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* BigGood: Cornelius.
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* LargeHam: Phineas.
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* LargeHam: Phineas.Phineas and Cornelius.
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* HumansAreCthulhu: They're depicted as alien and inscrutable (the only time we see a human above the foot level, he's wrapped in a HazmatSuit), but they're shown to be rather decent, so more like the Great Race of Yith.
to:
* HumansAreCthulhu: They're depicted as alien and inscrutable (the only time we see a human above the foot level, he's wrapped in a HazmatSuit), but they're shown to be rather decent, so more like the "Humans Are The Great Race of Yith."
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-->'''Michelle:''' Uncle Cornelius, [[IronicEcho your mouth is hanging open.]]
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* AbsurdlySpaciousSewer: Justified. A small sewage drain is immense in comparison to three baby animals.
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* FurryConfusion: While in a sewer the furlings encounter scary non-anthropomorphic rats.
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* FurryConfusion: While The one-eyed owl who tries to eat them. Later on, while in a sewer sewer, the furlings encounter scary non-anthropomorphic rats.rats.
* Furry Reminder: Russell the hedgehog curls up into a ball when he gets scared.
* Furry Reminder: Russell the hedgehog curls up into a ball when he gets scared.
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* MassiveNumberedSiblings: While it isn't clear just how many siblings Russell has, there's enough of them to completely ''cover'' him in a dog-pile at the end.
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* WackyWaysideTribe: The furlings' quest to find the herbs rivals a {{Redwall}} book in the amount of random encounters they keep having. None of them (except for perhaps the birds) get them any closer to finding a new meadow.
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** And beyond that, [[spoiler: there are doubtless many other families in Dapplewood who were torn apart in a similar fashion, and NothingIsTheSameAnymore. But, as Cornelius tells his niece, "If everyone works as hard to restore Dapplewood as your friends did to save you," things will gradually get better.]]
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* JawDrop: "Uncle Cornelius, your mouth is hanging open..."
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* JawDrop: "Uncle Cornelius, "Russell, your mouth is hanging open..."
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* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: Michelle's parents, tragically. The point is harshly driven home at the end of the film, when after everyone is reunited with their parents Cornelius must explain to Michelle that her parents are never coming back. ]]
to:
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: Michelle's parents, tragically. The point is harshly driven home at the end of the film, when after everyone is reunited with their parents Cornelius must explain to Michelle that her parents are never coming back. ]]
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Namespace Migration.
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* AllAnimationIsDisney: And in an interesting twist, it is also sometimes mistaken for a Creator/DonBluth movie, which of course it also isn't (instead, it was produced by HannaBarbera, out of all companies.) Though its posters and trailers which proudly proclaimed "from the creator of AnAmericanTail" would have you think otherwise (they mean David Kirschner, not Bluth).
to:
* AllAnimationIsDisney: And in an interesting twist, it is also sometimes mistaken for a Creator/DonBluth movie, which of course it also isn't (instead, it was produced by HannaBarbera, out of all companies.) Though its posters and trailers which proudly proclaimed "from the creator of AnAmericanTail" WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTail" would have you think otherwise (they mean David Kirschner, not Bluth).
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* ArborealAbode: Cornelius lives in a literal tree house; others are pictured in the background but not everyone lives in one.
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* ArborealAbode: Cornelius lives in a literal tree house; others are pictured in the background but not everyone lives in one.
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* ArborealAbode: Cornelius lives in a literal tree house; others are pictured in the background but not everyone lives in one.
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Even though the song\'s title is the same, it\'s not really an example of this trope.
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* PleaseWakeUp: Literally gets its own SONG here.
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** Maybe her eyes are hazel and change color.
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* ComingInHot: [[spoiler:They crash the Flapper Wingamathing after it gets struck by lightning.]]
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* ComingInHot: [[spoiler:They crash the Flapper Wingamathing after it gets struck by lightning.hits a telephone pole and catches on fire.]]
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** [[spoiler:A human also releases a trapped Edgar, then crushes the trap for good measure, and puts it into a trash bag. He even very carefully puts him down]].
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** [[spoiler:A human also releases a trapped Edgar, then crushes the trap for good measure, and puts it into a trash bag. He even very carefully puts him down]].down.]]
--> "There ya go little fella."
--> "There ya go little fella."
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Once Upon a Forest was a [[TheRenaissanceAgeOfAnimation 1993]] animated film with an environmental theme, released on June 18 by TwentiethCenturyFox. Based on the Furlings characters created by Rae Lambert, it was directed by Charles Grosvenor and produced by David Kirschner, [[HeAlsoDid the creator of the]] ''AnAmericanTail'' and ''Film/ChildsPlay'' franchises. It was made by {{Hanna-Barbera}} in association with HTV Cymru. The film tells the tale of three forest denizens that go on an expedition to cure their friend, Michelle, who became sick from chemical fumes which leak into the forest due to human carelessness. But unlike many of the [[GreenAesop Green Aesops]] of the era, the humans are portrayed as redeemable in the end. Contains many scenes which can be considered NightmareFuel, and plenty of TearJerker moments as well.
to:
Once Upon a Forest was a [[TheRenaissanceAgeOfAnimation 1993]] animated film with an environmental theme, released on June 18 by TwentiethCenturyFox. Based on the Furlings characters created by Rae Lambert, it was directed by Charles Grosvenor and produced by David Kirschner, [[HeAlsoDid the creator of the]] ''AnAmericanTail'' ''WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTail'' and ''Film/ChildsPlay'' franchises. It was made by {{Hanna-Barbera}} in association with HTV Cymru. The film tells the tale of three forest denizens that go on an expedition to cure their friend, Michelle, who became sick from chemical fumes which leak into the forest due to human carelessness. But unlike many of the [[GreenAesop Green Aesops]] of the era, the humans are portrayed as redeemable in the end. Contains many scenes which can be considered NightmareFuel, and plenty of TearJerker moments as well.
