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Review by Susan Granger
3½ stars out of 4
It's family entertainment that's unabashedly sentimental but
it's difficult not to fall under the spell of this fanciful adaptation
of E.B. White's classic children's tale. In the book, of course, a
mouse was inexplicably born to a Manhattan family but, in the movie,
artfully written by M. Knight Shamalyan and Gregory J. Brooker,
directed by Rob Minkoff, teeny Stuart (cheerfully voiced by Michael
J. Fox) is adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Little (pensive High Laurie, perky
Geena Davis). They find him adorable, much to the consternation of
their older son, George (Jonathan Lipnicki, memorable from Jerry
Maguire), and the family feline Snowbell (hilariously voiced by Nathan
Lane), who has been warned that Stuart is now family "and we don't eat
family members." Affable and helpful, Stuart soon recruits George as a
friend but Snowbell's a different matter. After all, no one has ever
seen a chipper rodent with a fluffy cat as a pet! Chagrined, Snowbell
consults the local alley cat (Chazz Palminteri) who enlists a couple
of malicious mice (Bruno Kirby, Jennifer Tilly) to pose as Stuart's
biological parents and claim him as their long-lost son, thus
kidnapping him and providing, for the cats, a picnic in the
park. Their comedic portrayals are eerily reminiscent of two similar
sleazy characters in the musical Annie. Obviously, resourceful Stuart
is eventually reunited with his loved ones and the dastardly "bad
guys" get a well-deserved dunking in a cold stream. Technically, the
blend of the digital characters with humans is seamless and
superb. Stuart is minutely etched, along with his magnificently
tailored clothes and emotionally expressive whiskers. On the Granger
Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, Stuart Little is an engaging 8. This wee mouse
could roar, stealing your heart for family fare this weekend.
Copyright © 2000 Susan Granger
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out of 4
