The Rescuers
Director: John Lounsbery, Wolfgang Reitherman, Art Stevens
Cast: Eva Gabor, Bob Newhart, Michelle Stacy, John McIntire, Geraldine Page, Joe Flynn, Jim Jordan, Jeanette Nolan, Pat Buttram, Bernard Fox, James McDonald
When a bottle containing a plea for help finds its way to the Rescue Aid Society, it is up to the brave mouse, Miss Bianca (Eva Gabor), and her chosen partner, the shy janitor, Bernard (Bob Newhart), to rescue a little girl named Penny (Michelle Stacy), who has been abducted by the evil Madame Medusa (Geraldine Page), and her henchman, the bumbling Mr. Snoops. Determined to rescue this little girl, Bernard, and Miss Bianca journey to the terrifyingly gloomy Devil's Bayou, where they learn the shocking truth: the innocent young girl is being forced, by Madame Medusa, to search a dangerous, underground pirate's cave for a rare and valuable diamond, known as the Devil's Eye. Miss Bianca, Bernard, and Penny must escape this madwoman’s clutches, as well as survive the raging tides inside the pirate's cave, if Penny’s wish to be adopted has any hope of coming true.
Faith is a powerful theme in this film, and nowhere is faith more beautifully illustrated, than in the character of Penny, herself.
For Penny, her faith is illustrated in two distinct ways in the story: her hope that one day, she will be adopted and have a family, and in her childlike prayer, that someone will hear her cry for help, and rescue her from Medusa. Penny’s faith is first illustrated when Rufus tells her to have faith, after she confesses to him that she is heartbroken because she was overlooked by potential families on Adoption Day, at the orphanage. Rufus helps Penny have faith by telling her the wise proverb “Faith is a bluebird you see from afar…it’s for real, and as sure, as the first evening star…can’t touch it, or buy it, or wrap it up tight…but it is there just the same, making things turn out right.” Penny’s faith is shaken when Medusa breaks her promise to Penny; telling her that no family would want to adopt Penny, even if she did return to the orphanage, because she is so homely. Although Penny’s faith is shaken, her heart still clings to her childlike faith when she sees the evening star again, shining over the bayou and remembers Rufus’s gentle promise. Her faith is restored when she realizes that her cry for help was heard, and Bernard and Bianca have come to rescue her from Medusa. Penny’s faith comes full circle in the end, when she gets her wish, and a loving family comes to adopt her.
The number thirteen plays a symbolic role in this film, with Mr. Bernard, and his superstition that anything having to do with the number thirteen is bad luck. At the beginning of the film, when Bernard is retrieving Penny's note from the bottle, he realizes there are 13 steps on his ladder, and he is concerned, because he feels the mission to rescue Penny is a dangerous one, and he doesn't think that Ms. Bianca should go on the mission alone. Bernard’s superstitious nature is shown again, when he realizes there are 13 steps on the thing they use to climb onto Orville's back. Amused by this, Miss Bianca suggests that he jump the last step. In this moment, Bernard is scared to fly on Orville and wants to play it safer by taking the train. In the end, Bernard seems to break this unlucky connection with the number 13, when he and Ms. Bianca embark on another mission to rescue another child who is in trouble…and their mission begins on Friday the 13th.
While not my favorite Disney film, The Rescuers is still a very worthy addition to Disney's animated collection. The animation is absolutely stunning. The casting is stellar, particularly for Eva Gabor who voices the beautiful and elegant Ms. Bianca and Geraldine Page who voices the notorious Madame Medusa (who is, in my opinion, one of Disney’s greatest female villains, among their many. The songs are very catchy and the story, while not a fairy-tale like so many Disney films, is very heartfelt and beautiful. I would highly recommend this film.
© 2024 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved
Director: John Lounsbery, Wolfgang Reitherman, Art Stevens
Cast: Eva Gabor, Bob Newhart, Michelle Stacy, John McIntire, Geraldine Page, Joe Flynn, Jim Jordan, Jeanette Nolan, Pat Buttram, Bernard Fox, James McDonald
When a bottle containing a plea for help finds its way to the Rescue Aid Society, it is up to the brave mouse, Miss Bianca (Eva Gabor), and her chosen partner, the shy janitor, Bernard (Bob Newhart), to rescue a little girl named Penny (Michelle Stacy), who has been abducted by the evil Madame Medusa (Geraldine Page), and her henchman, the bumbling Mr. Snoops. Determined to rescue this little girl, Bernard, and Miss Bianca journey to the terrifyingly gloomy Devil's Bayou, where they learn the shocking truth: the innocent young girl is being forced, by Madame Medusa, to search a dangerous, underground pirate's cave for a rare and valuable diamond, known as the Devil's Eye. Miss Bianca, Bernard, and Penny must escape this madwoman’s clutches, as well as survive the raging tides inside the pirate's cave, if Penny’s wish to be adopted has any hope of coming true.
Faith is a powerful theme in this film, and nowhere is faith more beautifully illustrated, than in the character of Penny, herself.
For Penny, her faith is illustrated in two distinct ways in the story: her hope that one day, she will be adopted and have a family, and in her childlike prayer, that someone will hear her cry for help, and rescue her from Medusa. Penny’s faith is first illustrated when Rufus tells her to have faith, after she confesses to him that she is heartbroken because she was overlooked by potential families on Adoption Day, at the orphanage. Rufus helps Penny have faith by telling her the wise proverb “Faith is a bluebird you see from afar…it’s for real, and as sure, as the first evening star…can’t touch it, or buy it, or wrap it up tight…but it is there just the same, making things turn out right.” Penny’s faith is shaken when Medusa breaks her promise to Penny; telling her that no family would want to adopt Penny, even if she did return to the orphanage, because she is so homely. Although Penny’s faith is shaken, her heart still clings to her childlike faith when she sees the evening star again, shining over the bayou and remembers Rufus’s gentle promise. Her faith is restored when she realizes that her cry for help was heard, and Bernard and Bianca have come to rescue her from Medusa. Penny’s faith comes full circle in the end, when she gets her wish, and a loving family comes to adopt her.
The number thirteen plays a symbolic role in this film, with Mr. Bernard, and his superstition that anything having to do with the number thirteen is bad luck. At the beginning of the film, when Bernard is retrieving Penny's note from the bottle, he realizes there are 13 steps on his ladder, and he is concerned, because he feels the mission to rescue Penny is a dangerous one, and he doesn't think that Ms. Bianca should go on the mission alone. Bernard’s superstitious nature is shown again, when he realizes there are 13 steps on the thing they use to climb onto Orville's back. Amused by this, Miss Bianca suggests that he jump the last step. In this moment, Bernard is scared to fly on Orville and wants to play it safer by taking the train. In the end, Bernard seems to break this unlucky connection with the number 13, when he and Ms. Bianca embark on another mission to rescue another child who is in trouble…and their mission begins on Friday the 13th.
While not my favorite Disney film, The Rescuers is still a very worthy addition to Disney's animated collection. The animation is absolutely stunning. The casting is stellar, particularly for Eva Gabor who voices the beautiful and elegant Ms. Bianca and Geraldine Page who voices the notorious Madame Medusa (who is, in my opinion, one of Disney’s greatest female villains, among their many. The songs are very catchy and the story, while not a fairy-tale like so many Disney films, is very heartfelt and beautiful. I would highly recommend this film.
© 2024 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved