Si cher à mon cœur

Original title: So Dear to My Heart

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

1.8K

YOUR RATING

Beulah Bondi, Bobby Driscoll, Burl Ives, and Luana Patten in Si cher à mon cœur (1948)

This heartwarming classic tells the tale of a country boy who adopts a mischevious black lamb and learns valuable lessons about love and dedication.

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Animation Drama Family Musical

This heartwarming classic tells the tale of a country boy who adopts a mischevious black lamb and learns valuable lessons about love and dedication.This heartwarming classic tells the tale of a country boy who adopts a mischevious black lamb and learns valuable lessons about love and dedication.This heartwarming classic tells the tale of a country boy who adopts a mischevious black lamb and learns valuable lessons about love and dedication.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

1.8K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 1 win & 1 nomination total

Vocal Ensemble
(voice)
(as The Rhythmaires)

Danny

Baby Lamb…

Stewart Bair

Singer
(voice)
(uncredited)

Fred Carter

Sheep Handler
(uncredited)

Emett Casey

Singer
(voice)
(uncredited)

Jack Chase

Abe - Dan Patch's Groom
(uncredited)

User reviews26

6.71.8K

Featured reviews

8bkoganbing

To Get To The County Fair

One of the most enduring products from the Magic Kingdom is So Dear To My Heart still retains its charm after 62 years. It's a very simple story about a young lad trying to earn enough money to get to the Pike County Fair at the turn of the last century. Young Bobby Driscoll aided and abetted by Luana Patten wants to get his lamb Danny to the County Fair and get awarded the first prize.

Young Danny came by his name because of a passing visit to their town of the Great Dan Patch legendary trotting horse champion from back in those days. He is literally the black sheep of the family with a fine coat of black wool. He also has no pedigree to speak of and that's important in these county fair events. Still Driscoll is full of hope.

He also has to convince is grandmother/guardian Beulah Bondi, a kindly and pious woman who's not really into wasting money on frivolities. For that the kids rely on Burl Ives, village blacksmith with a continual song for all occasions.

This film marked the farewell performance of Harry Carey who has a small role as the judge at the County Fair. So Dear To My Heart features a nice musical score by Elliot Daniel and Hy Morey which includes the Oscar nominated Lavendar Blue which Burl Ives delivers in a straightforward style. The song lost however to Baby It's Cold Outside from Neptune's Daughter.

The ensemble cast is great, especially the kids. Hard to believe what eventually happened with Bobby Driscoll, he looks so innocent here. Still that's the power of film, to freeze time and images that were more favorable.

After 62 years a great family film.

9planktonrules

Exceptionally well made schmaltzy Americana.

"So Dear to My Heart" is the sort of unabashed bit of schmaltz that Disney did very well and which you would never see today. It's pure Americana--the sort of perfectly groomed and manicured America that Walt Disney himself wanted to promote--and which he later promoted with Disneyland and Disneyworld. It represents a look at a time and place that isn't realistic--it's more hyper-idealized and sweet--and it's pure nostalgia. Some might balk at this sort of thing--I felt like it was an incredibly sweet film.

The story is about a boy (Bobby Discoll) and his pet lamb. It's also a parable about hard work, determination and good old fashioned values. And, it culminates with the lamb going to the county fair.

When the film was tested, audiences didn't like that there was no animation as they expected animation in a Disney film. I really do NOT think it was needed and the animated sequences are completely unnecessary for the film, though they have a certain charm. I think they weren't needed because the film had so much going for it already--great acting by Driscoll (a very talented child actor), Beulah Bondi and Burl Ives, some AMAZING cinematography (with amazing shots of forests and meadows) and a nice but very simple script. It's a great film for kids--especially because of its healthy messages and an unusually strong religious message for a Disney film. Well worth seeing for all ages.

barnabyrudge

Too innocent for contemporary audiences, but taken in the context of when it was made this is still enjoyable.

So Dear To My Heart is a more-or-less forgotten Disney movie made in 1949. It feels like an attempt to repeat the success of the studio's 1946 classic Song of the South, but the innocent, twee approach is likely to be met with derision by many of today's street-wise youngsters. That's not to say the film is bad. In fact, if you can put it into the context of when it was made and try to enjoy it for its merits, this film is actually a lovely slice of entertainment.

The simple story tells of a young boy called Jeremiah Kincaid (Bobby Driscoll) who lives on a farm in 1903, helping his granny (Beulah Bondi) with the up-keep of the place. He comes to own a young black lamb named Danny, and dreams of taking the lamb to the County Fair - though granny advises him not to bother, since there's no call for black wool. Young Jeremiah is visited by some animated creatures who convince him to follow his heart.... if he thinks the lamb has a chance of winning, what the hell! Why not go for it?

