Pete's Dragon

Reviewer: Alyice Edrich

The Movie

Pete's Dragon, 1977

The Plot

An abused orphan child discovers a magic creature who soon becomes his best friend and helps him find a new home—a home filled with love and happiness.

Starring

Helen Reddy, Mickey Rooney, Jim Backus, Walter Barnes, Calvin Bartlett, Red Buttons, Charlie Callas, Shelley Winters, Jim Dale, Sean Marshall, and more.

Review

When my husband was a little boy, one of his favorite Disney movies was Pete’s Dragon. Some consider it one of Disney’s lesser films; a film that lacked true Disney magic, but my husband thought differently. As a young boy with a vivid imagination, Pete’s dragon, Elliot, was as real to my husband as his pet dog. I, on the other hand, had never seen Pete’s Dragon until recently and to my surprise it was both entertaining and magical.

It was like watching classic Disney at work. True, the animation is very outdated, but for its time, it was very advanced and that’s what makes it magical. And since I love theatrical performances, I found the entire film entertaining—even the parts that seemed too silly for a grown adult. My favorite scene, however, has got to be Elliot in the cave with Mickey Rooney’s character, Lampie.

The story begins with Elliot, a green dragon who has the ability to become invisible, carrying Pete off as his adoptive—and abusive—parents search for him. Elliot takes Pete to Passamaquoddy where they meet Nora, a single woman who runs the local lighthouse with her father, Lampie. For reasons unbeknownst to us, Lampie drinks far too much and it’s Nora who must look after him. Nora, on the other hand, is pining over a love who’s been lost at sea for a very long time.

When Nora meets up with Pete, she instantly senses that something is wrong. Just one look at Pete, and she knows he needs her as much as she needs him and so she invites him into her home, and into her life. But when Pete’s adoptive parents, the Gogans, show up, it’s up to Elliot to save the day.

One thing you’ll notice about Elliot is that he isn’t like your typical dragon. He can’t fly very well, he speak gibberish that only Pete can understand, he’s on the chubby side, he appears to have stubble on his chin, he’s clumsy, and just a tad-bit goofy. In other words, he’s not scary at all. And that’s what makes this the perfect film for young children. In fact, he’s quite charming and loveable.

I must admit, however, that while I enjoyed the film itself, it isn’t one of my favorite Disney films. In fact, I think I enjoyed the bonus features far more than the film itself. I especially enjoyed the bit of history on how Pete’s Dragon was made and Disney’s revolutionary process of bringing live-action and animation together. Sometimes, thanks to the modern technology, we forget just how painstakingly complicated trick scenes were to make in the old days and it’s nice to be reminded how far we’ve come and how truly magical those films were back then.

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