Ernest & Celestine

2014 • 79 minutes

About this movie

Academy Award Nominee (Best Animated Feature) and featuring the voices of Forest Whitaker, Mackenzie Foy, and more! Deep below snowy, cobblestone streets, tucked away in networks of winding subterranean tunnels, lives a civilization of hardworking mice, terrified of the bears who live above ground. Unlike her fellow mice, Celestine is an artist and a dreamer – and when she nearly ends up as breakfast for ursine troubadour Ernest, the two form an unlikely bond. But it isn't long before their friendship is put on trial by their respective bear-fearing and mice-eating communities. Ernest & Celestine joyfully leaps across genres and influences to capture the kinetic, limitless possibilities of animated storytelling. Like a gorgeous watercolor painting brought to life, a constantly shifting pastel color palette bursts and drips across the screen, while wonderful storytelling and brilliant comic timing draw up influences as varied as Buster Keaton, Bugs Bunny and the outlaw romanticism of Bonnie and Clyde. Bringing it all together is the on-screen chemistry between the two lead characters – a flowing, tender and playful rapport that will put a smile on your face and make your heart grow. Based on the classic Belgian book series by Gabrielle Vincent, Ernest & Celestine won France's César Award for Best Animated Feature, and has been nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 86th Academy Awards.

Ratings and reviews

The message I saw in this movie seemed to indicate that breaking and entering -- twice, auto theft, vandalism and eluding police were acceptable because two characters accepted and helped each other. The movie wasn't compelling from the very start. The artwork was very lovely and was the only pleasant thing I found in this movie.

I cannot praise enough how amusing and entertaining this is from start to end. An unlikely friendship that is weaved through compassion, love and acceptance. And the art is just as beautiful with a watercolor-like medium, along with a magical score!

Great characters, art, and voice acting that overshadows the issues with parts of the movie. It was a little difficult to understand the motives of the characters but after they met, the movie started to shine as they worked together. Sadly the ending felt really forced.