Driscoll was one of the finest child actors ever and here he is excellent as the young boy with a far-fetched dream. Bondi as granny is stern but lovable, and Burl Ives is good too as the boy's optimistic uncle. The animation is quite good, but the live action takes up most of the screen time. There are some memorable songs, although the Oscar nominated tune "Lavender Blue" is actually rather disappointing.

So Dear To My Heart is worth watching, just so long as you remember that it was made in a time when the world was more innocent.

Braves21688

Even minor Disney movies from the lare40's- early 50's were exquisite 50's

This film was another opportunity to see the talented Bobby Driscoll(possibly the best child actor of all time) and Luana Patten(the epitome of feminine demureness and modesty in a child actress). Although not as good overall as The Song of the South, which featured Driscoll and Patten at a younger age, this film celebrates the anglo-protestant core of America, and the honesty and religious values of America's past before Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson launched us on the road to empire-a road Americans never wanted to travel. The animated beginning is poignant, and the Christian faith that unselfconciously permeates the film portray America's rural past as an idyll, The cast is superb-Harry Carey captures perfectly the kindly rectitude of an older generation of Americans as the chief livestock judge at the county fair-he has the air of a stern but insightful church deacon, touched by and concerned with rewarding the virtues he sees in the emerging generation of his day. Beulah Bondi is superb as the stern but wise and loving grandmother. Each of the adults, even Uncle Hiram(Burl Ives) show a commendable concern for the children, providing not only for their safety but protecting their souls as well. What a wonderful world we once had!

10TheLittleSongbird

I really hate how underrated this film is, because I adore it!

So Dear To My Heart is an immensely charming live-action Dsiney film, but sadly it is overlooked. Same with Song of the South, and that was great too. I will say that asides from seeing it twice when I was 10, I didn't see this wonderful film til recently, and boy I am glad I did. It has a lot of charm, that makes it a genuine joy to watch. Considering that it was made in 1949, it looks beautiful, and I loved the animated sequences, especially with the scholarly owl. The songs are beautiful, from the stunning title song So Dear To My Heart, the charming Lavender Blue, the rousing Oodalay to the triumphant historical song with figures such as Christopher Colombus. The performances were great, with Bobby Driscoll very convincing as Jeremiah, and Beulah Bondi superb as his grandmother and Burl Ives appealing as Uncle Hiram. Danny, the neglected lamb was absolutely adorable, and Jeremiah was very loving towards him. The dialogue wasn't so bad either. So Dear to My Heart shouldn't be overlooked as a bittersweet kids film, instead it should be recognised as a charming film for the whole family, for that is exactly what it is. 10/10 Bethany Cox

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Storyline

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Trivia
Most of the filming took place in 1946, but the film was not released until early in 1949; Harry Carey had been dead for more than a year by the time the film was eventually released.

Quotes
Granny Kincaid: [arguing about God being her solution to everything] Oh, I know. It's a vexin' thing. It's a cruel thing, havin' your lamb run away. Maybe Danny found a holler log and crawled into it... where the dogs couldn't find him. Maybe he's snuggled up under the roots of a big old tree. However it is, it's beyond our power to help. All you can do is just hope for the best but be prepared for whatever happens.
Jeremiah 'Jerry' Kincaid: He ain't dead. He ain't dead!
Granny Kincaid: I didn't say he was. I'm only tryin' to tell you to remember that the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.
Jeremiah 'Jerry' Kincaid: Well, he can't have him. He can't take Danny.
Granny Kincaid: You're not tellin' the Lord what he can do or can't do. The Lord'll do the tellin'.
[realizes what she just said]
Granny Kincaid: Oh, this is all my fault. I've seen it comin'. I've seen it comin' all along. You've turned your heart away from the things I've taught you... ever since you were a little baby. No,Jeremiah, you can't do this. It's one thing, blamin' poor little Tildy for letting your lamb get away... when all she was tryin' to do was to help you feed him. And it's one thing, blamin' me. But it's another thing when you start blamin' your maker. Started out by lovin' the lamb, and that's why I let you keep him. True love ain't a harmful thing. True love's a good thing. It's good for the spirit. But you don't love that lamb any more. What you love is blue ribbons and cash awards. That's all you're thinkin' about-- things that are vain, things of this world-- until you forgot all about the things of the spirit. And when you can't have your own way, you start burdenin' the Lord. You ain't thinkin' of that lamb. You're just thinkin' about yourself. You know what's right, Jeremiah but you'll have to find it in your own heart to do what's right.