When Winnie the Pooh organizes an elaborate plan to harvest honey from a beehive, he leaves out Piglet—because he’s too small to help. Naturally, Pooh and the gang have their honey of a plan end in disaster. But that’s not the worst of it. Once things calm down, Pooh and his pals discover that Piglet is missing. Using Piglet’s scrapbook as a guide, they go off looking for him. As they search they remember warm and fuzzy stories about Piglet and realize that their cuddliest cohort played a robust role in their lives. Piglet, of course, isn’t lost. He’s learned that his friends’ honey harvest went badly and is, himself, searching for them.
positive elements: Themes of self-sacrifice and true friendship stand out. Tots, especially, appreciate the message that you don’t have to be big to accomplish great things. Piglet’s memory book shows his friends how much they’ve meant in his life. And by looking at the pictures to try and find Piglet, his friends (especially Winnie the Pooh) figure out how important Piglet is to them. Characters are polite to each other.
sexual content: None.
violent content: Bees chase Pooh and his friends when they try to get their honey. They also destroy Rabbit’s violin. Storms look ominous and could frighten very young children. After being given a tonic, Piglet ricochets off the walls. Rabbit is hit by a metal tub. A snowball runs over Pooh, Piglet and Tigger. A pin accidentally goes into Tigger’s rear when they play Pin the Tail on the Donkey. Tigger and Rabbit fight over Piglet’s memory book and end up throwing it in the river. Pooh risks his life to save Piglet’s scrapbook by walking out on a log over a huge waterfall. When the log breaks, it seems as if Pooh and Piglet may be lost forever.
crude or profane language: None.
drug and alcohol content: None.
conclusion: Piglet’s Big Movie is anything but an oinker. Kids will love it simply because it’s vibrant Pooh. Adult fans of the classic A.A. Milne tales will appreciate the tenderness and care with which these previously unproduced stories were brought to life. Kudos to John Fielder for lending his wonderful voice to Piglet for all these years. His presence here is pretty special since he’s the last remaining cast member from the original Winnie the Pooh featurettes.
Told as a series of flashbacks, viewers learn along with Winnie the Pooh that “Piglet seems to be the hero of every story.” And he’s the hero of this film as well. Always humble and a little unsure of himself, however, Piglet sighs, “I’ve never done anything great.” That’s when his friends show him all the times he’s made a difference. What parent wouldn’t want their children to be like Piglet, who’s described by his friends as “always happy to see you. Always thoughtful. Always brave. Never thinking of himself.”
