Good news: We're only five films away from the Disney Renaissance.
Bad news: There might be a few duffers in between.
Great news: This week is an absolute gem (or diamond, to be precise) of a film. Get ready to take flight, because it's time to bask in the glory of...
The Rescuers (1977)
This film has always been a favourite of my household, so it holds a fond place in my heart. From the opening credits, where little orphan Penny sends out her message in a bottle to the tune of 'The Journey' (more recognised as 'Who Will Rescue Me?') the painterly landscapes promise a sumptuous adventure with sweetness at its core. It makes you want to grab a blanket and cup of tea, and snuggle down for the evening. Which is basically what I did.
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| Dropping your 50th bottle of beer into the recycling |
The film really takes off when we're introduced to the mouse version of the United Nations in New York, the 'Rescue Aid Society.' We're invited into a whole miniature world existing within our own, full of charming details — like mice gathering in a large suitcase to hold a summit meeting, the janitor reaching into a glass bottle by using a comb as a ladder.
During said meeting, we meet the glamorous Miss Bianca, Hungary's representative. Voiced by Eva Gabor, whose voice you may recognise as Duchess in The Aristocats, she's not short on male attention. But when it comes to taking on the assignment to rescue Penny, she chooses the hapless but loveable Bernard — the janitor. It turns out they're a match made in rodent heaven. Yes, we stan Bernard and Bianca.
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| Discovering the nearest pub is 20 miles away |
As if two mice falling in love wasn't sweet enough, there's our orphan-in-distress, Penny. Lamenting the fact that no-one wants to adopt her (even though she's impossibly cute) her only friend is the orphanage cat, Rufus. Basically a grandpa in cat form, he proceeds to tell her how special she is with a super schmaltzy poem, emitting old-school 'When You Wish Upon A Star' vibes. It's a cheap trick, but I was welling up.
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| 'I've binged every Netflix show and it's only September' |
Finally, you have Madame Medusa, who is terrifying and fabulous in equal measure. Based more than loosely on Cruella De Vil — right down to her maniacal driving style — Medusa is all skin, bones, jewels, and mascara. With her huge crocodile henchmen, she has eyes all over the Devil's Bayou and will take no prisoners to get her prize — the Devil's Eye diamond.
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| I can feel this 😷 |
While the relationship between the Medusa and the defiant yet scared Penny just about holds the tension of the plot together, what really shines is the blossoming romance that underlies Bernard and Bianca's rescue mission. One of the highlights of the film is when they use the Albatross Air Service to fly from New York. Bernard's intense fear of flying at take-off gives way to a romantic sky-bound journey, much like the 'A Whole New World' sequence in Aladdin — But set to a much more Burt Bacharach-style song. Bianca's open affection for Bernard from the beginning, calling him darling and leaning on his shoulder, is refreshingly heart-warming.
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| When you look back on your Tidal Wave photo from Thorpe Park |
Like in One Hundred and One Dalmatians, the local animals — in this case, some hillbilly swamp critters and an adorable dragonfly named Evinrude — pitch in to help Bernard and Bianca reach Penny. The difference between this and previous Disney films is that the animals and children can talk to each other, which means that Penny can hatch a plan to escape with the help of her new mousey friends.
Following some musical-fuelled peril involving crocodile claws, HORRIBLE bats, menacing whirlpools, and fireworks, The Rescuers delivers that happily ever after we all crave from a Disney film, and sets up a new story which will follow 13 years later. The Rescuers has it all: Romance, adventure, a terrifying villain, and some super '70s pop songs.
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| Every outfit is *chef's kiss* |
Best Song: 'Someone's Waiting For You' is a really sweet song, placed at the perfect moment in the film to tug at your heart-strings. Just as orphan Penny starts to lose hope when held captive at the Devil's Bayou, this lullaby-like pop song implores her to keep her hopes alive. Luckily, Bernard and Bianca are on the way.
Disney Detail: During the musical number 'Someone's Waiting For You,' the animators use stock footage of Bambi and his mother grazing in the forest. As if it wasn't tear-jerking enough already!
Why it's a Classic: It's just so charming. Like The Aristocats and One Hundred and One Dalmatians before it, the focus on animals secretly working together behind the scenes is a delightful concept. The Rescuers perfects the characterisation (Bernard and Bianca are couple goals), world details, and pacing, to provide a near-perfect mouse-fuelled adventure.
