'' is a 1999 science fiction action film written and directed by the Wachowskis. It is the first installment in ''The Matrix'' film series, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, and Joe Pantolia ...
''. The first film in the ''Stuart Little'' series, it was followed by a sequel '' Stuart Little 2'' in 2002, the short-lived television series ''
Stuart Little ''Stuart Little'' is a 1945 American children's novel by E. B. White. It was White's first children's book, and it is now widely recognized as a classic in children's literature. ''Stuart Little'' was illustrated by the subsequently award-winnin ...
'' in 2003, and another sequel in 2005, the
direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy wa ...
'' Stuart Little 3: Call of the Wild''. It was
Estelle Getty Estelle Gettleman (née Scher; July 25, 1923 – July 22, 2008), known professionally as Estelle Getty, was an American actress and comedian best known for her portrayal of Sophia Petrillo on ''The Golden Girls'' (1985–92), for which she won ...
's final film role before her retirement in 2001 and her death in July 2008.


Plot

Frederick and Eleanor Little are a happily married couple living in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, intending to adopt a younger brother for their son, George. When they visit the orphanage, they meet a smart, anthropomorphic mouse named Stuart and choose him instead. Upon returning home, Stuart struggles to fit in; George is disappointed and refuses to acknowledge Stuart as his brother, and the family cat, Snowbell, is sickened at the fact that he is now a pet to a mouse. Eleanor then goes on to accidentally trap Stuart in the washing machine one morning after a load of laundry. She rescues Stuart from swallowing too much detergent, but Stuart gets very sick as he coughs up soap bubbles. Stuart then recovers after a visit from Dr. Beechwood. After Stuart admits to the Littles that he feels an empty space inside him, they meet with Mrs. Keeper, head of the orphanage, to find out some information about Stuart's real parents, but are told nothing due to confidentiality. As time goes by, George and Stuart start to bond after Stuart encourages him to finish making his toy boat for an upcoming race. Meanwhile, Snowbell and his friend Monty host a meeting with a rogue alley cat named Smokey and hatch a plan to have Stuart removed from the household. On the day of the race, Stuart accidentally breaks George's remote control, rendering his boat inoperable. He jumps in and takes control of it himself, merely avoiding a crash on the water and subsequently winning the race. Later that night while celebrating, they are interrupted by a mouse couple who arrive at the house; they introduce themselves as Reggie and Camille Stout, and claim to be Stuart's biological parents who were forced to give him up due to poverty. The Littles reluctantly agree to allow Stuart to leave with the Stouts, leaving George forlorn. The orphanage contacts the Littles to ask how Stuart is doing, and when Frederick and Eleanor explain he has gone home, Mrs. Keeper informs them that Stuart's parents died several years earlier when canned food fell on them in a supermarket, hence why he was put up for adoption. Realizing Stuart has been kidnapped (a ploy organized by Snowbell and the other cats), the family organize a huge search party around the city. Fearing that his deception will be exposed, Snowbell informs Smokey that the Littles know about the Stouts, so Smokey decides Stuart must be killed instead. Filled with remorse due to Stuart's overwhelming sadness, Reggie and Camille tell him the truth and order him to run away for his own safety; he is delighted to hear he is not a Stout and makes his way back to the Little house. On the way, he is ambushed by Smokey and his gang but manages to evade them by going into a sewer. He makes it home, greeted by a jealous Snowbell who tells him the family are out celebrating his absence. Heartbroken, Stuart leaves. In Central Park, he stops to rest for the night in a birds nest, and is later found by Snowbell who admits he lied and encourages him to come home. When the pair are confronted by the other cats, Snowbell refuses to hand Stuart over and the cats give chase. They eventually corner Stuart as he hangs from a tree branch; Snowbell saves him by breaking the branch the cats are on, sending Monty and three others plummeting into the river below. Smokey sneaks up behind Snowbell but before he can kill him, Stuart intervenes by releasing a thin branch that smacks Smokey in the face, which send him plunging into the river. Snowbell takes Stuart home, just as the Littles are getting ready for bed. George spots Stuart through a window and everyone is happily reunited. When Frederick asks how he made it back, he tells them he owes his life to Snowbell, who has finally realized Stuart is family.


