The Trumpet of the Swan

Movie review by Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
The Trumpet of the Swan Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 6+

Sweet animated movie about finding your voice; some peril.

G 2001 75 minutes
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Parents say

age 5+

Based on 3 reviews

Kids say

age 4+

Based on 5 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Trumpet of the Swan is a 2001 animated film. It has some tension and peril but is a fine family film based on E.B. White's story. Louie's father breaks a store window and steals a trumpet. The father is chased and shot at. Louie and Boyd fight over the girl they both like. A fox tries to attack some swans. A mean boy is about to go over a waterfall, but Louie swoops in to save him. Louie flies through a lightning storm. Convinced that his son will be a failure because he doesn't have a beautiful swan voice, Louie's dad risks his life to find a voice substitute. An unscrupulous human tries to take advantage of Louie's great talents. Name-calling includes "creep," "feather breath," and "worm eater."

Community Reviews

hlgbccheer
hlgbccheer Adult
August 22, 2011
age 4+

Do your kid a favor and read the book to him instead!

I watched this movie with my almost-4 year old. As a parent I could say that it was an okay movie. Other than the shooting at the end, the movie was fine for him to see/hear. I was glad that the shooting didn't "reveal" anything (blood/guts), though we have discussed guns & dying already at length at home (3 & 4 year old boys seem to be a bit obsessed about those topics!). As an adult watching it though, I have to say that it was a waste of time. I have to agree with a previous reviewer that the dialogue was terrible! I actually rolled my eyes at some parts, the dialogue was so banal. Overall I wouldn't buy/rent this movie (it was a rainy morning thing to do at the house that we rented while on vacation), and I would actively discourage my son from seeing it again--I would steer him more towards something educational like Sesame Street or Super Why--as it's not going to benefit him by watching it again. Once was fine, but I wouldn't encourage watching it more than that. I will read the book with him however!
nduns
nduns Adult
September 6, 2010
age 6+

Why is it that after Swan Princess, Richard Rich started to suck?

This is without a doubt the worst thing he has pumped out. I liked the idea and the story wasn't too bad either, but my god, the dialogue in this was dreadful, the songs were irritating, making The Scarecrow's 'great' tracks look good by comparison (I don't see you taking off points for that, CS!) and there are even times where the scriptwriters so obvious forget what they've written. One such example is when Louie's father is supposedly shot and while he's lying unconscious, the nurse says it's a superficial injury and for some reason, this means he's not dead. Since when is a superficial injury a good thing!? The animation's okay for a direct-to-video release, but one has to remember that this was released to theaters, so it's difficult to really accept this. I will give it points though: There was one song that I liked and, again, the story was intriguing. I usually like all animated features to some degree, but I hated this one. In fact, I also hated the animated King and I from Warner Bros. Why did I give that a 3? Furthermore, why can't reviews be edited on this site? I find it ironic that I actually liked Thumbelina but hated this when Thumbelina's storyline was much more contrived.

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What's the Story?

As THE TRUMPET OF THE SWAN begins, proud and loving trumpeter swans Father (voiced by Jason Alexander) and Mother (voiced by Mary Steenburgen) are awaiting the hatching of their new children. The young cygnets are all they dreamed of, except for Louie, who is mute. Louie can't express his feelings without words or attract a mate without a trumpeting sound. Louie turns to a human friend named Sam, who takes him to school so that his teacher Mrs. Hammerbottom (voiced by Carol Burnett) can teach him to read and write. Father tries to steal a trumpet from a musical instrument store. Even though he knows stealing is wrong, he feels he must to help his son. Louie's skill at reading and writing doesn't do him any good with the swans, who can't understand him, but he does find a sweet girl swan named Serena (Reese Witherspoon) who understands him without words. But he can't settle down with Serena until he puts his father's heart at rest by finding a way to pay for the trumpet. After many adventures, Louie and Serena are able to live happily ever after.

Is It Any Good?

Most of E.B. White's elegant language is missing, and the animation is nowhere near Disney-level, but this version of the story is still a very good family movie with much to enjoy and talk about. Parents will enjoy identifying the many celebrities providing the voices, and kids will like the friendly characters and cheer for Louie to finally find his voice. Kids who have read the book can debate which version of The Trumpet of the Swan they prefer, and kids who haven't read the book may be inspired to do so.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the importance of finding a way to communicate and the value of people who can understand us, like Louie does in The Trumpet of the Swan. How do you make your voice heard?

  • This movie is based on a book. If you've read the book, how does the movie compare?

  • If you haven't read the book, does the movie make you want to read it? Why, or why not?

  • Which are usually better: books or movies based on books? Why?

  • How do the characters in The Trumpet of the Swan demonstrate perseverance and courage? Why are these important character strengths?

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