Movie Type: Family-Oriented Comedy, Family-Oriented Adventure
Themes: Mischievous Children
Main Cast: Melissa Altro, Catherine O'Hara, Carole Pope, Dave Thomas, Gordon Pinsent
Release Year: 1997
Country: SE/DE/CA
Run Time: 75 minutes
MPAA Rating: G
Plot
This animated musical is the newest incarnation of Astrid Lindgren's mischievous, magical Pippi Longstocking, the nine-year-old daughter of a sea captain whose adventures have delighted young readers, moviegoers and television fans for generations. The tale begins as Pippi sails the seas with her father. A storm tosses him overboard, but just before he disappears he promises his daughter that he will return to their home at Villa Villekulla. Pippi returns home to raise herself amongst a menagerie of interesting animals. She supports herself with a cache of gold coins given to her by her father. Pippi's friends include her neighbors Tommy and Annika, who find her a refreshing change from the boredom of their suburban lives. Together the trio get into good-natured trouble with the townsfolk. Real trouble comes in the form of two idiotic thieves who try to steal Pippi's money. Songs include"Pluttifikation" and "A Bowler and a New Gold Tooth." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Clive Powsey - Art Director, Robin Budd - Animation Director, Bill Giggie - Animation Director, Clive A. Smith - Director, Noda Tsamardos - Editor, Michael Hirsh - Executive Producer, Patrick Loubert - Executive Producer, Clive A. Smith - Executive Producer, David Ferguson - Executive Producer, Anders Berglund - Composer (Music Score), Great Big Music - Composer (Music Score), Thinkmusic - Composer (Music Score), Hasmi Giakoumis - Producer, Merle-Anne Ridley - Producer, Glenn Barna - Sound/Sound Designer, Frank Nissen - Dialogue Writer, Ken Sobol - Dialogue Writer, Astrid Lindgren - Book Author
The movie begins with Pippi sailing around the world with her father (Captain Efraim Longstocking), her pet horse (Horse), her pet monkey (Mr. Nilsson), and various members of the ship's crew. One night during a hurricane, the captain is washed over board into the sea. As he drifts off, he calls to Pippi that he will "meet her in Villa Villakulla". To that effect, Pippi and her pet animals make their way home to await his return. Not long after arriving at Villa Villakulla, she makes friends with the two children across the street—Tommy and Annika. They soon convince her to go to school (for the first time in her life) where she gets into trouble, despite winning the hearts of her classmates.
Pippi also soon attracts the attention of a localsocial worker, who conspires to put her into foster care. When Miss Prysselius goes to speak with the local law enforcement of the need for the girl to be placed in a home for orphans, she lets certain details (her lack of adult supervision, living alone, and having a large supply of gold coins kept out in the open) be revealed to a pair of thieves already in jail. The thieves then decide to rob Pippi themselves once they break out of jail.
Eventually, after many adventures and close-calls in the town, Pippi's father returns to take her back to their life on the sea. However, Pippi decides that she can't leave her new friends and decides to stay in Villa Villekulla.
Cast
Melissa Altro as Pippilotta Delicatessa Mackrelmint Windowshade Efraim's Daughter "Pippi" Longstocking