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* AllAnimationIsDisney: And in an interesting twist, it is also sometimes mistaken for a DonBluth movie, which of course it also isn't (instead, it was produced by HannaBarbera, out of all companies.) Though its posters and trailers which proudly proclaimed "from the creator of AnAmericanTail" would have you think otherwise (they mean David Kirschner, not Bluth).
to:
* AllAnimationIsDisney: And in an interesting twist, it is also sometimes mistaken for a DonBluth Creator/DonBluth movie, which of course it also isn't (instead, it was produced by HannaBarbera, out of all companies.) Though its posters and trailers which proudly proclaimed "from the creator of AnAmericanTail" would have you think otherwise (they mean David Kirschner, not Bluth).
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* GirlsNeedRoleModels: Abigail is the strong female lead of the movie, and actually manages to pull it off quite well without completely giving in to the stereotypes. The film doesn't try to play up the fact that she's a female as something 'special' either.
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trivia
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* HeyItsThatVoice: Peggy from MadMen is the voice of Michelle.
** Also Waggs is CharlieAdler.
** Edgar's mother is Janet Waldo, the voice of [[TheJetsons Judy Jetson]]
** Also Waggs is CharlieAdler.
** Edgar's mother is Janet Waldo, the voice of [[TheJetsons Judy Jetson]]
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* OneSceneWonder: Phineas, the pastor of the bird choir, Willy and Waggs from the meadow.
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It remains largely obscure and a commercial flop (only making back about half its budget, and this was partly thanks to it [[OvershadowedByAwesome debuting a week after]] ''JurassicPark''), though it does have a small following among fans who saw it as children and still remember it.
to:
It remains largely obscure and a commercial flop (only making back about half its budget, and this was partly thanks to it [[OvershadowedByAwesome debuting a week after]] ''JurassicPark''), ''Film/JurassicPark''), though it does have a small following among fans who saw it as children and still remember it.
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shoehorning.
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* TrrrillingRrrs: Cornelius does this ''constantly''. TheNostalgiaCritic [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9emkS0UbB2M makes light of it]].
to:
* TrrrillingRrrs: Cornelius does this ''constantly''. TheNostalgiaCritic [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9emkS0UbB2M makes light of it]].
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* TrrrillingRrrs: Cornelius does this ''constantly''. TheNostalgiaCritic
[[http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/thatguywiththeglasses/nostalgia-critic/31156-once-upon-a-forest makes light of it]].
[[http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/thatguywiththeglasses/nostalgia-critic/31156-once-upon-a-forest makes light of it]].
to:
* TrrrillingRrrs: Cornelius does this ''constantly''. TheNostalgiaCritic
[[http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/thatguywiththeglasses/nostalgia-critic/31156-once-upon-a-forestTheNostalgiaCritic [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9emkS0UbB2M makes light of it]].
[[http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/thatguywiththeglasses/nostalgia-critic/31156-once-upon-a-forest
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Changed line(s) 133 (click to see context) from:
* TrrrillingRrrs: Cornelius does this ''constantly''. TheNostalgiaCritic[[http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/thatguywiththeglasses/nostalgia-critic/31156-once-upon-a-forest makes light of it]].
to:
* TrrrillingRrrs: Cornelius does this ''constantly''. TheNostalgiaCritic[[http://thatguywiththeglasses.TheNostalgiaCritic
[[http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/thatguywiththeglasses/nostalgia-critic/31156-once-upon-a-forest makes light of it]].
[[http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/thatguywiththeglasses/nostalgia-critic/31156-once-upon-a-forest makes light of it]].
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* TrrrillingRrrs: Cornelius does this ''constantly''.
to:
* TrrrillingRrrs: Cornelius does this ''constantly''. TheNostalgiaCritic[[http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/thatguywiththeglasses/nostalgia-critic/31156-once-upon-a-forest makes light of it]].
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* StealthPun: The Furlings encounter a bird pastor and his flock.
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* GospelRevivalNumber: "He's Back"
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* GospelRevivalNumber: "He's Back"Back".
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* JerkAss: Waggs
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* JerkAss: WaggsWaggs.
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* LargeHam: Phineas.
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I never knew his name. Thank you.
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* GospelRevivalNumber: "He's Back"
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* [[PreacherMan Preacher Bird]]: Phineas.
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* HuddleShot: After Russel survives almost being run over by a car, ending up on his back as his friends check up on him.
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* AllAnimationIsDisney: And in an interesting twist, it is also sometimes mistaken for a DonBluth movie, which of course it also isn't. Though its posters and trailers which proudly proclaimed "from the creator of AnAmericanTail" would have you think otherwise (they mean David Kirschner, not Bluth).
to:
* AllAnimationIsDisney: And in an interesting twist, it is also sometimes mistaken for a DonBluth movie, which of course it also isn't. isn't (instead, it was produced by HannaBarbera, out of all companies.) Though its posters and trailers which proudly proclaimed "from the creator of AnAmericanTail" would have you think otherwise (they mean David Kirschner, not Bluth).
