"Ernest and Celestine" was nominated for an Academy Award for best animated feature of 2012, losing to the over-hyped Disney hit "Frozen." After having seen this film, I think it was much more deserving, a celebration of the old children's books it was based on and of the beautiful world of art.In a world where mice and bears have human-like societies above and below ground, separate from each other, they also live in fear of each other. Such is a film of racism, when a young girl mouse named Celestine starts to befriend a poor hungry bear named Ernest. While originally to prevent herself from being eaten, they both eventually find commonalities between each other, such as a love for the arts and expectations from others around them, against the wishes of their communities.Such is an effective and original tale of racism, expectations, friendships, and tradition, full of humor and sadness, some scenes of which are especially powerful. I could argue that modern additions to the story, such as the dentist industry among the mice and the candy industry among the bears, feels odd, albeit well-used. Also, if you think too hard, you'll find many inconsistencies in the writing and the visuals, especially when it comes to size differences between mice, bears, and their environment. For most of it, you won't care. The scenes and relationship between Ernest and Celestine are well written, and the nod at the end to the original books is tear jerking, even if you've never actually read those books.The artists took advantage of the movie's format and story to use a beautiful hand-painted style of animation. Both characters Ernest and Celestine appreciate art, painting, and music, and that carries in the film's production. The environments and the character animation truly is beautiful, best compared to older English animated features such as "Wind and the Willows" and "Peter Cottontail," but for a new generation, and enhanced in mimicking watercolor paintings you might see in old children's books. The English dub has a fantastic cast and is well-fit, except for the bear himself, Ernest, as played by Forest Whittaker. Eventually I got used to him, but he sounded too much like the original French voice when he grumbles, which is off-putting, and for it I would recommend the original French dub.
And there it is. "Ernest and Celestine" a great family film with great messages and themes, with lovable characters and beautiful animation and music. It's not perfect, but this type of film is so rare, it should be enjoyed and cherished.