Review 458: Stuart Little (1999)

Stuart Little is a charming family film and a delight for the whole family.

Loosely based on the children's novel Stuart Little by E. B. White, When Eleanor (Geena Davis) and Frederick Little (Hugh Laurie) go to an orphanage to a adopt a child, a charming mouse named Stuart (Michael J. Fox) is chosen. Eleanor and Frederick fall in love instantly with Stuart, but their son George (Jonathan Lipnicki) isn't so sure what to make of his new brother and the Little's family cat, Snowbell (Nathan Lane) devises a dastardly plan to get rid of Stuart.

The plot deviates from the original E. B. White novel, but the result is a thoroughly delightful, earnest, sweet and with a little bit of adventure thrown on top.

The film has an undeniable amount of charm to it.

Director Rob Minkoff's direction is the cinematography is and captures the beauty and appeal of New York and scale and size of the films many miniature settings Stuart interacts with. The score by Alan Silvestri is wonderful, the special effects are remarkably seamless, the use of actual live animals and minimal CGI is remarkably seamless  The actiom scenes are  a boat race through Central Park is particular highlight
The production design is excellently well crafted, the miniature sets that Stuart interacts with are alive with detail and take on a life of their own. The Little Home is special place that's existed for many generations and New York City has grown up around it.

Michael J. Fox is an excellent choice to voice a mouse. His youthful tone combined with Stuart's unassuming, optimistic persona make for engaging and likeable lead.

Geena Davis and Hugh Laurie are also superbly cast as Eleanor and Frederick Little respectively. Davis expertly manages to convey the maternal, loving nature that Eleanor

 

Jonathan Lipnicki  George has a tiny bit of troube accepting Stuart at first. They have a sort of silbling rivalry which is to be expected

 

Nathan Lane (whom you may recognise as the voice of Timon in The Lion King) is also very strong playing Snowbell the cat  He's a nurotic New York house cat. From his perspective, his territory have been invaded and it's sort of humiliating to have a mouse as his "owner". He's displaced by a rodent, which may seem selfish but it's got to hurt when you're a cat. 

Stuart Little is  fun for the whole family, 4/5.