Esther... The Girl Who Became Queen

Esther... The Girl Who Became Queen
DVD cover
Directed by	Mike Nawrocki
Produced by	Jennifer Combs
Written by	Mike Nawrocki Phil Vischer
Narrated by	Eric Metaxas
Starring	Phil Vischer Mike Nawrocki Jessica Kaplan Pamela Thomas Charlotte Jackson Kristi Bramlett
Music by	Kurt Heinecke Phil Vischer Mike Nawrocki
Editing by	John Wahba
Studio	Big Idea Productions
Distributed by	Word Entertainment Lyrick Studios Warner Home Video
Release date(s)	September 1, 2000 (2000-09-01)
Running time	37 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Esther... The Girl Who Became Queen is the 14th episode in the VeggieTales animated series. Subtitled "A Lesson in Courage", it conveys the message that one does not need to be afraid to do what is right. Unlike its predecessors, it does not feature an opening and closing countertop. This is also one of the episodes without Bob the Tomato.

The story is taken from the Book of Esther in the Old Testament, in which Esther becomes Queen and must tell King Xerxes that his prime minister Haman is plotting to commit genocide against the Jews. The violence is removed as this VeggieTales production is intended for children; execution is replaced by banishment to the Island of Perpetual Tickling, and the intended victims are limited to Esther and her family without reference to their race or creed.

The presentation of the story was inspired by The Godfather and Casablanca and has stylistic elements of a film noir. The dramatic lighting, deep shadows, dark plot elements, and narrative voiceovers all contribute to the effect. The palace windows are even hung with Venetian blinds, an iconic element of the genre.

Synopsis

The story opens at a palace in Persia where Haman, the King's right-hand-man, is throwing the Queen out onto the street for insubordination. A search is then initiated to find a new Queen.

The following day, Esther and her cousin Mordecai are talking on the streets of Persia. Esther is asking for Mordecai's advice, but his questions reveal that Esther knows what to do but lacks the courage to follow through. He tells her that she should not be afraid to do what is right. When Haman drives up in search of eligible maidens to be the future Queen, Mordecai tries to hide because of bad blood between he and Haman. When they confront each other, while Esther is selected to go to the palace, Mordecai refuses to bow and Haman leaves vowing revenge. At the palace, King Xerxes and Haman audition the girls and when Esther takes the stage and sings, the King chooses her. Although Esther does not wish to be the Queen, nonetheless she is crowned and ensconced in her new life.

One day in the throne room of the Persian place, the King is visited by a pea, who has brought a large cake to honor the newlyweds. Although unannounced visitors are not permitted, the King allows them to enter. While the pea tries to convince the King to closely examine the cake, another pea holding a rope which suspends a grand piano above the cake. Mordecai, who is hiding in a corner to avoid Haman, observes the plot and informs Esther who then warns the King and the piano crashes harmlessly onto the cake. The King thanks her for saving his life, but she indicates Mordecai, saying that the credit should be his. Recognized as the Peaoni Brothers, the most wanted peas in Persia, the pair is banished to the Island of Perpetual Tickling, escorted by the Grim Tickler.

With the Peaoni Brothers banished, the King believes he is safe, but Haman convinces him that a greater threat awaits. There is a family that cannot be trusted, he claims, who pose an imminent danger to the throne. Not realizing Haman is referring to Mordecai, the King unwittingly authorizes an edict to have that family banished to the Island of Perpetual Tickling. When Mordecai finds the edict posted in the streets, he visits Esther on her balcony at the palace and appeals to her to reveal Haman's evil plans to the King. Knowing that she need not fear to do what's right, she lacks the courage to confront the King and struggles with what to do. Twice she attempts to inform the King, and twice she fails, before finally inviting the King and Haman to a dinner.

Meanwhile, Haman goes to Mordecai and asks him to bow in exchange for a pardon. In retaliation, Haman threatens to have the banishment moved up to that night. King Xerxes, having had the story of the Peaoni Brothers' plot and Mordecai's rescue read to him by Markus the Scribe, instead wishes to reward Mordecai. Asking Haman how to recognize someone who's special, Haman thinks that Xerxes is talking about himself and convinces the King to be extravagant by letting the person be lead through the streets on the King's horse with an advisor saying great things about the honored person. Xerxes then orders Haman to do this for Mordecai, humiliating Haman that much more.

During the dinner, Esther reveals to the King that Mordecai is her cousin and that Haman has been plotting to destroy him and his family - which includes her. The King then becomes angry and banishes Haman to the Island of Perpetual Tickling. Afterwards, the King cancels Mordecai's banishment and names him as Haman's replacement as his second in command.

Cast

• Jessica Kaplan and Pamela Thomas voiced Esther
• Eric Metaxas as Narrator
• Phil Vischer voices multiple roles.
  • Mr. Nezzer as the King
  • Mr. Lunt as Haman
  • Pa Grape as Mordecai
  • Phillipe as Teresh Peanoi
  • Scallion #1 as the host of the Miss Persia Pageant
• Mike Nawrocki voices multiple roles.
  • Larry the Cucumber as Markus the Scribe
  • Jean-Claude as Bigthan Peanoi
• Kristi Bramlett voiced Queen Vashti
• Charlotte Jackson voiced Miss Achmenta

Crew

• Directed by Mike Nawrocki
• Written by Mike Nawrocki and Phil Vischer
• Produced by Jennifer Combs
• Score by Kurt Heinecke and Phil Vischer
• Video editing and sound effects by John Wahba
• Songs and score arranged by Kurt Heinecke
• Audio engineering and edited by Adam Frick
• Content consultant: Scottie May EdD
• Exceutive produced by Phil Vischer
• Exceutive in charge of production: Chris Meidl
• Ms. Esther's hair by Heath-Ar and Rob of Lombard
• Ms. Esther's makeup by Alan Millman and Nathan Tungseth
• Pa Grape's stunt double by Daniel Lopez Munoz.

Songs

This episode does not include the usual "VeggieTales Theme" and "What We Have Learned" songs. It does contain the following songs:

• Tell Me Why, sung by Pamela Thomas
• The Battle Prelude, sung by Pamela Thomas
• Haman's Song, sung by Phil Vischer
• The Battle Is Not Ours, sung by Pamela Thomas
• Lost Puppies, sung by Charlotte Jackson

Television

"Esther" was one of 19 episodes shown on the TV release of VeggieTales. Out of every episode released on the Qubo network, "Esther" was the episode that required the most drastic edits for network release. However, most of these edits weren't just due to Christian references; because the original version was 37 minutes long, this episode was, as other episodes were, shortened to a 20-minute time slot for TV, cutting a whole approximately 17 minutes of material. Notable edits include:

• All scenes with the Death-lookalike taking people to the Island of Perpetual Tickling with a feather were cut (the first by a commercial break, and the second by a freeze frame, organ synth-note, and fade-to black), whether for time constraints or references to death is unknown.
• "Haman's Song" was edited for time, while "Tell Me Why" was removed entirely.
• The scene with King Xerxes' original queen getting kicked out is removed. However, Haman's remark about that scene, "...for reasons that do not concern you...", was shown uncut, despite the remark not being as funny.
• The narration at the beginning of the episode is moved, so the audio overlaps the opening titles.

External links

• Esther... The Girl Who Became Queen at the Internet Movie Database

Preceded by King George and the Ducky

VeggieTales episodes

Succeeded by Lyle the Kindly Viking