An American Tail

This beautifully animated film tells the story of Fievel Mouskewitz and his family of Jewish mice who escape from Russia in the late 1800s and immigrate to the United States in search of freedom. However, upon his arrival in New York City, Fievel is separated from his parents and sister and soon discovers that contrary to what he was told, there are in fact cats in America. The stunning, painterly images of New York City before the turn of the last century are striking. An American Tail combines multifaceted timeless animation with a story that is very close to every American's heart: immigrants trying to succeed despite the many hardships and obstacles. Featuring Dom DeLuise as Tiger, a cowardly orange cat who also happens to be vegetarian and Christopher Plummer as Henri, a pigeon of French descent who is in New York building the Statue of Liberty. Papa Mouskewitz is played by Nehemiah Persoff, an actor who was chosen primarily because of his similar role as Barbra Streisand’s father in Yentl. The film includes the song “Somewhere Out There” which received an Academy Award nomination and won two Grammys. At the time of its release in 1986, An American Tail was the most successful non-Disney animated feature and continues to entertain audiences of all ages.