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It remains largely obscure and a commercial flop (only making back about half its budget, and this was partly thanks to it [[DuelingMovies debuting a week after]] ''JurassicPark''), though it does have a small following among fans who saw it as children and still remember it.
to:
It remains largely obscure and a commercial flop (only making back about half its budget, and this was partly thanks to it [[DuelingMovies [[OvershadowedByAwesome debuting a week after]] ''JurassicPark''), though it does have a small following among fans who saw it as children and still remember it.
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* WhatCouldHaveBeen: The movie was originally called ''The Endangered'', and the end product was a lot LighterAndSofter than the initial pitch.
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[[quoteright:200:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/225013.jpg]]
Once Upon a Forest was a [[TheRenaissanceAgeOfAnimation 1993]] animated film with an environmental theme, released on June 18 by TwentiethCenturyFox. Based on the Furlings characters created by Rae Lambert, it was directed by Charles Grosvenor and produced by David Kirschner, [[HeAlsoDid the creator of the]] ''AnAmericanTail'' and ''Film/ChildsPlay'' franchises. It was made by {{Hanna-Barbera}} in association with HTV Cymru. The film tells the tale of three forest denizens that go on an expedition to cure their friend, Michelle, who became sick from chemical fumes which leak into the forest due to human carelessness. But unlike many of the [[GreenAesop Green Aesops]] of the era, the humans are portrayed as redeemable in the end. Contains many scenes which can be considered NightmareFuel, and plenty of TearJerker moments as well.
It remains largely obscure and a commercial flop (only making back about half its budget, and this was partly thanks to it [[DuelingMovies debuting a week after]] ''JurassicPark''), though it does have a small following among fans who saw it as children and still remember it.
----
!!Tropes:
* ActionGirl: Abigail all the way.
* AdultsAreUseless: The young furlings are tasked to undertake the journey for Michelle's herbs on their own, without any adult supervision because Cornelius has to stay at Michelle's bedside, and one can assume the [[ThereAreNoAdults rest of the adults fled for their lives]]. Somewhat justified, since Cornelius is really the only one around who ''could'' take care of Michelle [[spoiler:and he's her uncle and thus her only living relative who could look out for her after her parents deaths.]] And the other adults probably did just what anyone would've done in such a situation.
* AdvertisedExtra: Veteran theatre legend Ben Vereen gets top billing next to Michael Crawford. Despite the fact that he only appears in this film for [[OneSceneWonder one memorable scene]].
* AnAesop: Edgar's lament that he never kissed his mother goodbye seems to be one of these. The message here seems to be 'Never take your loved ones for granted, because you never know if it's your last time together.' [[spoiler:Happily, Edgar gets a second chance at it.]]
* ATeamMontage: When the furlings are building the flapper wingamathing a montage plays.
* AllAnimationIsDisney: And in an interesting twist, it is also sometimes mistaken for a DonBluth movie, which of course it also isn't. Though its posters and trailers which proudly proclaimed "from the creator of AnAmericanTail" would have you think otherwise (they mean David Kirschner, not Bluth).
* AmazingTechnicolorWildlife: Not over-the-top, but blue mice certainly count.
* AnimalsNotToScale: The badgers and moles are about the same size as the ''mice''.
* AudibleSharpness: A rare non-combat example. The shard of glass which punctures the chemical tanker's tire, which is what triggers the poisoning of the cast's home in the first place.
* AwardBaitSong: "Once Upon a Time With Me" by Florence Warner Jones. It might have received an award had the movie done better in theaters.
* BadassAdorable: The furlings all qualify for this in one way or another.
* BambooTechnology: The furlings build a flying machine out of sticks and leaves. At least in this case there were actually plans for them to follow.
* BarefootCartoonAnimals: Abigail, Russell and Michelle.
* BerserkButton: Never insult Michelle in front of Edgar. Waggs knows this all too well.
* BigGood: Cornelius.
* BigEater: Russell the hedgehog, who can't help but pack tons of food for their expedition.
* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Michelle is brought out of her coma by the herbs, and one by one the furlings are tearfully reunited with their parents. Happy ending, right? But when Michelle asks Cornelius where her parents are, well...as the audience knows...they're not coming back for her. They're dead.]]
* BlindWithoutEm: Edgar the mole can't see without his glasses and becomes defenseless.
** This is actually FridgeBrilliance when you consider that moles have terrible vision, and can't see well in sunlight or moonlight which is why they remain underground most of the time.
* BrainyBrunette: Abigail.
* BreakTheCutie: [[spoiler: Michelle, after finding out her parents are dead. While we don't exactly see Michelle sobbing over it (because that would be too much of a TearJerker even for this movie), the implications of how Michelle will need to cope with that after the movie ends is tragic enough.]]
* BuffySpeak: The Flapper-wingamathing!
** "Crank the winder-uppers!"
* CelestialDeadline: The furlings have to get the herbs to Michelle by the full moon.
* CharacterDevelopment: Oddly, the most character development goes to... ''Edgar.'' He goes from being a cowardly, worrying {{Nerd}} to a brave, quick-thinking {{Nerd}}.
** Well, that and they all learn to [[ThePowerOfFriendship work together]] a lot better. At the beginning they couldn't even row a boat without bickering and causing it to sink.
