Nico the Unicorn
Encyclopedia
Nico the Unicorn is a family movie
made in 1998, which follows the story of young Billy Hastings and his adventures with a mystical unicorn named Nico. The film is based on the children's book
of the same name, written by Frank Sacks.
Nico the Unicorn's filming took place in Canada's Eastern Townships. For the school filming, they used Knowlton Elementary School which is still a school today.
which left Billy fatherless and with a gimp leg. Billy has a hard time adjusting to life in Vermont and has trouble making friends. While shopping at the mall after school one day, Billy stumbles upon a ramshackle petting zoo
, where the animals are kept in poor conditions. After seeing a small pony with a horn taped to its head and finding out that it is about to be sold for slaughter, Billy instead makes a deal with the zoo keeper and buys the pony. Once Billy takes the pony home, he cleans her up and cares for her. The pony appears to be pregnant and eventually foals, under the watchful eye of Billy and his friend Carolyn. The pony's foal grows a horn and turns out to be a unicorn, who grows at a tremendous rate. Billy names the colt Nico from the letters found in the word "unicorn".
One day, while Billy is at school, a mountain lion comes to attack the pony and the foal in the stable. The pony sacrifices herself for the well-being
of her colt, and she is killed by the mountain lion. Billy and his mother later bury the pony on their land. That night, magic descends upon the stable, and in the morning, Billy discovers that Nico has become full grown. Carolyn visits later in the day and tells Billy that he could charge people to see Nico and help his mother, Julie, earn money for her to go to school. Billy is annoyed at this and he and Carolyn argue making Carolyn storm off back into to town, where she meets Bruce and Mark who make fun of Billy for saying he has a unicorn. Carolyn, defends Billy by telling them she has seen Nico, before quickly denying it when Bruce becomes too interested. The group doesn't believe Carolyn, but decides to pull a hoax
instead for the paper, and plan to take a picture of Nico with a fake horn. They make an offer with the local news reporter Cecil who is looking for a big story, that if they provide proof of a unicorn, Cecil will pay them a hundred thousand dollars. Cecil agrees thinking they are making it up.
Meanwhile Carolyn has cycled on ahead to warn Billy, who immediately packs his bag to take Nico to safety up on Big Rock at the top of a dangerous mountain. Bruce and friends arrive before he leaves, and ask Billy where Nico is, when Billy refuses to say Bruce pushes Billy down, and Nico comes out of the bushes and goes to attack Bruce. Bruce panics crying out for Billy to help which Billy does, before Bruce and Mark take pictures of Nico and run away. Billy decides now that he has to take Nico away before people take Nico away from him, and tells Carolyn to tell his mother where Billy has gone. Bruce manages to convince Cecil with the photos of Nico, who immediately calls 'his people', Cecil also tells the owner of the diner, Joe and it is also where Billy's mother works, Julie hears about the story and goes home where Carolyn tells her where Billy has gone, worried about Billy's leg and his safety Julie sets out after him on Carolyn's bike. By now the local police are involved too, led by Julie's boyfriend, Deputy Pete, who are more focused on rescuing Julie and Billy from the dangerous mountain.
Having not gotten very far, Julie soon catches up to Billy, who is discarding his leg cast so he can ride Nico bareback, something that could confine him to a wheelchair if he has a bad fall. Billy pleads with his mother to give him a chance, and to lead the police away from him. Eventually Julie agrees and leaves back down the mountain where she meets with the police, who are prepared to search the mountain by horseback, Julie tells them she knows where Billy is and leads them in the wrong direction until Carolyn, who does not know that Billy asked Julie to lead them astray, says she has never been to Big Rock which is where Billy is going. Julie confesses to leading them the wrong way and the whole group turn around.
With his mother leading the others away, Billy eventually reaches the top of Big Rock where he and Nico are stuck at the edge of a cliff, behind him a news helicopter lands to take pictures, and Billy and Nico flee but before they can escape, the police, Julie and Carolyn arrive on their horses. Nico turns and runs toward the cliff before jumping and flies over the gap and lands on the other side. On the other side is a desert like terrain where Nico takes Billy inside a cave, he dismounts Nico and finds cave drawings of unicorns on the walls, when there is a gold glowing light which takes Nico and Billy to a paradise like land, where Nico lives and Billy's leg is healed, enabling him to walk and run properly again. Whilst taking a drink from the water there, Billy sees his mothers sad face in the reflection and knows he has to go back, he says goodbye to Nico for the final time before he goes back through the cave, where his mother and everyone is waiting for him on the desert terrain, having flown over in the helicopter. Billy hugs his mother and Cecil, with a camera, interrogates him about the unicorn to which Billy looks straight into the camera and says, "What unicorn? Everyone knows unicorns don't exist." Leaving Cecil storyless and returning home with his healed leg and mother.
