Animal Farm (1999 film)
Encyclopedia
Animal Farm was a made for TV film version of the 1945 George Orwell
novel of the same name
. The film tells the story of how the animals of a farm successfully revolt against its human owner, only to slide into a more brutal tyranny among themselves. It was released in 1999 by Hallmark Films
. It currently holds a 40% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes
, with a mixed to positive reception elsewhere.
and his spies but are now ready to come out of hiding. She then begins to tell how they came to be in this situation.
Mr. Pilkington
drives a cart with his wife and two sons through Mr. Jones' farm to return his horse. Mr. Jones
invites him to a gathering he is hosting, also wishing to talk about his debts with Mr. Pilkington who brushes him off saying that he could just sell him his farm. Jessie informs the horse that there will be a meeting for the animals that night. At the meeting, the pig Old Major
incites the animals to revolt against man and to take control of the farm for themselves, calling for a life of equality and prosperity. Old Major then teaches them the song "Beasts of the World"; hearing the animals, Mr. Jones goes to investigate but ends up slipping in the mud, accidentally firing his shotgun and killing Old Major (which is a significant difference from the novel, in which Old Major dies in his sleep.).
The next day Mr. Jones goes drinking without feeding the animals. Once returning home he still does not feed them, which leads to the animals breaking into the feed room. The animals then rebel against Jones and drive him off the farm. The pig Snowball
is looked on as a leader and learns to read and write and he renames the farm Animal Farm. Snowball then writes the Seven Commandments of Animalism which embody Old Major's feelings, while Napoleon calls for a secret meeting in which he has dogs swear loyalty to him and become part of the animal guard.
Mr. Pilkington leads an attack on the farm, but Snowball has planned for this and the animals launch a counter-attack, fending the men off. Snowball makes plans to build a windmill to better the animals' lives, however Napoleon thinks it is a waste of time. When the animals vote in favor of Snowball, Napoleon calls on the animal guard, recognized by Jessie as her puppies, to attack him. Snowball escapes with his life, but Napoleon declares him a traitor, as well as claiming that the windmill was actually his idea. He goes on declare that there will be no more public meetings and that a committee of pigs will decide all aspects of the farm. The animals begin the hard work of building the windmill and Mr. Pilkington hears over the microphone planted in the barn that the pigs can speak English, deciding that if they can talk then they can trade. Napoleon's assistant, Squealer
, starts altering the commandments in the night and Napoleon starts trading with Mr. Pilkington. Wanting revenge on the animals, Mr. Jones blows the windmill up with dynamite. Napoleon blames it on Snowball, declaring a death sentence against him.
Squealer begins making propaganda
films about Napoleon showing animals on trial for working with Snowball that are sentenced to death, as well as animals supposedly happy with Napoleon's rule. In the rebuilding of the windmill, Boxer
the horse is injured and Squealer informs them that Boxer will be sent to hospital. When the time comes for him to be transported the animals realizes that the van is from the glue factory and that Boxer is to be slaughtered. Squealer delivers a phony speech claiming it to be untrue. Later that night Jessie watches a meeting between Napoleon and Mr. Pilkington and cannot tell the difference between them. Realising that Napoleon now essentially fills Jones' shoes, she decides the animals should leave while they still can. As they leave a film plays, with ducks and sheep singing the greatness of Napoleon, and shows Napoleon standing on two legs wearing a suit, declaring they will build weapons and walls.
Back in the present day Jessie narrates how they have waited for Napoleon's rule to come to an end. Flooding from a storm causes a wall to collapse, and the animal refugees are able to return to the farm. They find it derelict and largely abandoned. Napoleon has fallen; "a victim of his own madness." Some survived the fall of Napoleon's regime, however; Jessie's puppies, free from Napoleon's lies, emerge from the ruins and return to her. In the closing scene, Jessie is shown sitting in the sun, surrounded by her puppies, while the new owners, a blond couple with two blond children arrive at the farm in a white convertible Jaguar. The music from the car radio, Fats Domino
singing "Blueberry Hill
," plays as Jessie vows: "We will not allow them to make the same mistakes. We will rebuild the farm, and now at last, we shall be free."