* CheerfulChild: Michelle, [[spoiler: at least until her coma and her parents dying.]]
* ChekhovsGun: Early on in the movie the animals are told by their teacher that a certain part of the forest is off limits, but says that the reason why is "not today's lesson". Pan across to reveal a trap. [[spoiler: This is promptly forgotten...until the very end of the movie, when Edgar the Mole gets caught in it while trying to evade some humans doing cleanup after the gas damaged the forest. One of them frees Edgar, smashes the trap, throws it in a garbage bag, and proves to the animals that perhaps (contrary to dire warnings throughout the movie) humans aren't exclusively destructive monsters. Not bad as environmentalist messages go.]]
** [[spoiler:The furlings know they're home when Edgar realizes that they're in front of the tree Cornelius pulled a piece of bark from during a lecture at the beginning of the movie, and he still has the piece of bark and it fits into the little hole made when it was taken out.]]
** [[spoiler: Also, the magnifying glass that Abigail decides to pack on a complete whim saves her life when the owl captures her, and she uses it to enlarge her teeth and scare it off.]]
* CherubicChoir: In the song "Once Upon a Time With Me"
* {{Chickification}}: Abigail from halfway through the movie on. After she gets into real danger, she becomes a little more cautious: understandable. However, from there, her biggest contribution is getting the locals to like her and her party by ''flirting'', and she fails to get the lungwort and puts herself in mortal peril again so that Edgar can complete his own character arc.
* ComingInHot: [[spoiler:They crash the Flapper Wingamathing after it gets struck by lightning.]]
* ComingOfAgeStory: "You're no longer my Furlings. You've grown up."
* ConvenientComa: Michelle's coma is a main plot point.
* [[spoiler: ConvenientlyAnOrphan: Michelle, after her parents die.]]
* ConverseWithTheUnconscious: Cornelius sings a song to Michelle as she's lying unconscious. It's quite the TearJerker.
* CoolBigSis: Abigail to Michelle, to a certain degree.
* CoolOldGuy: Cornelius.
* CowardlyLion: Edgar.
* DeadlyGas
* DisappearedDad: Neither Russell nor Edgar seem to have fathers.
** Possible TruthInTelevision, as female moles and hedgehogs raise their young alone (although ordinarily, field mice and badgers do too.)
* DisneyDeath: [[spoiler: Michelle just ''had'' to fake everyone out by not waking up right away when they give her the herbs, just to wring out every last tear from the furlings and the audience.]]
* EverythingsNuttierWithSquirrels
* FantasticRacism: The furlings encounter a bullying squirrel in Oakdale Meadow named Waggs who seems to have something against every species other than squirrels.
* FeatheredFiend: The owl that nearly eats Abigail.
* FindTheCure: Fairly self-explanatory.
* FiveManBand:
** TheHero: Abigail
** TheLancer[=/=]TheBigGuy: Russell
** TheSmartGuy: Edgar
** TheChick: Michelle
* FlowerFromTheMountaintop: Played straight, as the furlings need to retrieve lungwort from the side of a very high cliff to save their friend Michelle's life.
* FlowerInHerHair: Michelle wears one. We get a close-up of it [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic drifting to the ground and wilting]] after Michelle has her accident with the gas leak that renders her comatose.
* FragileSpeedster: Abigail.
* FurryConfusion: While in a sewer the furlings encounter scary non-anthropomorphic rats.
* GenkiGirl: Michelle is one, perhaps also Abigail.
* [[GlassesGirl Glasses Guy]]: Edgar, Cornelius, and Bosworth.
* GreenAesop: [[spoiler: An unusually positive one. While the effects of the gas leak are shown as world-shattering to the animals, humans immediately take responsibility and begin clean-up efforts. The Aesop seems to be that yes, humans have messed this world up a lot, but we can all do something to make things better and correct our mistakes. At the very least, a fairly realistic aesop.]]
* HalfDressedCartoonAnimal
* HannaBarbera
* HateSink: Waggs the squirrel, the only straight-up antagonistic character in the film.
* [[spoiler: HeartwarmingOrphan: Michelle, at the end of the movie.]]
* HeyItsThatVoice: Peggy from MadMen is the voice of Michelle.
** Also Waggs is CharlieAdler.
** Edgar's mother is Janet Waldo, the voice of [[TheJetsons Judy Jetson]]
* HumansAreBastards: Implied throughout the film as humans are the cause of a gas leak that devastates Dapplewood, and also killed Cornelius's parents in the past... [[spoiler: ...but then turned around and averted at the end when humans are seen cleaning up the mess they created in Dapplewood, to the surprise of Cornelius and the furlings. So pretty much humans can be bastards, but they're not all bad.]]
** [[spoiler:A human also releases a trapped Edgar, then crushes the trap for good measure, and puts it into a trash bag. He even very carefully puts him down]].
** Also the gas leak was caused by carelessness (some guy just threw a glass bottle out his car window and the truck carrying the poison gas ran over it, got a flat and crashed). The first thing the truck driver does when the truck full of gas crashes, he runs for help, concerned about the ensuing gas leak - any person would have done ''just'' that.
--> *sees the gas leak* "[[CaptainObvious Gas!]] I gotta get help!"
* HumansAreCthulhu: They're depicted as alien and inscrutable (the only time we see a human above the foot level, he's wrapped in a HazmatSuit), but they're shown to be rather decent, so more like the Great Race of Yith.
