The Hugga Bunch, like many properties of the 1980s, started as characters on Hallmark greeting cards. They became popular, and soon had toys made by Kenner, as well as books, clothes, and a made-for-TV movie special in 1985, which won an Emmy for Best Visual Effects.
The movie revolves around a girl named Bridget, who is reluctant to see her aging grandmother off to a retirement community, as she's the only person in her family who knows the value of a hug. Bridget travels through her mirror to HuggaLand, where she meets the titular Hugga Bunch, who solve any problem, big or small, with a warm, loving hug.
They tell her of the mysterious youngberries, which can be used to make her grandmother young, but the evil Queen Admira has a stranglehold on the berries to keep herself young forever. Bridget and the Hugga Bunch undergo a dangerous journey to the Land of Shrugs to find the youngberries and save her grandma with the power of hugs.
This special contains examples of:
- An Aesop: No matter how old or young you are, affection and being needed are what's really important.
- Bittersweet Ending: Bridget loses the youngberries, but her grandma stays with the family, who all become much more affectionate to her and each other.
- Expy: Admira's appearance and Vain Sorceress traits make her resemble Queen Grimhilde quite a bit.
- Heel–Face Turn: The terrifying Hairy Behemoth turns into a kind, sweet elephant named Hodgepodge after receiving a hug.
- I Am the Noun: When Bridget says she won't kneel before Admira as it's in the Constitution, the queen says she's the Constitution around here.
- The Key Is Behind the Lock: In her hurry to leave with the youngberries, Bridget accidentally leaves the key for the dome on the ground by the tree, and as the dome descends, Admira lunges toward the key, but is too late.
- Literal Bookworm: Bridget seeks a youth medicine for her grandmother and visits the elderly Bookworm who resides within a mountain of giant books in Hugga Land because he is supposed to know everything. He tells her about the Youngberry Tree in the Land of Shrugs, which one of his giant books is a gate to.
- Magic Mirror: Bridget follows one of the Hugga Bunch characters through her closet mirror into HuggaLand.
- No Immortal Inertia: The evil queen Admira stays young by eating the fruit of the youngberry tree at regular intervals. When the protagonists prevent her from getting the berries in time, she suddenly becomes wrinkled and eventually falls still, her skin turning ashen.
- Patriotic Fervor: When told to kneel before Queen Admira, Bridget retorts she's an American citizen and won't kneel to anybody, sheepishly remarking that it's in the Constitution.
- The Power of Love: Hugs are a symbol of love, and Bridget wants to keep her grandma healthy so she can keep receiving hugs. After Queen Admira freezes her, Bridget's friends from the Hugga Bunch are able to restore her to normal through hugs.
- Primal Fear: Bridget's quest begins when she doesn't want to lose her grandma to a retirement community and eventually old age.
- Rapid Aging: Queen Admira ages and dies in a matter of seconds when access to the youngberry tree is cut off.
- "Shaggy Dog" Story: Bridget procures the youngberries to help her grandma, but drops them all on the way back through the mirror, making them disappear and rendering the quest pointless.
- Shout-Out: Huggins and Hugsy wear one of Andrew's baseball caps of the St. Louis Cardinals.
- Taken for Granite: Queen Admira has the power to freeze people in place, which she uses on Bridget after the girl accidentally insults her.
- Vain Sorceress: Queen Admira keeps herself young looking with the use of youngberries, which the 8-year-old heroine tries to procure for her aging grandmother. She gets her karmic comeuppance when the key that unlocks the glass case in which the young-berry tree is kept gets left inside the case, after which time the sorceress rapidly ages and dies.
- When You Coming Home, Dad?: Bridget's only source of affection is her grandma, with her brother, aunt, and parents not paying her any attention or love.
- You're Insane!: Bridget says this to Hugsy when he attempts to hug the Hairy Behemoth, which is currently spitting fire trying to kill them. She's astonished when it actually works.