Cast


Live-action cast

*
Geena Davis Virginia Elizabeth "Geena" Davis (born January 21, 1956) is an American actor
as Mrs. Eleanor Little, the mother of the Little family and Frederick's wife. *
Hugh Laurie James Hugh Calum Laurie (; born 11 June 1959) is an English actor, comedian, writer, and musician. He first gained recognition for his work as one half of the comedy double act Fry and Laurie with Stephen Fry. The two men acted together in ...
as Mr. Frederick Little, the father of the Little family and Eleanor's husband. *
Jonathan Lipnicki Jonathan William Lipnicki (born October 22, 1990) is an American actor who is known for his roles as a child actor. He has appeared in films such as ''Jerry Maguire'' (1996), ''Stuart Little'' (1999) and its 2002 sequel '' Stuart Little 2'', '' ...
as George Little, the eldest child of the Little family and Stuart's older brother. *
Jeffrey Jones Jeffrey Duncan Jones (born September 28, 1946) is an American character actor, best known for his roles as Emperor Joseph II in '' Amadeus'' (1984), Edward R. Rooney in ''Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' (1986), Charles Deetz in ''Beetlejuice'' (1988 ...
as Uncle Crenshaw Little, the older brother of Frederick Little and the younger brother of Beatrice. *
Connie Ray Constance Ray (born July 10, 1956) is an American actress and playwright. Among her highest-profile appearances are ''Thank You for Smoking'' (2006) and ''Stuart Little'' (1999), and the television drama '' ER'' (1997). She also appeared in '' ...
as Aunt Tina Little, the wife of Crenshaw and the sister-in-law of Beatrice and Frederick. *
Allyce Beasley Allyce Beasley ( Tannenberg) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as rhyming, love-struck receptionist Agnes DiPesto in the television series ''Moonlighting''. From 2001 to 2007, she was the announcer on Playhouse Disney, a mor ...
as Aunt Beatrice Little, the older sister of Crenshaw and Frederick. *
Brian Doyle-Murray Brian Murray (born October 31, 1945), known professionally by his stage name as Brian Doyle-Murray, is an American actor, voice-actor and screenwriter. He has appeared with his younger brother, actor/comedian Bill Murray, in several movies, i ...
as Cousin Edgar Little, the cousin of Beatrice, Crenshaw and Frederick and the nephew of Grandpa Spencer. *
Estelle Getty Estelle Gettleman (née Scher; July 25, 1923 – July 22, 2008), known professionally as Estelle Getty, was an American actress and comedian best known for her portrayal of Sophia Petrillo on ''The Golden Girls'' (1985–92), for which she won ...
as Grandma Estelle Little, the mother of Beatrice, Crenshaw and Frederick. *
Harold Gould Harold Vernon Goldstein (December 10, 1923 – September 11, 2010), better known as Harold Gould, was an American character actor. He appeared as Martin Morgenstern on the sitcom ''Rhoda'' (1974–78) and Miles Webber on the sitcom ''The Golden ...
as Grandpa Spencer Little, the father of Beatrice, Crenshaw and Frederick. *
Patrick Thomas O'Brien Patrick Thomas O'Brien (born 1951) is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for playing the role of Mr. Dewey, the math teacher from ''Saved by the Bell''. Life and career O'Brien was born in Wisconsin and graduated from Regis High Sch ...
as Uncle Stretch Little, the husband of Beatrice and the brother-in-law of Crenshaw and Frederick. *
Julia Sweeney Julia Anne Sweeney (born October 10, 1959) is an American actress, comedian, and author, who gained fame as a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1990 to 1994. She played Mrs. Keeper in the film ''Stuart Little'' and voiced Brittany in ' ...
as Mrs. Keeper, the head of the New York City Public Orphanage. *
Dabney Coleman Dabney Wharton Coleman (born January 3, 1932) is an American actor. Coleman's best known films include ''9 to 5'' (1980), '' On Golden Pond'' (1981), ''Tootsie'' (1982), '' WarGames'' (1983), '' Cloak & Dagger'' (1984), ''The Beverly Hillbillies ...
as Dr. Beechwood, a
doctor Doctor or The Doctor may refer to: Personal titles * Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree * A medical practitioner, including: ** Physician ** Surgeon ** Dentist ** Veterinary physician ** Optometrist *Other roles ** ...
who came to the Littles' house. * Miles Marsico as Anton Gartman, a mean-spirited child who bullied George during the boat race. *
Jim Doughan James Francis Doughan is an American actor, teacher and writer. He is best known for his roles as Detective Doyle in '' The Mask'' (1994) and Detective Allen as well as the voice of Lucky the Cat in ''Stuart Little'' (1999) and the head coach for ...
as Detective Phil Allen, Detective Sherman's partner. Doughan also voiced Lucky the Cat in the film. *
Jon Polito Jon Raymond Polito (December 29, 1950 – September 1, 2016) was an American character actor. In a film and television career spanning 35 years, he amassed over 220 credits. Notable television roles included Detective Steve Crosetti in the fi ...
as Detective Sherman, a
police detective A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads th ...
who works for the New York Police Department. *Joe Bays as the Race Starter *
Taylor Negron Brad Stephen "Taylor" Negron (August 1, 1957 – January 10, 2015) was an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as Milo in the 1991 buddy cop action comedy film ''The Last Boy Scout''. Early life Negron was born in Glendale, ...
as the Clothing Salesman