* IdiotHero: Abigail is highly impulsive and headstrong; she fits much of the IdiotHero mold despite it normally being an AlwaysMale trope. Then again, it's ''[[TomBoy Abigail]]'', and she {{Gender Flip}}s plenty of AlwaysMale tropes.
* IllGirl: Michelle
* InferredHolocaust: Though two deaths [[spoiler: (Michelle's parents)]] are shown onscreen, the gas leak would have probably killed many more cute furry forest creatures than that...
* JamesHorner: One of his most overlooked film scores. It's quite nice if you can track down the soundtrack.
* JawDrop: "Uncle Cornelius, your mouth is hanging open..."
* JerkAss: Waggs
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: Michelle's parents, tragically. The point is harshly driven home at the end of the film, when after everyone is reunited with their parents Cornelius must explain to Michelle that her parents are never coming back. ]]
* LoveAtFirstSight: When Abigail falls on top of Willy the fieldmouse from a tree, and they instantly become shy and flirty. We can deduce that Abigail doesn't meet many male mice.
* MeaningfulName: The name Abigail means "father's joy". This actually hits GeniusBonus when you realize how much her father loves and cares for her.
* MightyGlacier: Russell.
* MissingMom: Abigail's mother is never shown and it's unknown what happened to her.
* MouseWorld: Done in a more rural, wilderness setting.
* NeverGotToSayGoodbye: When the parents disappear, Edgar laments rushing off to class without ever kissing his mother good-bye. [[spoiler:She's fine, and when they're reunited, [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming it's the first thing he does.]]]]
* NiceHat: Edgar has one.
* NotTheFallThatKillsYou: [[spoiler: Abigail falls off the flapper-wingamathing while trying to retrieve the lungwort from the side of a very tall cliff, but is saved by grabbing onto the wing after Russel swoops the flying machine down to catch her.]]
** Abigail seems to have a habit of falling. She falls out of a tree twice in the film but her fall is 'broken', once by landing on Russel and Edgar, the second time by landing on Willy. This is sort of a RunningGag because at the beginning of the movie Abigail's dad tells her not to climb trees because she could fall.
* OffModel: See if you can count how many times Abigail's eyes change from blue to green and back again. A good example is when she's in the owl's tree her eyes are blue, but when she meets Willy, her eyes are green.
* OneOfTheBoys: Abigail, who aside from perhaps Michelle has only guy friends.
* OneSceneWonder: Phineas, the pastor of the bird choir, Willy and Waggs from the meadow.
* OneWayVisor: The toxic waste cleanup crew from the ending.
* OnlySaneMan: Edgar in most situations.
* OwlBeDamned: A very intentionally creepy one-eyed owl attacks the furlings at one point.
* ParentalAbandonment: [[spoiler: Michelle is orphaned by the gas leak killing her parents.]]
* PleaseWakeUp: Literally gets its own SONG here.
* PuppyLove: Abigail and Willy.
* QuicksandSucks: Averted. A young quail gets stuck in a bog. Edgar draws up schema for a lever device to pry him out, which takes a while to build.
* RaceAgainstTheClock: The Furlings must get Michelle the herbs within two days in order to cancel her appointment with the Grim Reaper.
* RidiculouslyCuteCritter: All of the main characters to differing extents.
** ''Especially'' Michelle.
* SceneryPorn: Most notably at the beginning, though the backgrounds (as well as the animation itself) are quite lush throughout, as if to remind us that a cartoon involving {{Hanna-Barbera}} ''can'' be well animated when there's a budget.
* ShorterMeansSmarter: Edgar is the shortest and smartest of Michelle's rescuers.
* StopDrowningAndStandUp: Edgar is left flailing in a pool of water, only for Abigail and Russell to point out that it's only knee-high.
* StrongFamilyResemblance: The furlings to their parents, almost hitting GenerationXerox territory.
* SwissArmyTears: [[spoiler: Michelle doesn't wake up until Cornelius' tears fall on her face (though it isn't really implied that the tears themselves had any magical properties or anything).]]
* TakeMyHand: [[spoiler: When Edgar rescues Abigail as she's clinging to the wing of the flapper wingamathing.]]
* TeamDad: Cornelius pretty much is the Team Dad figure.
* ThePowerOfFriendship
* TheProfessor: Cornelius
* PromotionToParent: [[spoiler: Cornelius, with the death of Michelle's parents.]]
* ThatRemindsMeOfASong: "He's Back" is presented this way. The entire scene with the birds could be dropped without really affecting the plot.
* TheRenaissanceAgeOfAnimation
* ThreeAmigos
* ThoseMagnificentFlyingMachines: The Flapper Wingamathing.
* {{Tomboy}}: Abigail, naturally.
** [[FridgeBrilliance This makes sense when you consider the fact that her father raises her alone.]]
* TrrrillingRrrs: Cornelius does this ''constantly''.
* TwoGuysAndAGirl
* VanillaEdition: Because this movie was both a financial flop and not made by Disney, this is probably the only edition we'll ever see. And you're lucky to even find ''that''.
* WellExcuseMePrincess: Russell has his moments of this with Abigail.
* WhamLine: Quite a few of them actually. Here are some examples:
--> '''Cornelius:''' No, furlings, [[spoiler:there's a deadly gas in there!]]