14 animals were built to represent the animals of Animal Farm at Jim Henson's Creature Shop
in London: four pigs (Old Major, Snowball, Napoleon and Squealer), two horses (Boxer and Mollie), a sheepdog (Jessie), a donkey (Benjamin), a raven (Moses), a goat (Muriel), a sheep, a rat, a chicken and a duck.
George Orwell
Eric Arthur Blair , better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist...
novel of the same name
Animal Farm
Animal Farm is an allegorical novella by George Orwell published in England on 17 August 1945. According to Orwell, the book reflects events leading up to and during the Stalin era before World War II...
. The film tells the story of how the animals of a farm successfully revolt against its human owner, only to slide into a more brutal tyranny among themselves. It was released in 1999 by Hallmark Films
RHI Entertainment
RHI Entertainment , formerly known as Hallmark Entertainment, is an American producer of television movies and miniseries, founded in 1979 by Robert Halmi Jr. and Robert Halmi Sr. as Robert Halmi Incorporated....
. It currently holds a 40% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, with a mixed to positive reception elsewhere.
Plot
With a huge downpour of rain washing away a large structure, Jessie, a Border Collie narrates how the animals have been in hiding from NapoleonNapoleon (Animal Farm)
Napoleon is a fictional character and the main antagonist in George Orwell's Animal Farm. While he is at first a common farm pig, he gets rid of Snowball, another pig which shares the power...
and his spies but are now ready to come out of hiding. She then begins to tell how they came to be in this situation.
Mr. Pilkington
Pilkington (Animal Farm)
Mr Pilkington of Foxwood Farm is a fictional character in George Orwell's satirical book Animal Farm.-Role in the story:Pilkington is based off of Winston Churchill and President Roosevelt. Mr Pilkington has a larger but thus more unkempt farm, and is on bad terms with Mr Frederick of Pinchfield...
drives a cart with his wife and two sons through Mr. Jones' farm to return his horse. Mr. Jones
Jones (Animal Farm)
Mr Jones of Manor Farm is a human character in George Orwell's allegorical novel Animal Farm. Jones is an allegory for Tsar Nicholas II. Jones was overthrown by the animals of his farm, who represent Bolshevik and liberal revolutionaries.-Description:...
invites him to a gathering he is hosting, also wishing to talk about his debts with Mr. Pilkington who brushes him off saying that he could just sell him his farm. Jessie informs the horse that there will be a meeting for the animals that night. At the meeting, the pig Old Major
Old Major
Old Major is the first major character described by George Orwell in Animal Farm. This "purebred" of pigs is a kind, grandfatherly philosopher of change...
incites the animals to revolt against man and to take control of the farm for themselves, calling for a life of equality and prosperity. Old Major then teaches them the song "Beasts of the World"; hearing the animals, Mr. Jones goes to investigate but ends up slipping in the mud, accidentally firing his shotgun and killing Old Major (which is a significant difference from the novel, in which Old Major dies in his sleep.).
The next day Mr. Jones goes drinking without feeding the animals. Once returning home he still does not feed them, which leads to the animals breaking into the feed room. The animals then rebel against Jones and drive him off the farm. The pig Snowball
Snowball (Animal Farm)
Snowball is a fictional pig in the book Animal Farm written by George Orwell. He is based on Leon Trotsky.- Snowball's ideas :Snowball believes in a continued revolution: he argues that in order to defend Animal Farm and strengthen the reality of Old Major's dream of a life without humans, the...
is looked on as a leader and learns to read and write and he renames the farm Animal Farm. Snowball then writes the Seven Commandments of Animalism which embody Old Major's feelings, while Napoleon calls for a secret meeting in which he has dogs swear loyalty to him and become part of the animal guard.
