Epic Win: Pete’s Dragon
Submitted by R Russell
Even though this movie had big names: Helen Reddy, Mickey Rooney, Jeff Conaway (whose next role was Kenickie in “Grease”), and Shelley Winters, it flopped at the box office. We say “whatever” to that, it’s a win to us.
The song “Candle in the Water” was nominated for an Academy Award, but lost to-get this-”You Light Up My Life.” Ouch. Here’s the much better “Candle on the Water:”
OK, it’s kind of sappy, but we would rather hear this over “You Light Up My Life” anytime.
This demonstrates that nostalgia ain’t what it used to be.
Yeah, I never really liked this movie. It was okay. Still, it does bring back fond memories of going to the movies with my best friends. Ironically the nostalgia of spending time with them outweighs the memories of this movie in and of itself.
This was actually the first movie I ever saw in a theater. I cried and cried because it was so mean of Elliot to leave Pete all alone. Hey I was little lol
Me too! I don’t know why I remember it being the first one, but I know it was.
I know it was because my mom told me it was lol I always thought it was Star Wars. I do remember crying over Elliot leaving Pete though. Bad thing was that it took about 10 min for it to dawn on me that he wasn’t coming back to Pete. Then I burst out crying in the mall in front of tons of people. Dad said it sounded like I was being beaten lol So he bought me a hot dog and I was fine. Think it took me a long time to get over Elliot doing that, though. I was sort of sensitive when I was little lol
Wow. I thought it was just me. I saw it once when I was 5 and have never cared to watch it since.
I love this movie and the song. My kids have a few Disney song CDs and this song is on one of them, it’s really pretty. MUCH better than “You Light Up My Life”. Do they still sell the movie or is it in the “vault”?
if you cant find it in stores I bet you can buy or download it online.
They rereleased it a while ago. I have my copy in my DVD player right now.
Or you can try your local library. We just checked this one out a couple of weeks ago for the kids. They couldn’t understand why the teacher was so mean to Pete. We just told them that some people hit when they don’t believe someone.
Awesome, thanks for the suggestions.
I have always loved this song…Helen sings it with such emotion too.
how could this movie of been a flop at the box office? I rememeber watching it all the time when I was little. In my opinion it was a great movie~
I was JUST talking about this gem with my boyfriend a few days ago, reminiscing about how I used to watch it all the freakin time as a kid on VHS.
He remembers his younger siblings doing the same thing, everyone we both knew loved it! I can’t believe it was a flop!
I actually wrote a paper for my pop culture class in college about this film, and it’s a non-too-veiled allegory for a closeted gay relationship (Pete is ashamed of and scared for Elliott being discovered, since it would mean little/no acceptance in the new community; Elliott is welcomed by the young and feared by the elderly…there was more, but I wrote the paper back in 99 or so, so I don’t remember).
And I think you are tapping into way more than you should.
In many ways, it’s like Oliver Twist.
But I’m not going to ruin my childhood memories because of something so silly.
Yeah, you read too much into it. More like a young boy who’s been hurt and tries to cover up who he really is as a self-protective measure. Elliot might represent the emotions, wants, needs that Pete is trying to hide yet wants to show. The older generations seem to often look to the younger ones with disbelief and shun them and/or their morals/wants/needs/thoughts. Pete realizes after much struggle, and fight against those who would keep his mind and heart confined( represented by those who would take Elliot and use him) that it’s ok to be himself and to stand-up for himself as well. and that happiness and trust can be attained.
If you wanted a closet gay relationship in pop culture then you should have looked to Burt and Ernie
No, I don’t think they were gay but it’s been argued.
Meh, Bert/Ernie’s been done. The TA for the class was obsessed with gay imagery in movies (King Kong…really???), so I wanted to screw with his head. It was either Pete’s Dragon or Willy Wonka…Pete’s Dragon was a little more obscure and I had bought a VHS copy when I was working at D’Land the previous summer, so it worked out.
Aaaah gotcha. In that case, good job! lol
Haha! I just found a whole bunch of old Disney songs a while ago and Coldn’t remember where another Pete’s dragon song was from (Boo Bop Bopbop Bop [I Love You, Too]). It’s really just scary, with strong pederastic undertones if taken out of context. ^^
<3 I watched this movie every day during the summer of ‘86.
