Susan Granger’s review of “Piglet’s Big Movie” (Disney)
Poor Piglet! Until now, being the most diminutive of Winnie the Pooh’s circle of friends in the Hundred Acre Wood, he’s never received the attention he deserved. Which is why his very own story is so important – with emotional relevance for the tiny tots who comprise its audience. The playfully gentle story begins as the Pooh crew – Tigger, Eeyore, Owl, Kanga, Rabbit, and Roo – start off on a ‘honey harvest.’ Piglet’s deeply hurt when he’s told he’s too small to help. But when the meek little pink fellow in his red-and-black striped jersey and trademark scarf disappears, Pooh and the gang turn to his scrapbook for clues to try and find him. In the process, they discover that this “Very Small Animal” – shy, quiet and insecure – has had a huge impact on their lives. In many ways, he’s a hero. It’s particularly enchanting when the characters’ own crayon still-life drawings come to life as they reminisce about their porcine pal in Pooh Corner. Inspired by A.A. Milne’s stories, this is the second original Pooh feature created for the big-screen, following “The Tigger Movie.” Directed by Francis Glebas, it features 78 year-old John Fiedler, who’s been voicing Piglet’s little-boy squeak since the 1960s, while Carly Simon provides a big bonus with her beguilingly contemporary songs: “If I Wasn’t So Small,” “Mother’s Intuition,” “The More I Look Inside,” “With a Few Good Friends” and “Sing Ho for the Life of a Bear,” which the singer/songwriter adapted from Milne’s own words. The old-fashioned, mostly hand-drawn animation was done by Walt Disney Animation Japan (WDAJ). On the Granger ‘Tiny Tots’ Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Piglet’s Big Movie” is a warm, whimsical 7, teaching important lessons about loyalty and that it doesn’t take somebody big to do big things.
