History WesternAnimation / OnceUponAForest

''Once Upon a Forest'' is a [[UsefulNotes/TheRenaissanceAgeOfAnimation 1993]] animated film with an environmental theme, released by Creator/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]] ''WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTail'' and ''Film/ChildsPlay'' franchises. It was made by Creator/HannaBarbera in association with [[Creator/{{ITV}} HTV Cymru Wales]].

%% * ActionGirl: Abigail.

%% * NiceHat: Edgar has one.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: In one scene, a young crow is stuck in the mud and believed to be dying even though nothing is happening. The community is holding a funeral and everything. The heroes use their wits to get him out, prompting an out-of-nowhere very upbeat gospel song. This scene is otherwise irrelevant to the film and seems to come out of nowhere itself.

''Once Upon a Forest'' is a [[UsefulNotes/TheRenaissanceAgeOfAnimation 1993]] animated film with an environmental theme, released by Creator/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]] ''WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTail'' and ''Film/ChildsPlay'' franchises. It was made by Creator/HannaBarbera in association with HTV Cymru.

%% * {{Meganekko}}: Male versions with Edgar, Cornelius, and Bosworth.

* FlowerInHerHair: Michelle wears one briefly. We get a close-up of it [[FauxSymbolism drifting to the ground and wilting]] after she has her accident with the gas leak that renders her comatose.

The film tells the tale of three forest denizens--a headstrong mouse named Abigail, a bumbling hedgehog named Russell and a timid mole named Edgar--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.

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.

%% * AnimatedMusical: Though with only two songs.

%% * AwardBaitSong: "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qs1rTn81ODQ Once Upon a Time With Me]]" by Florence Warner Jones.

%% * MouseWorld: Done in a more rural, wilderness setting.

%% * AwardBaitSong: "Once Upon a Time With Me" by Florence Warner Jones.

* AngerBornOfWorry: At the beginning, when the Furlings are on the road unaware from their perspective that it's dangerous, Cornelius sees them then angrily raises his voice telling them to get off the road as a Range Rover car nearly runs over Russell. Cornelius sternly warns them about the road and the humans if they come to Dapplewood

* 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.
* AutomobilesAreAlien: The furlings are warned about "yellow dragons" that breathe fire and brimstone, and could crush them in an instant. These yellow dragons are construction vehicles that are clearing the land out for a new structure.

* BreakTheCutie: [[spoiler: Michelle, after finding out her parents are dead. While we don't see Michelle sobbing over it, the implications of how Michelle will need to cope with that after the movie ends is tragic enough.]]

* MotorMouth: Michelle's EstablishingCharacterMoment has her rushing in to greet the three protagonists, talking so fast they can barely keep up with her.

* ActionGirl: Abigail.

* AdvertisedExtra: Veteran theater 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]].

* AnimatedMusical: Though with only two songs, the second one coming off as a bit forced.

* AwardBaitSong: "Once Upon a Time With Me" by Florence Warner Jones.
* BadassAdorable: The furlings all qualify for this in one way or another.

* BarefootCartoonAnimal: Nearly every character in the movie.

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Michelle is brought out of her coma by the herbs, and one by one the furlings are tearfully reunited with their parents. But when Michelle asks Cornelius where her parents are, they're not coming back for her. They're dead.]]

* BrainyBrunette: Abigail.

* BuffySpeak: The Flapper-wingamathing!

* CharacterDevelopment: Edgar goes from being a cowardly, worrying {{Nerd}} to a brave, quick-thinking {{Nerd}}.

* 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 an animal 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 humans aren't exclusively destructive monsters.]]

* CherubicChoir: In the song "Once Upon a Time With Me"

* 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.
* CoolTeacher: Cornelius, who is well known for his "big surprises" - although he also has SternTeacher tendencies.
* CowardlyLion: Edgar.

* GenkiGirl: Michelle is one, perhaps also Abigail.
* GospelRevivalNumber: "He's Back".

* HalfDressedCartoonAnimal
* HateSink: Waggs the squirrel, the only straight-up antagonistic character in the film with the exception of the drunk driver at the beginning.
* HazmatSuit: What the humans are wearing at the end of the movie.
* HeartwarmingOrphan: [[spoiler: Michelle, after her parents die.]]

* IllGirl: Michelle, after the toxic gas overcomes her.
* JawDrop: "Russell, your mouth is hanging open..."

* {{Jerkass}}: Waggs.

* LargeHam: Phineas and Cornelius.

* {{Meganekko}}: Male versions with Edgar, Cornelius, and Bosworth.
* MightyGlacier: Russell.

* MouseWorld: Done in a more rural, wilderness setting.
* MyBelovedSmother: Edgar's mother, somewhat.

* 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.]]

* OneWayVisor: The toxic waste cleanup crew from the ending.
* OnlySaneMan: Edgar in most situations.

* PreacherMan: Phineas.
* TheProfessor: Cornelius.
* PromotionToParent: [[spoiler: Cornelius, with the death of Michelle's parents.]]
* PuppyLove: Abigail and Willy, though she's more interested in saving Michelle.

* RidiculouslyCuteCritter: All of the main characters to differing extents.
** ''Especially'' Michelle.

* TeamDad: Cornelius is the Team Dad figure.

* ThreeAmigos
* ThoseMagnificentFlyingMachines: The Flapper Wingamathing.
* {{Tomboy}}: Abigail, naturally.
* TrrrillingRrrs: Cornelius does this ''constantly''.
* TwoGuysAndAGirl

* WellExcuseMePrincess: Russell has his moments of this with Abigail.

* WiseBeyondTheirYears: Edgar.
* WoodlandCreatures

* DamselInDistress: Michelle.

* 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, but the quail is okat until it's finished.

* AntiVillain: The humans. This seems to be a standard HumansAreBastards tale at first, but most of the ones shown are responsible and try to protect animals whenever possible. The only truly bad human is the littering drunk driver who causes the tragedy in the first place.

* AmazingTechnicolorWildlife: Not over-the-top, but blue mice certainly count (though the mouse in question appears grey on some TVs).

* AngerBornOutOfWorry: At the beginning, when the Furlings are on the road unaware from their perspective that it's dangerous, Cornelius sees them then angrily raises his voice telling them to get off the road as a Range Rover car nearly runs over Russell. Cornelius sternly warns them about the road and the humans if they come to Dapplewood

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/once_upon_a_forst_poster.jpg]]

* AmazingTechnicolorWildlife: Not over-the-top, but blue mice certainly count.

''Once Upon a Forest'' is a [[UsefulNotes/TheRenaissanceAgeOfAnimation 1993]] animated film with an environmental theme, released by Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox. Based the Furlings characters created by Rae Lambert, it was directed by Charles Grosvenor and produced by David Kirschner, [[HeAlsoDid the creator of the]] ''WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTail'' and ''Film/ChildsPlay'' franchises. It was made by Creator/HannaBarbera in association with HTV Cymru.

* 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 an animal 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 humans aren't exclusively destructive monsters.]]

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]] ''Film/JurassicPark'', though it does have a small following among fans who saw it as children and still remember it.

[[quoteright:200:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/225013.jpg]]

* Music/JamesHorner: One of his most overlooked film scores. It's quite nice if you can track down the soundtrack.