Family film
A family film is a film genre that is designed to appeal to a variety of age groups and, thus, families.In December 2005, Steven Spielberg's 1982 film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial came first in a poll of the 100 Greatest Family Films. The genre today generates billions of dollars per annum.Family...
made in 1998, which follows the story of young Billy Hastings and his adventures with a mystical unicorn named Nico. The film is based on the children's book
Children's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
of the same name, written by Frank Sacks.
Nico the Unicorn's filming took place in Canada's Eastern Townships. For the school filming, they used Knowlton Elementary School which is still a school today.
Plot
Billy and his mother moved from Boston to rural Vermont after a car accidentCar accident
A traffic collision, also known as a traffic accident, motor vehicle collision, motor vehicle accident, car accident, automobile accident, Road Traffic Collision or car crash, occurs when a vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal, road debris, or other stationary obstruction,...
which left Billy fatherless and with a gimp leg. Billy has a hard time adjusting to life in Vermont and has trouble making friends. While shopping at the mall after school one day, Billy stumbles upon a ramshackle petting zoo
Petting zoo
A petting zoo features a combination of domestic animals and some wild species that are docile enough to touch and feed. In addition to independent petting zoos, also called children's farms or petting farms, many general zoos contain a petting zoo...
, where the animals are kept in poor conditions. After seeing a small pony with a horn taped to its head and finding out that it is about to be sold for slaughter, Billy instead makes a deal with the zoo keeper and buys the pony. Once Billy takes the pony home, he cleans her up and cares for her. The pony appears to be pregnant and eventually foals, under the watchful eye of Billy and his friend Carolyn. The pony's foal grows a horn and turns out to be a unicorn, who grows at a tremendous rate. Billy names the colt Nico from the letters found in the word "unicorn".
One day, while Billy is at school, a mountain lion comes to attack the pony and the foal in the stable. The pony sacrifices herself for the well-being
Quality of life
The term quality of life is used to evaluate the general well-being of individuals and societies. The term is used in a wide range of contexts, including the fields of international development, healthcare, and politics. Quality of life should not be confused with the concept of standard of...
of her colt, and she is killed by the mountain lion. Billy and his mother later bury the pony on their land. That night, magic descends upon the stable, and in the morning, Billy discovers that Nico has become full grown. Carolyn visits later in the day and tells Billy that he could charge people to see Nico and help his mother, Julie, earn money for her to go to school. Billy is annoyed at this and he and Carolyn argue making Carolyn storm off back into to town, where she meets Bruce and Mark who make fun of Billy for saying he has a unicorn. Carolyn, defends Billy by telling them she has seen Nico, before quickly denying it when Bruce becomes too interested. The group doesn't believe Carolyn, but decides to pull a hoax
Hoax
A hoax is a deliberately fabricated falsehood made to masquerade as truth. It is distinguishable from errors in observation or judgment, or rumors, urban legends, pseudosciences or April Fools' Day events that are passed along in good faith by believers or as jokes.-Definition:The British...
instead for the paper, and plan to take a picture of Nico with a fake horn. They make an offer with the local news reporter Cecil who is looking for a big story, that if they provide proof of a unicorn, Cecil will pay them a hundred thousand dollars. Cecil agrees thinking they are making it up.
Meanwhile Carolyn has cycled on ahead to warn Billy, who immediately packs his bag to take Nico to safety up on Big Rock at the top of a dangerous mountain. Bruce and friends arrive before he leaves, and ask Billy where Nico is, when Billy refuses to say Bruce pushes Billy down, and Nico comes out of the bushes and goes to attack Bruce. Bruce panics crying out for Billy to help which Billy does, before Bruce and Mark take pictures of Nico and run away. Billy decides now that he has to take Nico away before people take Nico away from him, and tells Carolyn to tell his mother where Billy has gone. Bruce manages to convince Cecil with the photos of Nico, who immediately calls 'his people', Cecil also tells the owner of the diner, Joe and it is also where Billy's mother works, Julie hears about the story and goes home where Carolyn tells her where Billy has gone, worried about Billy's leg and his safety Julie sets out after him on Carolyn's bike. By now the local police are involved too, led by Julie's boyfriend, Deputy Pete, who are more focused on rescuing Julie and Billy from the dangerous mountain.
