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Ernest & Celestine

Original title: Ernest et Célestine
  • 2012
  • PG
  • 1h 20m
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
24K
YOUR RATING
Forest Whitaker and Mackenzie Foy in Ernest & Celestine (2012)
The story of an unlikely friendship between a bear, Ernest, and a young mouse named Celestine.
Play trailer2:25
3 Videos
67 Photos
Hand-Drawn AnimationAdventureAnimationComedyCrimeDramaFamilyFantasy

The story of an unlikely friendship between a bear, Ernest, and a young mouse named Celestine.The story of an unlikely friendship between a bear, Ernest, and a young mouse named Celestine.The story of an unlikely friendship between a bear, Ernest, and a young mouse named Celestine.

  • Directors
    • Stéphane Aubier
    • Vincent Patar
    • Benjamin Renner
  • Writers
    • Daniel Pennac
    • Gabrielle Vincent
  • Stars
    • Lambert Wilson
    • Pauline Brunner
    • Anne-Marie Loop
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.8/10
    24K
    YOUR RATING
    • Directors
      • Stéphane Aubier
      • Vincent Patar
      • Benjamin Renner
    • Writers
      • Daniel Pennac
      • Gabrielle Vincent
    • Stars
      • Lambert Wilson
      • Pauline Brunner
      • Anne-Marie Loop
    • 69User reviews
    • 108Critic reviews
    • 86Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 15 wins & 15 nominations total

    Videos3

    Theatrical Trailer
    Trailer 2:25
    Theatrical Trailer
    Ernest & Celestine
    Trailer 2:25
    Ernest & Celestine
    Ernest & Celestine
    Trailer 2:25
    Ernest & Celestine
    What to Stream With Your Family Right Now
    Clip 3:57
    What to Stream With Your Family Right Now

    Photos66

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    + 63
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    Top cast72

    Edit
    Lambert Wilson
    Lambert Wilson
    • Ernest
    • (voice)
    Pauline Brunner
    • Célestine
    • (voice)
    Anne-Marie Loop
    • La Grise
    • (voice)
    Patrice Melennec
    • Georges
    • (voice)
    Brigitte Virtudes
    • Lucienne
    • (voice)
    Léonard Louf
    • Léon
    • (voice)
    Dominique Maurin
    • Chef de clinique
    • (voice)
    • (as Dominique Collignon)
    Perrette Pradier
    Perrette Pradier
    • Infirmière en Chef
    • (voice)
    • (as Perette Pradier)
    Yann Le Madic
    • Avocat d'Ernest
    • (voice)
    Féodor Atkine
    Féodor Atkine
    • Juge Grizzly
    • (voice)
    Pierre Baton
    • Juge Rat
    • (voice)
    Vincent Grass
    Vincent Grass
    • Chef policier Ours
    • (voice)
    • (as Vincent Gras)
    Patrice Dozier
    • Chef policier Rat
    • (voice)
    Jacques Ciron
    • Monsieur Rançonnet
    • (voice)
    Garance Pauwels
    • Célestine enfant
    • (voice)
    Maxime Bailleul
    • Voix Additionnelles
    • (voice)
    Kémil Belhadj
    • Voix Additionnelles
    • (voice)
    Yanis Belhadj
    • Voix Additionnelles
    • (voice)
    • Directors
      • Stéphane Aubier
      • Vincent Patar
      • Benjamin Renner
    • Writers
      • Daniel Pennac
      • Gabrielle Vincent
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews69

    7.823.6K
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    Featured reviews

    8CMTiago

    Traditional animation with charming story

    Ernest And Celestine is a fantastic story that presents us a friendship that shouldn't happen, but against all odds prevails. Celestine is a young mouse that is curious about the world above and has a knack for art. Unfortunately for her, the mice around her wish to see her become a dentist as it is more her position in society. Almost alike, above the sewage an oaf like bear named Ernest longs to become a performer, but upon his family's wishes to become a judge, he ultimately ends up living in poor conditions and with his aspirations frowned upon. When they meet they will shake the foundations of the place they live in. This tale is classic storytelling and features interesting characters to root for. This friendship seems very real because the personalities involved are genuinely kind and don't agree with the way life is lived. The animation is very simple yet beautiful. Against more grand animation works, Ernest And Celestine still stands out with its endearing story and overall is a pleasure to watch.

