Stuart Little

Released 1999
Stars Geena Davis, Hugh Laurie, Jonathan Lipnicki, Michael J. Fox (voice), Nathan Lane (voice), Chazz Palminteri (voice), Steve Zahn (voice), Bruno Kirby (voice), Jennifer Tilly (voice)
Directed by Rob Minkoff

The movie has been inspired by E.B. White's book, a classic that almost every child is familiar with. The story begins in a New York City orphanage, where Mr. And Mrs. Little have come to adopt a baby brother for their only son, George. However, while observing the children at play, their attention is arrested by a mouse (voice of Michael J. Fox) who approaches them and offers tips about which girls and boys might make the best daughters or sons. When it comes time to make a choice, the Littles select the mouse and name him Stuart. George is at first unimpressed, but, after a few false starts, he bonds with his "brother." The only one displeased by the new arrival is the cat, Snowbell (voice of Nathan Lane), who is upset by the idea of being placed lower in the family pecking order than someone who should be below him on the food chain.

Summary by James Berardinelli

This is a cute, light-hearted movie, which is fun for kids. I enjoyed it as well, because of the parents. They're a parody of loving but stand-offish WASPs. On a scale of 1 to 10, they're careful to not let their emotions rise above a 2. It's pretty funny, and I laughed out loud when I saw the name of George's boat--WASP. The DVD is completely loaded. It's amazing how much stuff they packed onto it, and my favorite extras were the segments that showed how they animated Stuart. As a computer programmer, I dream of working on projects like that. --Bill Alward, April 21, 2002