--> '''Michelle:''' Lookie Uncle Cornelius, all the mommies and daddies are coming back.
--> '''Cornelius:''' [[spoiler:Not ALL the mommies and daddies.]]
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: The movie was originally called ''The Endangered'', and the end product was a lot LighterAndSofter than the initial pitch.
* WhiteHairedPrettyGirl: Michelle.
* WiseBeyondTheirYears: Edgar.
* WoodlandCreatures
----
Once Upon a Forest was a [[TheRenaissanceAgeOfAnimation 1993]] animated film with an environmental theme, released on June 18 by TwentiethCenturyFox. Based on the Furlings characters created by Rae Lambert, it was directed by Charles Grosvenor and produced by David Kirschner, [[HeAlsoDid the creator of the]] ''AnAmericanTail'' and ''Film/ChildsPlay'' franchises. It was made by {{Hanna-Barbera}} in association with HTV Cymru. The film tells the tale of three forest denizens that go on an expedition to cure their friend, Michelle, who became sick from chemical fumes which leak into the forest due to human carelessness. But unlike many of the [[GreenAesop Green Aesops]] of the era, the humans are portrayed as redeemable in the end. Contains many scenes which can be considered NightmareFuel, and plenty of TearJerker moments as well.
It remains largely obscure and a commercial flop (only making back about half its budget, and this was partly thanks to it [[DuelingMovies debuting a week after]] ''JurassicPark''), though it does have a small following among fans who saw it as children and still remember it.
----
!!Tropes:
* ActionGirl: Abigail all the way.
* AdultsAreUseless: The young furlings are tasked to undertake the journey for Michelle's herbs on their own, without any adult supervision because Cornelius has to stay at Michelle's bedside, and one can assume the [[ThereAreNoAdults rest of the adults fled for their lives]]. Somewhat justified, since Cornelius is really the only one around who ''could'' take care of Michelle [[spoiler:and he's her uncle and thus her only living relative who could look out for her after her parents deaths.]] And the other adults probably did just what anyone would've done in such a situation.
* AdvertisedExtra: Veteran theatre legend Ben Vereen gets top billing next to Michael Crawford. Despite the fact that he only appears in this film for [[OneSceneWonder one memorable scene]].
* AnAesop: Edgar's lament that he never kissed his mother goodbye seems to be one of these. The message here seems to be 'Never take your loved ones for granted, because you never know if it's your last time together.' [[spoiler:Happily, Edgar gets a second chance at it.]]
* ATeamMontage: When the furlings are building the flapper wingamathing a montage plays.
* AllAnimationIsDisney: And in an interesting twist, it is also sometimes mistaken for a DonBluth movie, which of course it also isn't. Though its posters and trailers which proudly proclaimed "from the creator of AnAmericanTail" would have you think otherwise (they mean David Kirschner, not Bluth).
* AmazingTechnicolorWildlife: Not over-the-top, but blue mice certainly count.
* AnimalsNotToScale: The badgers and moles are about the same size as the ''mice''.
* AudibleSharpness: A rare non-combat example. The shard of glass which punctures the chemical tanker's tire, which is what triggers the poisoning of the cast's home in the first place.
* AwardBaitSong: "Once Upon a Time With Me" by Florence Warner Jones. It might have received an award had the movie done better in theaters.
* BadassAdorable: The furlings all qualify for this in one way or another.
* BambooTechnology: The furlings build a flying machine out of sticks and leaves. At least in this case there were actually plans for them to follow.
* BarefootCartoonAnimals: Abigail, Russell and Michelle.
* BerserkButton: Never insult Michelle in front of Edgar. Waggs knows this all too well.
* BigGood: Cornelius.
* BigEater: Russell the hedgehog, who can't help but pack tons of food for their expedition.
* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Michelle is brought out of her coma by the herbs, and one by one the furlings are tearfully reunited with their parents. Happy ending, right? But when Michelle asks Cornelius where her parents are, well...as the audience knows...they're not coming back for her. They're dead.]]
* BlindWithoutEm: Edgar the mole can't see without his glasses and becomes defenseless.
** This is actually FridgeBrilliance when you consider that moles have terrible vision, and can't see well in sunlight or moonlight which is why they remain underground most of the time.
* BrainyBrunette: Abigail.
* BreakTheCutie: [[spoiler: Michelle, after finding out her parents are dead. While we don't exactly see Michelle sobbing over it (because that would be too much of a TearJerker even for this movie), the implications of how Michelle will need to cope with that after the movie ends is tragic enough.]]
* BuffySpeak: The Flapper-wingamathing!
** "Crank the winder-uppers!"
* CelestialDeadline: The furlings have to get the herbs to Michelle by the full moon.
* CharacterDevelopment: Oddly, the most character development goes to... ''Edgar.'' He goes from being a cowardly, worrying {{Nerd}} to a brave, quick-thinking {{Nerd}}.
** Well, that and they all learn to [[ThePowerOfFriendship work together]] a lot better. At the beginning they couldn't even row a boat without bickering and causing it to sink.
* CheerfulChild: Michelle, [[spoiler: at least until her coma and her parents dying.]]