    Rating: 7,5/10
    10TheLittleSongbird

    Absolutely sublime

    Anybody who loves animation and just want to see one that warms your heart and moves, charms and entertains you, you have met your match with Ernest and Celestine. With me, out of all the films, animated and otherwise, viewed recently Ernest and Celestine stood out as one of the most beautiful. The animation, with its water-colour/ story-book look, is just lovely to look at and is imaginative while keeping things simple. The is sensitively orchestrated and unobtrusive, one of those music scores that you can listen to more than once and still find it memorable and appealing. You can't argue with the way Ernest and Celestine is written, it has a poetic simplicity that children and adults alike can understand with no problem. The unlikely friendship angle is a familiar one but that doesn't matter when Ermest and Celestine deals with it with so much warmth and heart. You can genuinely feel the relationship/friendship between the characters, and throughout the simple but never too simplistic story is both charming and touching, cute as well(I admit it that I did feel a lot of emotion watching). The characters are just as engaging as the writing, you can identify with them and their friendship and situation and it is easy to like them. They are nimbly voiced too. Overall, a sublime animated film that takes a familiar concept and does it with simplicity and doesn't rely on fart jokes, profanities, slapstick or crude toilet humour, instead allowing the story and friendship between the titular characters to come through and come through they do, and marvellously. 10/10 Bethany Cox
    Vincentiu

    water colors

    a splendid link between use of water colors and the story. a delicate manner to use a book adaptation for remind, in a precise, gentle, lovely style importance of relationship. a film who must see it not only for its message but for the fascinating art to resurrect the childhood flavor in old fashion manner. a movie about friendship , meeting between humor and drama, a form of fable and a lesson about image of the other. a small gem because the voices, the images, the story are not more important/beautiful/realistic but only part of an unique state of soul. an isle in middle of 3D waves, it is honest and warm and nice. but, more important, it is a kind of travel out of reality pressure as a reading fairy stories book in evening. in fact, a remember about small details who defines humanity.
    10RforFilm

    Looking for a quiet alternative to the CGI Hollywood movies? Ernest and Celestine is a sweet and gentle story about friendship.

    It's interesting how studios and creative people would assume they know what people want. Disney knows that people want to see fairy tale stories and grand animation making the way for memorable characters and catchy songs. Warner Brothers knows that people want to see really fast animation alongside some good visual gags as perpetrated by unique charters with a lot of heart. Most other studios seem to copy either formula in their own projects. It's not too bad of an idea as long they can make their movies just as original and unique (projects like Despicable Me or Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs).

    But I'm surprised with how these two formulas are the only ones that studios want to take a chance on. I've already talked about how I miss traditional hand drawn animation in movies today. You could say that children don't watch those kinds of movies anymore. But I ask of you "Why are classics like Snow White, The Looney Toons and Popeye still being watched by modern kids?". It's because they too has great legacies of good characters and memorable situations. There is always room for other options in animation that want something different. That would be one of this years Oscar nominated movies, Ernest and Celestine.

    In a lot of ways, this is nothing like modern Disney, Pixar, or the other big names. This tells a simpler story about friendship; a bear and a mouse. So in a world where mice live underground while bears walk and talk, living how we would, both sides agree that each species is evil and shouldn't we interacted with. At an orphanage, a young mouse Celestine is more curious about why the mice and rats are afraid of bears. She has a job of collecting bear teeth so that mice dentists can file them down for their fellow rodents to wear.

    She gets stuck in a garbage can where she is discovered by a starving musician bear, Ernest (played by Forest Whitaker). His first instinct is to eat Celestine, but she quickly scolds him for wanting to do so, confusing him. They make a deal to help each other, but the plan goes amiss and the two hide from the law in Ernest's home in the woods. Most of time is shown them interacting with each other and their skills; Celestine with her obsession with nature and art and Ernest and his spark for music and clowning.

    As I've said, this is a different offering from most of the other animated movies out. Ernest and Celestine is a much quieter movie about friendship. Though there's the principle tone about prejudice, the situation is simple at best. There's no villain or threatening force looking to destroy them. It's just this bear and mouse interacting and becoming friends. And you know what? That's all you really need with this kind of story. This is a very sweet and likable story that benefits from some really nice animation and two leads that both kids and adults would really like.