Mr. Pilkington leads an attack on the farm, but Snowball has planned for this and the animals launch a counter-attack, fending the men off. Snowball makes plans to build a windmill to better the animals' lives, however Napoleon thinks it is a waste of time. When the animals vote in favor of Snowball, Napoleon calls on the animal guard, recognized by Jessie as her puppies, to attack him. Snowball escapes with his life, but Napoleon declares him a traitor, as well as claiming that the windmill was actually his idea. He goes on declare that there will be no more public meetings and that a committee of pigs will decide all aspects of the farm. The animals begin the hard work of building the windmill and Mr. Pilkington hears over the microphone planted in the barn that the pigs can speak English, deciding that if they can talk then they can trade. Napoleon's assistant, Squealer
Squealer (Animal Farm)
Squealer is a fictional pig from George Orwell's Animal Farm. He is described in the book to be an effective and very convincing orator.- Allegory :...
, starts altering the commandments in the night and Napoleon starts trading with Mr. Pilkington. Wanting revenge on the animals, Mr. Jones blows the windmill up with dynamite. Napoleon blames it on Snowball, declaring a death sentence against him.
Squealer begins making propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
films about Napoleon showing animals on trial for working with Snowball that are sentenced to death, as well as animals supposedly happy with Napoleon's rule. In the rebuilding of the windmill, Boxer
Boxer (Animal Farm)
Boxer is a fictional character in George Orwell's Animal Farm. He is the farm's most hard-working and loyal laborer. Boxer serves as an allegory for the Russian working-class who helped to oust the Czar Nicholas and establish the Soviet Union, but were eventually betrayed by the Stalinists...
the horse is injured and Squealer informs them that Boxer will be sent to hospital. When the time comes for him to be transported the animals realizes that the van is from the glue factory and that Boxer is to be slaughtered. Squealer delivers a phony speech claiming it to be untrue. Later that night Jessie watches a meeting between Napoleon and Mr. Pilkington and cannot tell the difference between them. Realising that Napoleon now essentially fills Jones' shoes, she decides the animals should leave while they still can. As they leave a film plays, with ducks and sheep singing the greatness of Napoleon, and shows Napoleon standing on two legs wearing a suit, declaring they will build weapons and walls.
Back in the present day Jessie narrates how they have waited for Napoleon's rule to come to an end. Flooding from a storm causes a wall to collapse, and the animal refugees are able to return to the farm. They find it derelict and largely abandoned. Napoleon has fallen; "a victim of his own madness." Some survived the fall of Napoleon's regime, however; Jessie's puppies, free from Napoleon's lies, emerge from the ruins and return to her. In the closing scene, Jessie is shown sitting in the sun, surrounded by her puppies, while the new owners, a blond couple with two blond children arrive at the farm in a white convertible Jaguar. The music from the car radio, Fats Domino
Fats Domino
Antoine Dominique "Fats" Domino, Jr. is an American R&B and rock and roll pianist and singer-songwriter. He was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Creole was his first language....
singing "Blueberry Hill
Blueberry Hill (song)
"Blueberry Hill" is a popular song published in 1940 best remembered for its 1950s rock n' roll version by Fats Domino. The music was written by Vincent Rose, the lyrics by Al Lewis. It was recorded six times in 1940...
," plays as Jessie vows: "We will not allow them to make the same mistakes. We will rebuild the farm, and now at last, we shall be free."
Production
Filming began on August 25, 1998 and ending on November 6. Because of the extensive CGI work and other post-production requirements, the film was not delivered to TNT and Hallmark Entertainment until June 1999.14 animals were built to represent the animals of Animal Farm at Jim Henson's Creature Shop
Jim Henson's Creature Shop
Jim Henson's Creature Shop is a company founded in 1979 by puppeteer Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets, and Frank Oz.It was originally created as a result of the observation that the team that had been put together for The Dark Crystal was extremely hard to recreate for Labyrinth, since the...
in London: four pigs (Old Major, Snowball, Napoleon and Squealer), two horses (Boxer and Mollie), a sheepdog (Jessie), a donkey (Benjamin), a raven (Moses), a goat (Muriel), a sheep, a rat, a chicken and a duck.