* ChekhovsGun: Early on in the movie the animals are told by their teacher that a certain part of the forest is off limits, but says that the reason why is "not today's lesson". Pan across to reveal a trap. [[spoiler: This is promptly forgotten...until the very end of the movie, when Edgar the Mole gets caught in it while trying to evade some humans doing cleanup after the gas damaged the forest. One of them frees Edgar, smashes the trap, throws it in a garbage bag, and proves to the animals that perhaps (contrary to dire warnings throughout the movie) humans aren't exclusively destructive monsters. Not bad as environmentalist messages go.]]
** [[spoiler:The furlings know they're home when Edgar realizes that they're in front of the tree Cornelius pulled a piece of bark from during a lecture at the beginning of the movie, and he still has the piece of bark and it fits into the little hole made when it was taken out.]]
** [[spoiler: Also, the magnifying glass that Abigail decides to pack on a complete whim saves her life when the owl captures her, and she uses it to enlarge her teeth and scare it off.]]
* CherubicChoir: In the song "Once Upon a Time With Me"
* {{Chickification}}: Abigail from halfway through the movie on. After she gets into real danger, she becomes a little more cautious: understandable. However, from there, her biggest contribution is getting the locals to like her and her party by ''flirting'', and she fails to get the lungwort and puts herself in mortal peril again so that Edgar can complete his own character arc.
* ComingInHot: [[spoiler:They crash the Flapper Wingamathing after it gets struck by lightning.]]
* ComingOfAgeStory: "You're no longer my Furlings. You've grown up."
* ConvenientComa: Michelle's coma is a main plot point.
* [[spoiler: ConvenientlyAnOrphan: Michelle, after her parents die.]]
* ConverseWithTheUnconscious: Cornelius sings a song to Michelle as she's lying unconscious. It's quite the TearJerker.
* CoolBigSis: Abigail to Michelle, to a certain degree.
* CoolOldGuy: Cornelius.
* CowardlyLion: Edgar.
* DeadlyGas
* DisappearedDad: Neither Russell nor Edgar seem to have fathers.
** Possible TruthInTelevision, as female moles and hedgehogs raise their young alone (although ordinarily, field mice and badgers do too.)
* DisneyDeath: [[spoiler: Michelle just ''had'' to fake everyone out by not waking up right away when they give her the herbs, just to wring out every last tear from the furlings and the audience.]]
* EverythingsNuttierWithSquirrels
* FantasticRacism: The furlings encounter a bullying squirrel in Oakdale Meadow named Waggs who seems to have something against every species other than squirrels.
* FeatheredFiend: The owl that nearly eats Abigail.
* FindTheCure: Fairly self-explanatory.
* FiveManBand:
** TheHero: Abigail
** TheLancer[=/=]TheBigGuy: Russell
** TheSmartGuy: Edgar
** TheChick: Michelle
* FlowerFromTheMountaintop: Played straight, as the furlings need to retrieve lungwort from the side of a very high cliff to save their friend Michelle's life.
* FlowerInHerHair: Michelle wears one. We get a close-up of it [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic drifting to the ground and wilting]] after Michelle has her accident with the gas leak that renders her comatose.
* FragileSpeedster: Abigail.
* FurryConfusion: While in a sewer the furlings encounter scary non-anthropomorphic rats.
* GenkiGirl: Michelle is one, perhaps also Abigail.
* [[GlassesGirl Glasses Guy]]: Edgar, Cornelius, and Bosworth.
* GreenAesop: [[spoiler: An unusually positive one. While the effects of the gas leak are shown as world-shattering to the animals, humans immediately take responsibility and begin clean-up efforts. The Aesop seems to be that yes, humans have messed this world up a lot, but we can all do something to make things better and correct our mistakes. At the very least, a fairly realistic aesop.]]
* HalfDressedCartoonAnimal
* HannaBarbera
* HateSink: Waggs the squirrel, the only straight-up antagonistic character in the film.
* [[spoiler: HeartwarmingOrphan: Michelle, at the end of the movie.]]
* HeyItsThatVoice: Peggy from MadMen is the voice of Michelle.
** Also Waggs is CharlieAdler.
** Edgar's mother is Janet Waldo, the voice of [[TheJetsons Judy Jetson]]
* HumansAreBastards: Implied throughout the film as humans are the cause of a gas leak that devastates Dapplewood, and also killed Cornelius's parents in the past... [[spoiler: ...but then turned around and averted at the end when humans are seen cleaning up the mess they created in Dapplewood, to the surprise of Cornelius and the furlings. So pretty much humans can be bastards, but they're not all bad.]]
** [[spoiler:A human also releases a trapped Edgar, then crushes the trap for good measure, and puts it into a trash bag. He even very carefully puts him down]].
** Also the gas leak was caused by carelessness (some guy just threw a glass bottle out his car window and the truck carrying the poison gas ran over it, got a flat and crashed). The first thing the truck driver does when the truck full of gas crashes, he runs for help, concerned about the ensuing gas leak - any person would have done ''just'' that.
--> *sees the gas leak* "[[CaptainObvious Gas!]] I gotta get help!"
* HumansAreCthulhu: They're depicted as alien and inscrutable (the only time we see a human above the foot level, he's wrapped in a HazmatSuit), but they're shown to be rather decent, so more like the Great Race of Yith.
* IdiotHero: Abigail is highly impulsive and headstrong; she fits much of the IdiotHero mold despite it normally being an AlwaysMale trope. Then again, it's ''[[TomBoy Abigail]]'', and she {{Gender Flip}}s plenty of AlwaysMale tropes.