    Celestine may just be a young girl whose no higher then a few inches, but she still manages to be very spunky without being too annoying. It's her curiosity that rubs onto me that makes me want to learn about this world more. Ernest is a grouchy loner, but has plenty of heart that allows himself to absorb a lot of new ideas from this little mouse. The movie looks like one large watercolor painting, really letting the art taking control of the design and story. It looks beautiful. It feels more like something I would get from Winnie the Pooh; is simple but it works really well.

    I'll give this ten watercolor kits out of ten. Ernest and Celestine isn't exactly the most original story around, but it wins my heart with a very unique look and a gentle tone that anyone can enjoy. It's good old fashioned story telling at it's best. This is an absolute must with families.
    9Reno-Rangan

    A true friendship can break all the barriers.

    An Oscar nominee in the category of best animation feature. The cutest animation which gave the experience of seeing a Japanese anime similar to from the Ghibli studio. The characters are very adorable, especially both the Ernest and Celestine. After praising the technicians I mean the illustrator I must compliment the voice renders. Whenever I hear Celestine saying 'Ernest, Ernest' I just fall in love because it was sexy. I know French language itself a seductive.

    No age group limited to enjoy this animation. From 6 year-old kid to 60 year-old and beyond that can have a great time with it. A simple animation with a good message story. Probably you will come to know what kinda movie is this if you have seen 'Stormy Night' and 'Ratatouille'. A tale about the unlikely friendship between two different living creatures.

    It all begins with a young little mouse who got a different opinion on the creatures that live above their world. The earth's surface was ruled by the big bad bears and that is what beneather believe. Between these two world a new friendship bloom from nowhere. But both the societies denies it so the two must protect each other and run for their life. Instead, they need to prove it can be possible and harmless. So they have to take the advantage of the such circumstances and how it can be done is the rest.

    The character Ernest was lazy, but tough and Celestine is very active, but sensitive in matters. The friendship between them was very well told, in an enchanting way. I liked the replacement of bear in the place of humans. Otherwise, our people think they are genius to find similarity between this and 'Ratatouille'.

    Earlier I was very, very disappointed for ditching 'Monsters University' over crap movie 'Despicable Me 2'. I will be so happy if 'The Wind Rises' or this movie wins the Oscar. But Americas own 'Frozen' will be a strong contender for the honour.

    Finally, I retire for now by saying it is a must see movie, especially if you are an animation movie fan. I truly wanted it not to end, in the world at certain point everything must end and so it is against my will.

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    Related interests

    Jodi Benson, Jason Marin, and Samuel E. Wright in The Little Mermaid (1989)
    Hand-Drawn Animation
    Still frame
    Adventure
    Daveigh Chase, Rumi Hiiragi, and Mari Natsuki in Spirited Away (2001)
    Animation
    Will Ferrell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
    Comedy
    James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Sharon Angela, Max Casella, Dan Grimaldi, Joe Perrino, Donna Pescow, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Tony Sirico, and Michael Drayer in The Sopranos (1999)
    Crime
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Drew Barrymore and Pat Welsh in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
    Family
    Elijah Wood in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
    Fantasy

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      In the little bear's room that Celestine finds her way into towards the beginning of the movie, there is a poster for the director's previous film A Town Called Panic (2009).
    • Goofs
      When the stolen van's camouflage paint job washes off and the van rolls back into town, it leaves a trail of paint that leads the police right to Ernest and Celestine's house. The rain, however, should have washed away the trail of paint, too, and left no way to follow it back.
    • Quotes

      Célestine: Bear up above and mice down below?

      Ernest: Well, yes... it's always been like this.

    • Connections
      Featured in Troldspejlet: Episode #50.13 (2014)
    • Soundtracks
      Ernest's Song
      Music by Vincent Courtois

      French lyrics by Thomas Fersen

      English lyrics by Todd Edwards

      Performed by Forest Whitaker

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    FAQ18

    • How long is Ernest & Celestine?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 28, 2014 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • France
      • Belgium
      • Luxembourg
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official site
      • Official site (Japan)
    • Languages
      • French
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Ernest et Célestine
    • Production companies
      • La Parti Productions
      • Les Armateurs
      • Maybe Movies
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • €9,600,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $262,075
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $13,078
      • Mar 2, 2014
    • Gross worldwide
      • $8,170,333
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 20m(80 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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