Voice cast

*
Michael J. Fox Michael Andrew Fox (born June 9, 1961), known professionally as Michael J. Fox, is a Canadian-American retired actor. Beginning his career in the 1970s, he rose to prominence portraying Alex P. Keaton on the NBC sitcom ''Family Ties'' (1 ...
as Stuart Little, a young anthropomorphic mouse who is adopted as the middle child of the Little family. *
Nathan Lane Nathan Lane (born Joseph Lane; February 3, 1956) is an American actor. In a career spanning over 40 years he has been seen on stage and screen in roles both comedic and dramatic. Lane has received numerous awards including three Tony Awards, ...
as Snowbell, the Little family's
Persian cat The Persian cat (), also known as the Persian longhair, is a long-haired breed of cat characterized by a round face and short muzzle. The first documented ancestors of Persian cats were imported into Italy from Persia around 1620. Widely recog ...
who initially dislikes Stuart. * Chazz Palminteri as Smokey, a sadistic and intelligent
Russian Blue The Russian Blue Cat (russian: Русская голубая кошка, Russkaya golubaya koshka), commonly referred to as just Russian Blue, is a cat breed with colors that vary from a light shimmering silver to a darker, slate grey. The short ...
cat with a mafia-like personality who is the leader of a gang of Mafia-like alley cats and came up with a plan to kill Stuart when Snowbell and Monty summoned him. *
Steve Zahn Steven James Zahn (; born November 13, 1967) is an American actor and comedian. His film roles include ''Reality Bites'' (1994), ''That Thing You Do!'' (1996), ''Stuart Little'' (1999), '' Shattered Glass'' (2003), ''Sahara'' (2005), '' Chicken Li ...
as Monty, a gray
tabby cat A tabby is any domestic cat (''Felis catus'') with a distinctive 'M'-shaped marking on its forehead; stripes by its eyes and across its cheeks, along its back, and around its legs and tail; and (differing by tabby type), characteristic striped, d ...
, Snowbell's best friend and a former member of the alley cats. *
Jim Doughan James Francis Doughan is an American actor, teacher and writer. He is best known for his roles as Detective Doyle in '' The Mask'' (1994) and Detective Allen as well as the voice of Lucky the Cat in ''Stuart Little'' (1999) and the head coach for ...
as Lucky, a
Siamese cat The Siamese cat ( th, แมวไทย, Maeo Thai; แมวสยาม, Maeo Seeaam) is one of the first distinctly recognized breeds of Asian cat. Derived from the Wichianmat landrace, one of several varieties of cat native to Thailand ( ...
and a member of Smokey's gang. Doughan also played Detective Allen in the film. * David Alan Grier as Red, a ginger  American Shorthair tomcat and a member of Smokey's gang. *
Bruno Kirby Bruno Kirby (born Bruno Giovanni Quidaciolu Jr.; April 28, 1949 – August 14, 2006) was an American actor. He was known for his roles in ''City Slickers'', '' When Harry Met Sally...'', '' Good Morning, Vietnam'', ''The Godfather Part II'', and ...
as Mr. Reginald Stout, Camille's husband and Stuart's fake father. *
Jennifer Tilly Jennifer Tilly (born Jennifer Ellen Chan; September 16, 1958) is an American–Canadian actress and poker player. Known for her distinctive voice and comedic timing, she has been nominated for an Academy Award, two MTV Movie Awards and three Sa ...
as Mrs. Camille Stout, Reginald's wife and Stuart's fake mother. * Stan Freberg as the Race Announcer