* IllGirl: Michelle
* InferredHolocaust: Though two deaths [[spoiler: (Michelle's parents)]] are shown onscreen, the gas leak would have probably killed many more cute furry forest creatures than that...
* JamesHorner: One of his most overlooked film scores. It's quite nice if you can track down the soundtrack.
* JawDrop: "Uncle Cornelius, your mouth is hanging open..."
* JerkAss: Waggs
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: Michelle's parents, tragically. The point is harshly driven home at the end of the film, when after everyone is reunited with their parents Cornelius must explain to Michelle that her parents are never coming back. ]]
* LoveAtFirstSight: When Abigail falls on top of Willy the fieldmouse from a tree, and they instantly become shy and flirty. We can deduce that Abigail doesn't meet many male mice.
* MeaningfulName: The name Abigail means "father's joy". This actually hits GeniusBonus when you realize how much her father loves and cares for her.
* MightyGlacier: Russell.
* MissingMom: Abigail's mother is never shown and it's unknown what happened to her.
* MouseWorld: Done in a more rural, wilderness setting.
* NeverGotToSayGoodbye: When the parents disappear, Edgar laments rushing off to class without ever kissing his mother good-bye. [[spoiler:She's fine, and when they're reunited, [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming it's the first thing he does.]]]]
* NiceHat: Edgar has one.
* NotTheFallThatKillsYou: [[spoiler: Abigail falls off the flapper-wingamathing while trying to retrieve the lungwort from the side of a very tall cliff, but is saved by grabbing onto the wing after Russel swoops the flying machine down to catch her.]]
** Abigail seems to have a habit of falling. She falls out of a tree twice in the film but her fall is 'broken', once by landing on Russel and Edgar, the second time by landing on Willy. This is sort of a RunningGag because at the beginning of the movie Abigail's dad tells her not to climb trees because she could fall.
* OffModel: See if you can count how many times Abigail's eyes change from blue to green and back again. A good example is when she's in the owl's tree her eyes are blue, but when she meets Willy, her eyes are green.
* OneOfTheBoys: Abigail, who aside from perhaps Michelle has only guy friends.
* OneSceneWonder: Phineas, the pastor of the bird choir, Willy and Waggs from the meadow.
* OneWayVisor: The toxic waste cleanup crew from the ending.
* OnlySaneMan: Edgar in most situations.
* OwlBeDamned: A very intentionally creepy one-eyed owl attacks the furlings at one point.
* ParentalAbandonment: [[spoiler: Michelle is orphaned by the gas leak killing her parents.]]
* PleaseWakeUp: Literally gets its own SONG here.
* PuppyLove: Abigail and Willy.
* QuicksandSucks: Averted. A young quail gets stuck in a bog. Edgar draws up schema for a lever device to pry him out, which takes a while to build.
* RaceAgainstTheClock: The Furlings must get Michelle the herbs within two days in order to cancel her appointment with the Grim Reaper.
* RidiculouslyCuteCritter: All of the main characters to differing extents.
** ''Especially'' Michelle.
* SceneryPorn: Most notably at the beginning, though the backgrounds (as well as the animation itself) are quite lush throughout, as if to remind us that a cartoon involving {{Hanna-Barbera}} ''can'' be well animated when there's a budget.
* ShorterMeansSmarter: Edgar is the shortest and smartest of Michelle's rescuers.
* StopDrowningAndStandUp: Edgar is left flailing in a pool of water, only for Abigail and Russell to point out that it's only knee-high.
* StrongFamilyResemblance: The furlings to their parents, almost hitting GenerationXerox territory.
* SwissArmyTears: [[spoiler: Michelle doesn't wake up until Cornelius' tears fall on her face (though it isn't really implied that the tears themselves had any magical properties or anything).]]
* TakeMyHand: [[spoiler: When Edgar rescues Abigail as she's clinging to the wing of the flapper wingamathing.]]
* TeamDad: Cornelius pretty much is the Team Dad figure.
* ThePowerOfFriendship
* TheProfessor: Cornelius
* PromotionToParent: [[spoiler: Cornelius, with the death of Michelle's parents.]]
* ThatRemindsMeOfASong: "He's Back" is presented this way. The entire scene with the birds could be dropped without really affecting the plot.
* TheRenaissanceAgeOfAnimation
* ThreeAmigos
* ThoseMagnificentFlyingMachines: The Flapper Wingamathing.
* {{Tomboy}}: Abigail, naturally.
** [[FridgeBrilliance This makes sense when you consider the fact that her father raises her alone.]]
* TrrrillingRrrs: Cornelius does this ''constantly''.
* TwoGuysAndAGirl
* VanillaEdition: Because this movie was both a financial flop and not made by Disney, this is probably the only edition we'll ever see. And you're lucky to even find ''that''.
* WellExcuseMePrincess: Russell has his moments of this with Abigail.
* WhamLine: Quite a few of them actually. Here are some examples:
--> '''Cornelius:''' No, furlings, [[spoiler:there's a deadly gas in there!]]
--> '''Michelle:''' Lookie Uncle Cornelius, all the mommies and daddies are coming back.
--> '''Cornelius:''' [[spoiler:Not ALL the mommies and daddies.]]
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: The movie was originally called ''The Endangered'', and the end product was a lot LighterAndSofter than the initial pitch.
* WhiteHairedPrettyGirl: Michelle.
* WiseBeyondTheirYears: Edgar.
* WoodlandCreatures
----
