Thumbelina (1994)
A lonely woman (Barbara Cook) longs for a child of her very
own. ne day! a good wi"ch gives her a barley corn "o #lan"!
and "he ne$" day "he flower blooms! revealing a lovely li""le girl
%no bigger "han her "humb.% (&odi Benson) The woman names
her Thumbelina. Thumbelina s#ends "ime wi"h her mo"her's
farm animals! bu" is worried "ha" "here is no one around of her
own si(e (%Thumbelina%). ne nigh"! her mo"her "ells her a
s"ory abou" fairies. Af"er being #u" "o bed! Thumbelina
imagines "ha" someday she will be able "o find someone "o love
(%)oon%). As she is humming "o herself! *rince Cornelius of "he
+airies (,ary -mhoff) flies by her windowsill and is enchan"ed
by her. The "wo "ake a ride on Cornelius' bumblebee! during
which "hey fall in love (%.e" /e Be 0our 1ings%). 2uring "his
ride! a "oad named ,rundel (&oe .ynch) sees Thumbelina and
declares "o his beau"iful and se$y mo"her /rs. Toad (Charo)
"ha" he loves her.
Cornelius re"urns Thumbelina "o her windowsill and #romises
"o come back for her "he ne$" day. Af"er he leaves! Thumbelina
goes "o slee# in her walnu" bed! and is kidna##ed by /rs.
Toad. 1hen Thumbelina awakes "he ne$" morning! she is on a
lily3#ad far away from home. /rs. Toad declares "ha"
Thumbelina will 4oin "heir family singing "rou#e %)ingers de
5s#ana% (coun"ing ,rundel's bro"hers! /o(o and ,ringo) and
"ha" Thumbelina will also marry ,rundel (%n "he 6oad%).
The grou# leaves her alone on "he lily3#ad "o fe"ch "he #ries"!
des#i"e her #ro"es"s. Thumbelina's cries for hel# are heard by
&ac7uimo (,ino Confor"i)! who hel#s her free of "he lily3#ad
and encourages her "o follow her hear" and find her way home
"o her mo"her (%+ollow 0our 8ear"%). &ac7uimo himself
#romises "o find Cornelius! who lives in "he 9ale of "he +airies.
/eanwhile! Cornelius has learned of Thumbelina's kidna##ing
and goes searching for her.
Thumbelina almos" reaches home! bu" she is s"o##ed by
Berkeley Bee"le (,ilber" ,o""fried) who wan"s her "o 4oin his
ac" a" "he Bee"le Ball. Thumbelina is forced "o #erform a" "he
Bee"le Ball! bu" a" "he end is kicked ou" for being %"oo ugly% (as
"hose bee"les only like "he a##earances of bee"les). (%0ou're
Beau"iful! Baby%) ,rundel! who is also searching for
Thumbelina! "racks down Bee"le and forces him (by "aking his
wings) "o hel# find Thumbelina. )earching for "he 9ale of "he
+airies! &ac7uimo seeks hel# from a fleeing rabbi" and i"s
#ursuer! a fo$. The fo$ angrily shoves him ou" of "he way and a
s"rong gus" of wind blows "he swallow in"o a "ree! driving a
"horn "hrough his wing. 1hen "he cold win"er fros" arrives! he
becomes "oo weak "o fly "o "he #oin" "ha" he loses consciousness
and falls "o "he ground. The falling snow also causes Cornelius
"o fall from his bumblebee in"o a #ond! where he is fro(en in
ice. Bee"le finds Cornelius and cu"s ou" a block of ice in which
"he +airy *rince is "ra##ed "o bring "o ,rundel. 5lsewhere!
Thumbelina's mo"her can only wai" a" home and ho#e for "he
bes" (%)oon (6e#rise)%).
1i"h bo"h Cornelius and &ac7uimo inca#aci"a"ed! Thumbelina
"akes shel"er from "he win"er fros" in a shoe. )he is rescued by
/s. +ieldmouse (Carol Channing) who "ells her "ha" Cornelius
is dead. )he convinces a hear"broken Thumbelina "o 4oin her "o
visi" /r. /ole (&ohn 8ur")! where Thumbelina is "old "o sing
for him. They "ake a walk in /r. /ole's e$"ensive "unnels!
where Thumbelina discovers "he unconscious &ac7uimo. /r.
/ole "ells /s. +ieldmouse "ha" he would like "o marry
Thumbelina! and she agrees "o convince Thumbelina "ha" i"
would be for "he bes" (%/arry "he /ole%). ,rundel learns "ha"
Thumbelina is "o marry /r. /ole and abandons "he fro(en
Cornelius wi"h Bee"le! allowing "hree young 4i""erbug children
"ha" Thumbelina befriended "o ligh" a fire "o mel" "he ice "ha"
has "ra##ed Cornelius. Thumbelina sneaks ou" of /s.
+ieldmouse's home "o visi" &ac7uimo. 8e wakes! and
Thumbelina removes "he "horn from his wing. Before she can
e$#lain "ha" Cornelius is %dead%! &ac7uimo flies off! s"ill
de"ermined "o find "he 9ale of "he +airies.
1hen Thumbelina is #rom#"ed by "he minis"er a" "he wedding
ceremony! she res#onds "ha" she canno" marry /r. /ole!
even"ually leading in"o a chase by Bee"le! ,rundel and "he
o"hers. 8owever! Cornelius and "he 4i""erbug children arrive "o
s"o# "hem and Cornelius engages ,rundel. 2es#i"e his effor"s
in s"alling "he crowd long enough "o secure Thumbelina's
esca#e! "he ba""le even"ually culmina"es in bo"h he and
,rundel falling in"o a bo""omless #i". Thumbelina manages "o
scare her #ursuers by causing a moun"ain of 4ewelry "o slide
"oward "hem! and she esca#es "o "he surface! where she is
found by &ac7uimo! who says "ha" he has found "he 9ale of "he
+airies. They fly "here! and af"er Thumbelina sings (%.e" /e
Be 0our 1ings (6e#rise)%)! "he ice "haws and Cornelius! who
survived "he fall and is s"ill wi"h "he 4i""erbug children! a##ears
"o be reuni"ed wi"h his love. Cornelius #ro#oses! Thumbelina
acce#"s! "he #air kiss and wings s#rou" from Thumbelina's
back. The wedding is celebra"ed wi"h Thumbelina's mo"her!
&ac7uimo! "he 4i""erbug children! and Cornelius' family in
a""endance.
)creensho"s during "he credi"s reveal "ha" Bee"le resumed his
normal! #o#s"ar life and go" his wings back: ,rundel survived
"he fall wi"h a broken leg and married a female "oad: /r. /ole
married /s. +ieldmouse: and "he rabbi" and fo$ &ac7uimo
"ried "o ask for hel# ul"ima"ely found friendshi#.
