The Care Bears Movie
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The Care Bears Movie is an animated feature film, released on 29 March 1985, that was the first to feature the popular Care Bears toy characters. The movie was produced in Canada by Nelvana Limited at the height of the first wave of the Care Bears craze, and also produced a spinoff television series and two sequels.
The movie had a considerable amount of star power attached to it; Carole King wrote and sung the opening theme, John Sebastian and NRBQ contributed to the song score, and Mickey Rooney and Georgia Engel starred as voices.
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Plot and characters
The movie starts with a brief introductory segment featuring Mr. and Mrs. Cherrywood, a middle-aged couple with many small children. Mr. Cherrywood sits them down to read a bedtime story, and this introduces us to the Care Bears and their magical home in the clouds called Care-a-lot.
While looking down on the Earth for people to cheer up, the Care Bears notice two children who "don't care", Kim and Jason. Two Care Bears, Friend Bear and Secret Bear, travel down to the surface to meet them and attempt an intervention; they eventually travel back to Care-a-lot with them, and are given a tour. Eventually, they go on a trip to the Forest of Feelings and meet the Care Bear Cousins as well.
Meanwhile, at an amusement park, a magician's apprentice named Nicholas finds an old book with a diary-style lock on it. When he unlocks it, an evil spirit appears and begins to corrupt him. With Nicholas's help, the spirit lays waste to the amusement park, and begins a quest to remove all caring from the world. While in the Forest of Feelings, Kim, Jason, the Care Bears and Cousins are warned of the spirit's evil influence, and go to the park to try and free Nicholas of the spirit and re-imprison it in the magic book. Facing many perils along the way that were caused by the spirit, they get to the park and attempt to find Nicholas. After a long battle that drains all of their super powers, the Bears and Cousins manage to force the spirit into the book with Kim and Jason's help, saving Nicholas, the park and the world.
After this, a short epilogue with Mr. and Mrs. Cherrywood is shown. It's implied (though never explicitly stated) that Nicholas is Mr. Cherrywood, and that Mrs. Cherrywood may be Kim.
Tagline: What happens when the world stops caring?
Crew members
- Directed by Arna Selznick
- Produced by Michael Hirsh, Patrick Loubert and Clive Smith
- Screenplay by Peter Sauder
- Score by Patricia Cullen
- Opening theme Care-a-lot performed by Carole King
- Nobody Cares like a Bear performed by John Sebastian
Cast members
Starring: (cast imcomplete at present)
- Eva Almos - Swift Heart Rabbit/Friend Bear
- Patricia Black - Share Bear
- Jackie Burroughs - The Spirit
- Bob Dermer - Grumpy Bear
- Georgia Engel - Love-a-Lot Bear
- Janet-Laine Green - Wish Bear
- Luba Goy - Lotsa Heart Elephant
- Terri Hawkes - Baby Hugs Bear
- Dan Hennessey - Brave Heart Lion
- Jim Henshaw - Bright Heart Raccoon
- Hadley Kay - Nicholas
- Marla Lukofsky - Playful Heart Monkey
- Pauline Rennie - Cozy Heart Penguin/Grams Bear
- Billie Mae Richards - Tenderheart Bear
- Mickey Rooney - Mr. Cherrywood
- Cree Summer - Kim
- Summer Besen Thrasher - Jason
Trivia
- According to some calculations, The Care Bears Movie is the highest-grossing Canadian film of all time (although alternative estimates place Porky's slightly higher). This surprising fact is often used as an argument when pressure groups try to persuade the Canadian government to give more support to its film industry.
- At almost US$23 million, this was the highest-grossing non-Disney animated film of all time upon its original release until Don Bluth's An American Tail (1986) and The Land Before Time (1988) took over.
- Director Arna Selznick is proud of her efforts for this film, despite being aware of its marketing stragedy. [1] (http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/GuidePageServlet/showid-3533/epid-69303/)