Piglet’s Big Movie

This topic contains:

• details about Piglet’s Big Movie's classification and consumer advice lines
• a review of Piglet’s Big Movie completed by Young Media Australia (YMA) on 21 June 2003.

About the movie

This section contains details about the movie, including its classification by the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) and the associated consumer advice lines.

YMA review

This review of the movie Piglet’s Big Movie contains the following information:

• a synopsis of the story
• use of violence
• material that may scare children
• sexual references, nudity, sexual activity, coarse language, use of substances
• the movie's message
• overall comments

A synopsis of the story

Piglet is so small he’s often left out of his friends’ plans as they don’t think he can be of any use. On this occasion Piglet finds Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore and Rabbit planning to lure bees out of their hive and into another so Pooh can get the honey. Piglet is upset that he hasn’t been included in the plan and leaves feeling quite dejected. He decides however that he might be small but he can still help in the “biggest and helpfullest way”.

He returns to find that his friends have all fled the scene after being set upon by the angry bees so Piglet goes off to find them. Meanwhile the friends realise Piglet is missing and in turn they venture out in stormy weather to find him. They use Piglet’s album of memories to help them find him and in doing so discover that Piglet is always the hero of each adventure. Along the way they remember many adventures and they realise that Piglet is indeed brave, thoughtful, always pleased to see everyone and never thinks of himself. Their journey takes them into a few perilous situations which calls upon their bravery but they never give up their search for Piglet.

Use of violence

Research shows that children are at risk of learning that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution when violence is glamourised, performed by an attractive hero, successful, has few real life consequences, is set in a comic context and / or is mostly perpetrated by male characters with female victims, or by one race against another.

There is a little slapstick violence in this movie such as when Tigger rolls himself into a snowball and bowls Pooh and Piglet over.

Material that may scare children

Under seven

Children in this age bracket are most likely to be frightened by scary visual images, such as monsters, physical transformations, the death of a parent or child abandoned or separated from parents, children or animals being hurt or threatened and / or natural disasters.

There are a few suspenseful moments in this movie but nothing too scary:

• The angry bees chase Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore and Rabbit
• Piglet is lost in a thunderstorm
• Tigger nearly falls over a cliff edge trying to rescue a page out of the album
• Pooh walks across a tree limb to fetch the album and falls through a hole. His friends come to rescue him and the limb breaks off. For a few moments it appears as though Pooh and Piglet have fallen into the river but they are okay.

Over the age of seven

Children aged seven to twelve are most likely to be frightened by realistic threats and dangers, violence or threat of violence and / or stories in which children are hurt or threatened. Children over the age of twelve are most likely to be frightened by realistic physical harm or threats, molestation or sexual assault and / or threats from aliens or the occult.

There is nothing in this film that would scare children in this age group.

Sexual references, nudity, sexual activity, coarse language, use of substances

There are no sexual references, nudity, sexual activity or coarse language in this movie. There is no drug or alcohol use but Kanga gives Piglet a potion that makes him bounce like a kangaroo.

The movie's message

The take home message from the movie is that being small makes no difference to what one can contribute in the way of usefulness, helpfulness, kindness or necessity. (A good message for small children).

Values parents may wish to encourage include:

• thoughtfulness
• kindness
• friendship
• loyalty
• courage
• collaboration
• care.

Values parents may wish to discourage include:

• intolerance and rejection of those who are different such as when Kanga and Roo arrive in the Hundred Acre Wood the friends plot to get rid of them.
• Unequal gender roles—one of the songs is about a Mother’s intuition and how she always knows what to do when it comes to caring for children.

Overall comments

Adults could enjoy this delightful movie with their children. The animation is very well done although the voice of Pooh bear is disappointing as he sounds like an old man. and it would be suitable for children of any age, however those 10 and over might find it boring.