Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas
Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas | |
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Directed by | Alex Mann |
Written by | Richard Cray |
Starring | Wayne Allwine Tony Anselmo Tress MacNeille Corey Burton Diane Michelle Russi Taylor Jeff Bennett Alan Young Shaun Fleming Jim Cummings Frank Welker Bill Farmer |
Narrated by | Kelsey Grammer |
Edited by | Elen Orson |
Music by | J. Eric Schmidt |
Production companies | |
Distributed by | Walt Disney Home Video |
Release date |
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Running time | 67 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas is a 1999 direct-to-video animated Christmas anthology film produced by Walt Disney Home Video and won the Award for Best Animated Feature Film at the 5th Kecskemét Animation Film Festival in 1999.[1] The video features Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Pete, Goofy, Max, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Huey, Dewey and Louie, Scrooge McDuck, Mortimer Mouse, Figaro the Kitten and Chip 'n Dale with cameos by Owl, Clarabelle Cow, Horace Horsecollar, and a Beagle Boy. The film comprises three separate segments, with narration by Kelsey Grammer. A sequel, titled Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas, was released in 2004.
Plot
Donald Duck Stuck On Christmas
Huey, Dewey and Louie wake up one Christmas morning and open their presents, even though they are supposed to wait first for Aunt Daisy, Uncle Scrooge and Aunt Gertie to arrive. After the boys take their new sleds from their Uncle Donald (not reading the included gift card) they go sledding and have Christmas dinner. While Donald, Daisy, Uncle Scrooge and Aunt Gertie sing carols, the boys play with their new toys. Later, it is time for the boys to go to bed and having enjoyed the day immensely, the boys then wish that it would be Christmas every day. Their wish is granted and at first the three are joyful. After a few days, however, they begin to get sick of Christmas and soon realize that every day will be exactly the same as the day when they first made their wish. They then decide to change the course of action of the next day by playing tricks and pranks, including swapping the cooked turkey with a live one for the dinner table. The day turns out to be a bad Christmas for everyone, especially Donald. After this, the boys finally read the gift card that was given to them which they had previously disregarded. The card is from Donald and Daisy, it wishes them love and explains that Christmas is not just about presents, it is about being with family. The boys instantly become guilty for their pranks and decide to make amends by making the next day the best Christmas ever. At the end of the next day, the boys finally realize the true meaning of Christmas and the time loop comes to an end, leading into the day after Christmas.
A Very Goofy Christmas
Goofy and Max are mailing out a letter to Santa Claus. However, as soon as they get home, Pete, the neighbor, tells Max that Santa does not exist, predicting how he can't fly around the world in one night. Things get worse when Goofy poses as Santa for some kids and Max finds out that he tricked him. Goofy is determined to prove to Max that Santa does exist and even stays up all Christmas Eve to keep an eye out for him. But after falling off the roof, Goofy gives up hope of Santa coming. Now, Max does everything that Goofy did to make his father happy, including posing as Santa. In the end, the real Santa actually comes and gives Max the gift the boy asked for earlier (as well as blows some snow on Pete's house when the cunning neighbor tries to flatter the legendary figure). This segment of Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas chronologically precedes the cartoon series, Goof Troop. Max is voiced by Shaun Fleming of the indy rock bands Diane Coffee and Foxygen.
Mickey and Minnie's The Gift of the Magi
Based on the story The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry. Mickey wants to get Minnie a gold chain for her one heirloom, her watch, so he works at Crazy Pete's Tree Lot. Minnie wants to give Mickey something special for Christmas as well, so she works hard to get her special bonus. However, Pete (Mickey's uptight and greedy boss) steals all of Mickey's money and fires him when he ruins his chance of selling an expensive 10-footer to a poor family and Minnie's bonus proves to be nothing but a fruit cake. After playing music for a toy drive with the Firehouse Five, Mickey has the idea that he can trade his harmonica for the chain. The shop closes by the time he gets there and the owner rejects it, thinking it's not worth anything, but changes his mind after hearing its music. Back at Minnie's house, Mickey gives her the chain for her watch and Minnie gives him a case for his harmonica. Of course, the irony is that Minnie no longer has her watch—just as Mickey no longer has his harmonica—so the gifts are essentially useless. As in the classic Gift of the Magi upon which this adaptation—penned by O. Henry—is based, the thought behind each gift is what counts.[2] The film concludes with a medley of various carols.
In "The Gift of Magi", one of Mickey's dance moves are very similar to his dance routine in the 1942 theatrical short, "Mickey's Birthday Party".
Cast
- Wayne Allwine as Mickey Mouse
- Russi Taylor as Minnie Mouse, Huey Dewey and Louie
- Tony Anselmo as Donald Duck
- Tress MacNeille as Daisy Duck (Stuck On Christmas), Chip and Aunt Gertie
- Diane Michelle as Daisy Duck (The Gift of the Magi)
- Alan Young as Scrooge McDuck
- Bill Farmer as Goofy and Pluto
- Corey Burton as Dale
- Shaun Fleming as Young Max
- Jim Cummings as Pete, Santa, Police, Mailman, Fire Chief, Dad and Man
- Jeff Bennett as Dad Firefighter #2, Mortimer, Store Announcer, Man and Costumer
- Gregg Berger as Mr Anderson, and Shopper
- Kylie Dempsey as Kid #2, and Little Girl
- Taylor Dempsey as Little Jimmy, and Kid #1
- Andrew McDonaugh as Boy
- Pat Musick as Distressed Woman, Angry Woman, Eccentric Lady, Shopper and Mrs Anderson
- Frank Welker as Turkey, and Figaro
- Mae Whitman as Girl
- April Winchell as Mom, Old Woman, Firewoman and Firefighter #1
- Kelsey Grammer as the Narrator
Home media
The film was originally released on VHS and DVD on November 9, 1999. It was later re-released on VHS and on DVD (as part of the Walt Disney Gold Classic Collection) on November 7, 2000. The film was released in a 2-Movie Collection Blu-ray and DVD with Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas on November 4, 2014.
References
- ^ "Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas". Disney Movies. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
- ^ http://www.blockbusteronline.com/movies/mickeys-once-upon-a-christmas.html
External links
- 1999 films
- 1999 animated films
- 1999 direct-to-video films
- DisneyToon Studios animated films
- Disney direct-to-video animated films
- Donald Duck films
- Mickey Mouse films
- Goofy (Disney) films
- American anthology films
- American Christmas films
- Films featuring anthropomorphic characters
- American animated films
- American films
- 1990s American animated films
- Adaptations of works by O. Henry