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 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.

Some of the writers in this thread disparaging the animation quality of this 1987 made-for-TV television version of 'The Wind in the Willows' thought it was made by Disney Productions, but of course it was produced by Rankin-Bass, who brought us 'Frosty the Snowman' in the '60s, and so much more. I'd have to say their animation quality in '87 has come a long way since 'Frosty'! Especially in the lush background illustrations and depth of texture and color mixtures.

This is clearly the truest-to-the-book, the intent-of-the-themes, and the animals' characterizations production of this title to date. I can't believe I was 27 years old when this came out and I presumably first watched it that year or possibly a little later, but I might as well have been 10 years old, for this version has really stuck with me (I'm now 45)! A large part of it was the great songs which have stayed in my head over the years, and, yes, especially the (someone said) 'wistful' theme song. Very soothing in sound and lyrics! Roddy McDowall was perfect as the voice of Ratty and Charles Nelson Reilly as Toad was a masterstroke of casting. For me, it really doesn't get any better than this version because I found that the animation and background settings so often matched a lot of the imagery I already had in my head from reading the book when I was about 13.

I believe I saw it twice more in ensuing years, but unfortunately did not make a tape off of TV, so I am now hoping to find it again by chance in some flea market 'bargain bin'. But I would like nothing better than to be able to see it again!

I first saw this film as fourth grader. The songs and voices of the characters have never left my memories. I showed it to my son, currently a third grader, and he was equally enraptured throughout the entire presentation. Very few theatrical presentations can withstand that test of time. Children today are not as easy to entertain as my generation was. It is a tribute to this production that it still packs a punch. The production, as does the book, teaches children invaluable life lessons in the entertaining manner they need to be taught to hold their attention. My only complaint about this release is that it is not offered on DVD.

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.