PETE'S DRAGON
US, 1977, 130 minutes, Colour.
Mickey Rooney, Helen Reddy, Shelley Winters, Red Buttons, Jim Dale, Jim Backus.
Directed by Don Chaffey.
Pete’s Dragon is an ambitious Disney film, combining animation with live action. Elliott the dragon is quite an engaging character with his appearances and disappearances, his being accident-prone, but his ability to do good. This is an attractive, If sentimental film, about a young orphan oppressed by a horrendous family led by Shelley Winters (she and the family spend a lot of time falling in the mud, to the hilarity of the audience). Mickey Rooney Is a lighthouse-keeper, Helen Reddy as his daughter. Together they do a lot of wonderful things in the town, especially to the tunes of songs and dances. It is popular family entertainment, though not of the quality of such films as Mary Poppins. Directed by Don Chaffey, a veteran of so many English films, who made the Disney films in Australia Ride a Wild Pony and Born to Win.
1. An enjoyable film in the Disney tradition? The Disney values of plot, character, comedy, sentiment?
2. How well did the film blend reality and animation? Audience response to this fantasy?
3. The appeal of the film to children via the character of Pete and the character of Elliot and his exploits?
4. How enjoyable a cartoon character was Elliot: his look, personality, appearance and noises, his disappearances, the value of his presence and help, the humour of his mistakes, his ability to make havoc but also to rescue? His going off at the end to help others? The irony of a genial dragon?
5. How attractive a boy was Pete? As an orphan, fleeing from the Grogans, needing a home, at school, a victim of all the exploiters? Could children in the audience identify with him?
6. Nora as heroine, her niceness, her songs, kindness towards Pete, affection for Lempie, her yearning for her lost fiance?
7. How enjoyable a character was Lempie, his drinking, work at the lighthouse, with Nora, kindness to Pete, fear of the dragon especially in the initial encounters?
8. The contrast with Dr Terminus and his assistant? As a quack, their fake cures and their techniques for tricking the people? Dr Terminus and his greed, getting his assistant to do the dirty work? The villain of the piece and their styles? Their songs? Getting their comeuppance?
9. The Grogans and the loud backwoods Americans? Their continually falling in the mud and the river? Pete's fleeing from them? Their greed and Elliot's burning the document?
10. The people in the town especially the Mayor, the teacher and her crankiness and changing her opinion?
11. What were the best special comic effects? Why were they humorous?
12. The atmosphere of the lighthouse, the fire and Elliot's helping? The ship being out of danger and the joy for Nora?
13. The contribution of the music, the various songs and the way they were situated - with the children at school, cleaning the lighthouse, Dr Terminus's songs?
14. Nora's fiance returning, Elliot disappearing, the Grogans and Dr Terminus being outwitted, Pete finding a home? A satisfactory happy ending?
15. What are the values of good and evil, right and wrong, heroism and kindness that such Disney films promote?