Lost painting unknowingly used on set

One of the paintings used as set dressing for the Littles' home was Hungarian avant garde painter
Róbert Berény Róbert Berény (18 March 1887 – 10 September 1953) was a Hungarian painter, one of the ''avant-garde'' group known as The Eight who introduced cubism and expressionism to Hungarian art in the early twentieth century before the First World W ...
's 1920s painting ''
Sleeping Lady with Black Vase ''Sleeping Lady with Black Vase'' ( Hungarian: ) is a 1927–1928 oil painting by Róbert Berény. It is a depiction of the painter's wife reclining asleep in a blue dress behind a table on which is set a black vase. The painting was sold in 1928 ...
'', which had long been considered
lost Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography *Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland * Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...
. A set designer for the film had purchased the painting at an antiques store in Pasadena, California for $500 for use in the film, unaware of its significance. In 2009, art historian Gergely Barki, while watching ''Stuart Little'' on television with his daughter, noticed the painting, and after contacting the studios was able to track down its whereabouts. In 2014, its owner sold the painting at an auction for €229,500.


Reception


Box office

''Stuart Little'' was released theatrically on December 17, 1999. On its opening weekend, ''Stuart Little'' grossed $15 million, placing it at #1 dethroning ''
Toy Story 2 ''Toy Story 2'' is a 1999 American computer-animated film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. The second installment in the ''Toy Story'' franchise and the sequel to '' Toy Story'' (1995), it was directed by John ...
''. It dropped to #2 over its second weekend, but went back to #1 on its third weekend with $16 million. According to
Box Office Mojo Box Office Mojo is an American website that tracks box-office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. The site was founded in 1998 by Brandon Gray, and was bought in 2008 by IMDb IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is ...
, its final gross in the United States and Canada was $140 million and it grossed $160.1 million at the international box office, for an estimated total of $300 million worldwide.


Critical reception

On
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, 67% of critics gave the film a positive review based on 97 responses with an average rating of 6.4/10. The site's consensus reads: "Critics say ''Stuart Little'' is charming with kids and adults for its humor and visual effects." On
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, the film has a score of 61 out of 100 from 32 reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A-" on an A+ to F scale. Jesus Freak Hideout said that "from start to finish, Stuart Little is a near flawless family film" while Stephen Holden of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' had said "the only element that doesn't completely harmonize with the rest of the film is the visually unremarkable digital figure of Stuart."


Home media

''Stuart Little'' was released on VHS and
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
in the United States on April 18, 2000 by
Columbia TriStar Home Video Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (abbreviated as SPHE) is the home video distribution division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. Background SPHE is responsible for the distribution of the Sony Pictures li ...
, and in the United Kingdom on November 27, 2000. It was later re-released on a Deluxe Edition on May 21, 2002, by Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment, and on Blu-ray on June 28, 2011, by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.


Soundtrack

The soundtrack album ''Stuart Little: Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture'' was released by Motown and
Universal Records Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch–American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
on November 30, 1999, on
audio CD Compact Disc Digital Audio (CDDA or CD-DA), also known as Digital Audio Compact Disc or simply as Audio CD, is the standard format for audio compact discs. The standard is defined in the ''Red Book'', one of a series of Rainbow Books (named ...
and audio cassette. Tracks in bold do not appear in the film.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stuart Little Stuart Little (franchise) 1990s adventure comedy films 1990s children's adventure films 1990s children's comedy films 1990s children's fantasy films 1990s fantasy comedy films 1999 comedy films 1999 films American adventure comedy films American children's adventure films American children's comedy films American children's fantasy films American fantasy adventure films American fantasy comedy films American films with live action and animation Animated films about mice Columbia Pictures films Films about adoption Films about cats Films about child abduction in the United States Films about orphans Films adapted into television shows Films based on American novels Films based on children's books Films based on novels by E. B. White Films directed by Rob Minkoff Films produced by Douglas Wick Films scored by Alan Silvestri Films set in New York City Films shot in Los Angeles County, California Films shot in New York City Films with screenplays by M. Night Shyamalan Motown soundtracks 1990s English-language films 1990s American films