By Jeffrey Catalano
Assistant Editor
On Sunday, February 15, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., the “Jewish and Israeli Film Festival,” in partnership with Rockwern Academy and PJ Library, will be screening the seventh film in its line-up, “An American Tail,” at Mayerson JCC. This screening is taking place on the occasion of this popular animated film’s 40th anniversary.
“An American Tail” was directed by Don Bluth (“The Land Before Time” and “All Dogs Go to Heaven”) and produced by Amblin Entertainment, the production company Steven Spielberg founded with Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall in 1980. Over the decades, “An American Tail” has become a family film favorite and cherished source of nostalgia among many.
Don Bluth’s animated musical comedy-drama film follows the story of the Mousekewitzes, a family of Russian-Jewish mice who live with a human family by the name of Moskowitz. The protagonist of this charming animated film is Fievel Mousekewitz, who, while on a trip to the United States (a land where his family believes there are no menacing cats), becomes separated from his family.
Fievel, the immigrant mouse, decides to search for his family in 1800s New York City, along with a colorful cast of characters. The premise of an “An American Tale” alludes real life events, like the millions of Jewish families who fled the pogroms in the Russian Empire during the late 1800s.
“An American Tail” was financially successful and spawned a number of sequels and a TV show, but the first entry in the franchise is the one that’s best remembered. The screening of this film at the “Jewish and Israeli Film Festival” was designed to be an intergenerational experience, where adults, who grew up on this classic film, can share it with their children. “An American Tail” film is highly nostalgic for many and is enjoyed by all ages.
There is a fee for admission to the screening. The film is rated G and 80 minutes long.
