An American Tail

An American Tail follows Fievel Mousekewitz, a young mouse whose family leaves Russia near the end of the nineteenth century for the United States, drawn by the promise of a country without cats. During the voyage, Fievel is swept overboard and separated from his parents and sister Tanya, who believe he has drowned. He washes ashore in New York harbour and sets out through the unfamiliar city to find them again, meeting new companions and dangers along the way.

The 1986 animated film was directed by Don Bluth, his third feature after The Small One and The Secret of NIMH, and precedes The Land Before Time and All Dogs Go to Heaven in his filmography. Tony Geiss and Judy Freudberg wrote the screenplay, with Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Gary Goldman producing for Universal Pictures, Amblin Entertainment and Sullivan Bluth Studios. Phillip Glasser voices Fievel, with Erica Yohn and Nehemiah Persoff as his parents, Amy Green as Tanya, and Christopher Plummer and John Finnegan among the supporting cast.

Made for about 9 million dollars, the film earned roughly 85 million worldwide, a strong return for an animated release of its time. Audiences rate it 6.9 out of 10 on IMDb from around 61,000 votes and 6.8 out of 10 on TMDB from about 1,500 votes, while critics give it 6.8 out of 10 from 86 reviews. It runs 80 minutes.