MPAA Rating: G
Genre: Family/Animated/Adventure
Age range: Ages 5 and up
Runtime: Approx. 90 minutes
Starring: Matthew Broderick, Dustin Hoffman, Emma Watson, Tracey Ullman, Kevin Kline, William H. Macy, Christopher Lloyd, and Sigourney Weaver
Studio: Universal Pictures
Director: Sam Fell, Rob Stevenhagen
Release Date: December 19, 2008
The Tale of Despereaux Movie Trailer
The Tale of Despereaux - Official Synopsis
Once upon a time, in the faraway kingdom of Dor, there was magic in the air, laughter aplenty and gallons of mouthwatering soup. But an accident left the King broken-hearted, the Princess filled with longing and the townsfolk without their soup. Sunlight disappeared. The world became gray. All hope was lost in this land...until Despereaux Tilling was born.
Tiny and graced with oversized ears, Despereaux (Matthew Broderick) was born too big for his little world. Refusing to live his life cowering, he befriends a Princess named Pea (Emma Watson) and learns to read (rather than eat) books--reveling in stories of knights, dragons and fair maidens. Banished from Mouseworld for being more man than mouse, Despereaux is rescued by another outcast, Roscuro (Dustin Hoffman), who also wants to hear the tales. But when the Princess dismisses Roscuro's friendship, he becomes the ultimate rat and plots revenge with fellow outsider Mig (Tracey Ullman).
After Pea is kidnapped, Despereaux discovers he is the only one who can rescue her...and that even the tiniest mouse can find the courage of a knight in shining armor. In this tale of bravery, forgiveness and redemption, one small creature will teach a kingdom that it takes only a little light to show the truth: what you look like doesn't equal what you are.
The Tale of Despereaux - Fun for Families
The Tale of Despereaux is based on the best-selling children's novel by Kate DiCamillo. The book is recommended for kids ages 8-12, but is also great as a read-aloud for families to enjoy together. The sophisticated prose and extensive vocabulary in the book offer an opportunity for a lot of learning along with the adventure. Additionally, fun family discussions comparing and contrasting the film and the book builds family relationships and helps kids develop critical thinking and literacy skills. Kids will have so much fun immersing themselves in this remarkable tale about a tiny hero, they won't even realize how much they are learning in the process.
