James and the Giant Peach (1996)

Editor's Note After James's parents are killed by a rogue rhinoceros, he is forced to live with his nasty aunts far from any kind of fun. But when a gigantic peach begins growing in the yard and James befriends the large insects who live inside, he sees a way to escape from his wicked aunts to New York City. JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH is a magical musical adventure based on the classic children's book by Roald Dahl, featuring an all-star cast as the voices of the assorted insects.

	Pete Postlethwaite
	Paul Terry
	Joanna Lumley
	Miriam Margolyes
	Tim Burton - Producer
	Susan Sarandon - Voice
	Richard Dreyfuss - Voice
	Jake Eberts - Executive Producer
	Pete Kozachik - Director of Photography
	Jonathan Roberts - Screenwriter
	Karey Kirkpatrick - Screenwriter
	Steve Bloom - Screenwriter
	Denise Di Novi - Producer
	David Thewlis - Voice
	Stan Webb - Editor
	Hiro Narita - Director of Photography
	Roald Dahl - Story
	Randy Newman - Composer
	Simon Callow - Voice
	Jane Leeves - Voice
	Henry Selick - Director

This Disney film combines live action with stunning stop-motion animation as it tells the story of a child's fantastic adventure.

In the live-action prologue, a recently orphaned British boy named James comes to own a bag of glowing, magical crocodile tongues. When he drops some of them near a tree, a peach grows--and grows, until it reaches gigantic proportions. One night, James crawls inside the fruit (at which point the film becomes animated) and meets the six fascinating insects that reside within. The bugs become his new family, and together they set sail in the giant peach, floating toward New York City.

During their voyage, James and his antennaed friends experience wild adventures--and danger. And when they arrive in New York, they decide to make it their new home...and live happily ever after.

Premiere
"...Some startling beauty..." - Recommended 12/01/1996 p.116

Rolling Stone
"...Finally a fun-house whirl that's not just for the kids....It's bliss..." 05/16/1996 p.72

Sight and Sound
"...One of the most striking works of animation of the last ten years..." 08/01/1996 p.54-5

USA Today
"...JAMES is a stunner with a breathtaking array of eye-teasers..." -- 3 out of 4 stars 04/12/1996 p.1D

Entertainment Weekly
"...Enchanting....A bona fide classic." -- Rating: A 10/18/1996 p.92

Variety
"...A delightfully demented creation that's every bit as surreal and scary as it is touching....An extraordinary achievement..." 04/08/1996

Chicago Sun-Times
"...[The film] brings stop-motion to a new plateau....All of the creatures, especially the colorful insects that share James' journey, are brought to vivid life..." 04/12/1996 p.31