Cast
| Cast | Character | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kelsey Grammer Kelsey Grammer Allen Kelsey Grammer is an American actor and comedian. He is most widely known for his two-decade portrayal of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the sitcoms Cheers and Frasier... |
Snowball Snowball (Animal Farm) Snowball is a fictional pig in the book Animal Farm written by George Orwell. He is based on Leon Trotsky.- Snowball's ideas :Snowball believes in a continued revolution: he argues that in order to defend Animal Farm and strengthen the reality of Old Major's dream of a life without humans, the... |
(voice) |
| Patrick Stewart Patrick Stewart Sir Patrick Hewes Stewart, OBE is an English film, television and stage actor, who has had a distinguished career in theatre and television for around half a century... |
Napoleon Napoleon (Animal Farm) Napoleon is a fictional character and the main antagonist in George Orwell's Animal Farm. While he is at first a common farm pig, he gets rid of Snowball, another pig which shares the power... |
(voice) |
| Ian Holm Ian Holm Sir Ian Holm, CBE is an English actor known for his stage work and for many film roles. He received the 1967 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor for his performance as Lenny in The Homecoming and the 1998 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor for his performance in the title role of King Lear... |
Squealer Squealer (Animal Farm) Squealer is a fictional pig from George Orwell's Animal Farm. He is described in the book to be an effective and very convincing orator.- Allegory :... |
(voice) |
| Julia Louis-Dreyfus Julia Louis-Dreyfus Julia Scarlett Elizabeth Louis-Dreyfus is an American actress and comedienne, widely known for her sitcom roles in Seinfeld and The New Adventures of Old Christine.... |
Mollie | (voice) |
| Julia Ormond Julia Ormond Julia Karin Ormond is an English actress who has appeared in film and television and on stage.-Early life and education:... |
Jessie | (voice) |
| Pete Postlethwaite Pete Postlethwaite Peter William "Pete" Postlethwaite, OBE, was an English stage, film and television actor.After minor television appearances including in The Professionals, Postlethwaite's first success came with the film Distant Voices, Still Lives in 1988. He played a mysterious lawyer, Mr... |
Farmer Jones Jones (Animal Farm) Mr Jones of Manor Farm is a human character in George Orwell's allegorical novel Animal Farm. Jones is an allegory for Tsar Nicholas II. Jones was overthrown by the animals of his farm, who represent Bolshevik and liberal revolutionaries.-Description:... /Benjamin Benjamin (Animal Farm) Benjamin is a character in George Orwell's novella Animal Farm. He is the oldest of the animals and is alive in the last scene of the novel... |
|
| Paul Scofield Paul Scofield David Paul Scofield, CH, CBE , better known as Paul Scofield, was an English actor of stage and screen... |
Boxer Boxer (Animal Farm) Boxer is a fictional character in George Orwell's Animal Farm. He is the farm's most hard-working and loyal laborer. Boxer serves as an allegory for the Russian working-class who helped to oust the Czar Nicholas and establish the Soviet Union, but were eventually betrayed by the Stalinists... |
(voice) |
| Peter Ustinov Peter Ustinov Peter Alexander Ustinov CBE was an English actor, writer and dramatist. He was also renowned as a filmmaker, theatre and opera director, stage designer, author, screenwriter, comedian, humourist, newspaper and magazine columnist, radio broadcaster and television presenter... |
Old Major Old Major Old Major is the first major character described by George Orwell in Animal Farm. This "purebred" of pigs is a kind, grandfatherly philosopher of change... |
(voice) |
| Alan Stanford Alan Stanford Alan Stanford is a well known Irish-based actor and director.-Personal life:Stanford has lived in Ireland since 1969. He trained as an actor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.... |
Farmer Pilkington Pilkington (Animal Farm) Mr Pilkington of Foxwood Farm is a fictional character in George Orwell's satirical book Animal Farm.-Role in the story:Pilkington is based off of Winston Churchill and President Roosevelt. Mr Pilkington has a larger but thus more unkempt farm, and is on bad terms with Mr Frederick of Pinchfield... |
|