The Indian in the Cupboard

Director: Frank Oz Frank Oz

Overview

"Many family films have received short shrift when brought out on DVD, so it's nice to see that Columbia TriStar has treated The Indian in the Cupboard so respectfully. Not only do they provide a spotless digital transfer of the thoughtful movie but they've even thrown in a couple of extras that will interest older fans of the children's film. A clean widescreen anamorphic transfer is on one side of the disc and it really shows off Russell Carpenter's warm camera work. The pan and scan version of the film is on the other side of the DVD but there really isn't any compelling reason to watch it other than to see how much of the image is actually cut off of the screen. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround sound audio track is bright and well balanced and it also sounds fine if played through a television set instead of a stereo system. The DVD comes with a few extras but the real winner is director Frank Oz's audio commentary. This was a challenging film to make and Oz guides you through the entire production. It really is to Oz's credit that he had the team work so hard to make seamless special effects that don't distract from what is really a rather intimate story. Oz handles the moral of the picture delicately and it contains a message that many adults could still learn from."

Product Details

Release Date:	07/03/2001
UPC:	0043396116429
Original Release:	1995
Rating:	PG
Source:	Sony Pictures
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Full Frame, Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:37:00
Sales rank:	19,211

Special Features

Digitally mastered audio & anamorphic video; Widescreen and full-screen presentations; Audio: English [Dolby Surround], Spanish, French; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French; Director's commentary; Photo gallery; Bonus trailers; Talent files; Production notes; Scene selections; Interactive menus

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Hal Scardino	Omri
Litefoot	Little Bear
Lindsay Crouse	Jane
Richard Jenkins	Victor
Rishi Bhat	Patrick
David Keith	Boone
Steve Coogan	Tommy
Sakina Jaffrey	Lucy
Vincent Kartheiser	Gillon
Nestor Serrano	Teacher
Ryan Olson	Adiel
Leon Tejwani	Baby Martin,Baby Martin
Christopher Conte	Purple Mohawk
Cassandra Brown	Emily
Christopher Moritz	Sam
Beni Malkin	Ramon
Juliet Berman	Tina
Stephen Morales	Kiron
George Randall	Indian Chief
Gia Galeano	Yard Teacher
Kevin Malaro	School Kid
Tom Bewley	`Darth Vader'
Keii Johnston	`G.I. Joe'
J.R. Horsting	`Robocop'
Michael Papjohn	`Cardassian'
Eric Stabnau	`Firengi'

Technical Credits

Frank Oz	Director
David Blitstein	Special Effects
Eric Brevig	Special Effects
Anne Calanchini	Special Effects
Robert Harris	Executive Producer
Martin Keltz	Executive Producer
Kathleen Kennedy	Producer
Michael Lanteri	Special Effects
Frank Marshall	Producer
Lynn Salvatori	Stunts
Dennis R. Scott	Stunts
Margery Simkin	Casting
Jane Startz	Producer
Ginger Theisen	Special Effects
Bernie Williams	Executive Producer

Editorial Reviews

The second-best movie about toys coming to life released in 1995, although not by the margin one might think, The Indian in the Cupboard is one of the least pandering and most socially progressive children's films ever released. While it may lack Toy Story's sense of carefree fun, in deference to a warm multicultural message about resolution of differences and respect for heritage, it makes up for that in sheer earnestness of purpose. Frank Oz's return to children's fare after a string of adult comedies is actually very much an adult entity in its own right. Rarely has a children's movie dealt so honestly with issues of death and the consequences of violence; instead of playing it soft, Oz astutely transforms these challenging topics into unobtrusive lessons. The film may be square in spots, but they are few. Not only does veteran special effects supervisor Michael Lantieri handle the miniaturization with subtle efficiency, but Oz coaxes an absolutely true performance from doe-eyed child actor Hal Scardino as a seamless complement. Native American actor Litefoot also brings real feeling to a role that could have been one-dimensional in less skillful hands. The narrative agenda of author Lynne Reid Banks -- namely, her challenge of cultural generalizations -- is evident in even the most minute design details. For example, the Caucasian boy is named Omri, while his Asian-Indian friend goes by the WASPish name Patrick (and also refers to his friend's mother by her first name). It's a joy to watch the film move from something so apparently basic toward something so effortlessly multi-textured.