Having not gotten very far, Julie soon catches up to Billy, who is discarding his leg cast so he can ride Nico bareback, something that could confine him to a wheelchair if he has a bad fall. Billy pleads with his mother to give him a chance, and to lead the police away from him. Eventually Julie agrees and leaves back down the mountain where she meets with the police, who are prepared to search the mountain by horseback, Julie tells them she knows where Billy is and leads them in the wrong direction until Carolyn, who does not know that Billy asked Julie to lead them astray, says she has never been to Big Rock which is where Billy is going. Julie confesses to leading them the wrong way and the whole group turn around.
With his mother leading the others away, Billy eventually reaches the top of Big Rock where he and Nico are stuck at the edge of a cliff, behind him a news helicopter lands to take pictures, and Billy and Nico flee but before they can escape, the police, Julie and Carolyn arrive on their horses. Nico turns and runs toward the cliff before jumping and flies over the gap and lands on the other side. On the other side is a desert like terrain where Nico takes Billy inside a cave, he dismounts Nico and finds cave drawings of unicorns on the walls, when there is a gold glowing light which takes Nico and Billy to a paradise like land, where Nico lives and Billy's leg is healed, enabling him to walk and run properly again. Whilst taking a drink from the water there, Billy sees his mothers sad face in the reflection and knows he has to go back, he says goodbye to Nico for the final time before he goes back through the cave, where his mother and everyone is waiting for him on the desert terrain, having flown over in the helicopter. Billy hugs his mother and Cecil, with a camera, interrogates him about the unicorn to which Billy looks straight into the camera and says, "What unicorn? Everyone knows unicorns don't exist." Leaving Cecil storyless and returning home with his healed leg and mother.
Cast
- Anne ArcherAnne ArcherAnne Archer is an American actress who has performed in feature films, television, and stage and was named Miss Golden Globe in 1971. Among her best known roles is that of Beth Gallagher in the 1987 movie Fatal Attraction, for which she received a nomination for an Academy Award.-Career:Archer's...
- Julie Hastings - Augusto - Nico
- Maggie CastleMaggie CastleMaggie Castle is a Canadian actress, most notable for her appearance in the Disney Channel Original Movie, Starstruck.-Filmography:-External links:...
- Susie - Pierre Chagnon - Ben Willett
- Elisha CuthbertElisha CuthbertElisha Ann Cuthbert is a Canadian film and television actress. Cuthbert is known as the former co-host of the Canadian children's television series Popular Mechanics for Kids. In 1998, she had her first film role in Airspeed. She followed this in 2003 with a role in Old School...
- Carolyn Price - Larry Day - Deputy Pete
- Charles S. Doucet - Pony Buyer
- Mickey Fry - Pitcher
- Bill Haughland - National Newscaster
- Don McGowan - Local Newscaster
- Johnny Morina - Bruce
- Neige - The Pony (Nico's mother)
- Martin Neufeld - Dobbs
- Joanna Noyes - Teacher
- Michael OntkeanMichael OntkeanMichael Leonard Ontkean is a Canadian actor. He is best known for the 1970s crime drama The Rookies, the film Slap Shot , and the cult-favorite TV series Twin Peaks .-Life and career:...
- Tom Gentry - Leni ParkerLeni ParkerLeni Parker is a Canadian television and film actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Da'an in Gene Roddenberry's Earth: Final Conflict.-Education and early career:...
- Librarian - Michel Perron - Joe
- Michael YarmushMichael YarmushMichael Yarmush is an American television, film, and voice actor.-Early life and career:Born in Miami, Florida, Yarmush began acting in 1995. That year, he portrayed Eric in the television series My Life as a Dog. The following year, he provided the voice for the title character in Arthur...
- Mark - Kevin ZegersKevin ZegersKevin Joseph Zegers is a Canadian actor and model. He is best known for his leading roles as Josh Framm in the Air Bud series, as well as playing Damien Dalgaard in the Gossip Girl series and the protagonist in Rock Mafia's The Big Bang...
- Billy Hastings