I was \|||/ this many.
I LOVED this movie when I was a kid. I watched it over and over. I also had the music on a record and played that over and over too.
I always saw it as a story about pretend friends. Lots of kids have them…Elliot is Pete’s pretend friend, and it explores the function that they fulfill in kid’s lives. Pete doesn’t need a pretend friend once he finds real ones.
The fact that Elliot is “real” in the story also kind of asks the question of what is most real in kids’ lives – often it can be something abstract.
He’s got
The head of a camel
The tail of a crocodile….
I loved Pete’s Dragon! Especially the sounds he made. I don’t remember the song though.
If you smoke enough pot, everyone starts sounding like Elliot.
My mom rented a VCR so that we could watch this at my birthday party when I was a kid. Yes that was a long time ago – does anyone still remember the days before people actually owned their own VCRs?
Oh, I remember those days. I even remember having the choice between VHS and Betamax. The movie place we had in town rented VCRs. We bought our own after being charged for the tape that got eaten and the repair on the rental VCR. Ended up taking them to court over it. Charging someone because the machine you rented to them broke? Really?
This movie was a bit before my time, but it was still one of my favorites as a kid! I had like 150+ Disney movies on VHS (I was a spoiled little brat xD).The classic Disney movies will always be better than the crap they’re coming out with now.
Oh, btw, Pixar’s enjoyability breakdown:
Toy Story>Finding Nemo>Wall-E>Cars>Toy Story 2
Ugh… By the time “Razzle Dazzle Day” played, I was reaching for the gun. My drama teacher made us watch it.
This little girl I used to babysit for played it all the time. I was so tired of that movie that I’ve never even rented it for my own kids.
This is one of my favorite Disney films, and one of my favorite songs. Jim Dale is a scream in this.
I saw this in the theatre with my mom, and boy did I cry at the end.
This was one of my favorite live-action Disney movies as a kid. My fav characters were Elliott and Dr. Terminus. He amused me.
Jim Dale, a.k.a. Dr. Terminus, has kept busy since those halcyon days. He did the audiobooks for the Harry Potter series and narrated the dearly departed “Pushing Daisies.” He has a wonderful voice!
I used to love this movie!! It was my favourite one. If someone blindfolded me I could tell you where it sits on the shelf.
I hated this movie. Pete annoyed the hell out of me. I just want to bash his face in with a hot iron.
Oh my gosh! I had them on my birthday cake when I was six!
“Candle on the Water” was part of my standard vocal repertoire in high school. Beautifully spiritual without being overtly religious and didn’t require any real vocal acrobatics (pitched a bit low for my range, but not uncomfortable). It still sounds fresh and comforting, even today.
I managed a theater that played this movie one Christmas when if first came out. You could always tell when “Candle on the Water” started ’cause all the kids would come pouring out of the theater to buy snacks and drinks. I’m surprised that it didn’t do well over all – we made a ton of money on it – so much so that on weekends, we had to make 2 deposits a day because our safe overflowed with cash!
Watched this movie a lot as a kid.
Little factoid here. That lighthouse isn’t in Pasamaquody (or however you spell it)….it’s in the neighboring town of Eastport, Maine. And if a person stands where she does on that lighthouse at dawn, you are the first person in the USA to see the sun rise.
That is the truth.
Wow it’s been AGES since I’ve seen this one! And I was so young at the time that I couldn’t quite comprehend what it was all about. I just liked it cuz the boy had a dragon that could turn invisible!
Does anyone think the dragon looks like Seth Rogan?
Call me a freak–but I know this movie by heart!! Jim Dale == EPIC WIN OMG *DIES*
XD Sorry. But, seriously, it’s sad that not alot of people have actually seen this movie
I can’t help but wonder…
Anyway–EPICNESS! I actually watched this movie the other day! XD Let’s face it. I have no life.
I was so happy to see this movie on here! I watched it all the time when I was a kid, and no one else I know has ever heard of it. For awhile I thought I’d just dreamed it or something. lol
i was never into this film, i was more into PUFF the magic dragon song.