A Furling Adventure

In this rousing, magical adventure filled with whimsy, laughter, and charm, a host of fun-loving characters takes you on an unforgettable journey in a land called Dapplewood. Three friends, Abigail the wood mouse, Edgar the mole and Russell the hedgehog, find their tranquil lives disrupted when a chemical spill destroys Dapplewood. When the toxic spill causes their best friend to fall ill, the three pals set off on an extraordinary journey to save both their friend and their home.


One of the most beautiful and heartwarming animated films about animals came out in the spring of 1993, it was called Once Upon a Forest. With such wonderful voice talent (featuring the voice of Phantom of the Opera star Michael Crawford), beautiful music by one of the really great composers James Horner, and incredible animation (the kind you want to frame and put on your wall), it’s seems wrong that this classic movie gets referred to as “kind of like Ferngully”.

I first watched this film when I was only 7 years old and only vaguely remembered seeing it so when I realized it was on TV today I just had to watch it! Surprisingly, it was even better than I thought it would be. There were very few songs (for James Horner anyway) but each were incredibly beautiful, especially "Please Wake Up" sung by Cornelius (voiced by Michael Crawford).

For such a wonderful film (it was even nominated for an Annie for Best Animated Feature), Once Upon a Forest didn’t go over too well with the parents or the critics when it first came out (most thought it too scary) but has since been recognized for it’s genius. There are fan sites available even today online. Hopefully I’ll live to see the day when animated films with heart and courage like this one are made again.

~ Once Upon a Forest is based on the Welsh story The Furlings by Rae Lambert

Trailer

Longer Trailer: