Wind in the Willows (1988 film)

1988 Australian TV film

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Wind in the Willows

Title screenshot

Based on| The Wind in the Willows
by Kenneth Grahame
Written by| Leonard Lee
Directed by| Geoff Collins
Starring| Graham Matters
Terry Gill (uncredited)
John Derum
Wallas Eaton
Carol Adams
Paul Johnstone
Music by| Mark Isaacs
Country of origin| Australia
United Kingdom
Original language| English
Production
Producer| Roz Phillips
Editors| Peter Jennings
Caroline Neave
Running time| 49 minutes
Original release
Release| 13 December 1988 (1988-12-13)

Wind in the Willows is a 1988 Australian made-for-television animated film created by Burbank Films Australia. The film is based on Kenneth Grahame's 1908 English children's novel of the same name.

## Plot

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While cleaning his underground home, Mole senses that spring is probably beginning above the ground. He is curious and decides that every mole should see the world at least once in his or her lifetime, so he makes himself a tunnel and soon finds himself in the English countryside. Mole marvels at this new world and wishes to see every bit of it. Along comes Rat, who befriends Mole and offers him a ride on his small blue rowboat as well as a short picnic by the riverbank. Rat tells Mole about the different creatures who live near the river. There's Badger, who is very grumpy, and Toad, who is very wealthy and lives in a fine mansion along the riverbank named "Toad Hall". When the two friends set out to meet Toad, Rat is bewildered to see that Toad has been swept away by a new mania: a love for gypsy carts. Toad offers Rat and Mole a ride in the caravan. The ride is thrilling and new for Mole, not so much for Rat, but it ends abruptly when the caravan is wrecked by a passing motorcar. Toad doesn't mind, because he is instantly taken by a new mania for motorcars. Rat and Mole fear that their friend's new mania is dangerous, for Toad can hardly drive in a competent and responsible manner.

Mole seeks out the advice of Badger, who lives deep inside the Wild Wood, where he's been told never to go since it is a very unsafe place, especially in winter. Rat follows Mole to Badger's house and the two animals ask for his help. Badger agrees to help out as soon as winter is over, for he and Rat are hibernating animals. Spring eventually comes and Badger orders that Toad be kept indoors and away from disastrous driving of motorcars. Toad escapes confinement and sets out to find a motorcar; or rather, steal one. Toad's crime lands him in prison, and his friends worry about his mysterious disappearance. With the help of a young girl named Emma, the gaoler's daughter, Toad manages to escape his cell dressed up as a washer-woman and returns to Toad Hall, first on a cab ride on a train with the train driver who then throws him out realizing that he is a Toad than a woman, then hitchhikes on a motorcar and eventually meets up with Rat at the river. He is shocked by the news that his home has been overtaken by a band of ruthless weasels. He and his friends, Rat, Mole, Badger and Otter, cook up a plan to recover Toad's prized home and restore order to the entire community along the riverbank. After taking the secret underground passage to Toad Hall, and throwing the weasels out of the mansion, Toad and his friends gather round the table to announce that he no longer has a mania for motorcars. However, it is at this moment that he begins to gain an interest in airplanes, as one flies around behind him through the window ending the film.

## Voice cast

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* Graham Matters – Mole
* Terry Gill – Rat, Mr. Clark, Weasels, Car Man (uncredited)
* John Derum – Toad, Judge, Rabbit
* Wallas Eaton – Badger, Train Conductor
* Carol Adams – Emma (the jailer's daughter), Car Woman
* Paul Johnstone – Otter, Weasels, Jailer, Car Driver

## See also

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* Adaptations of The Wind in the Willows

## References

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## External links

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* Wind in the Willows at IMDb
* Wind in the Willows at the Big Cartoon DataBase

* v
* t
* e

The animated works of Burbank Films Australia

Charles Dickens
Animated Classics|

* Oliver Twist (1982)
* A Christmas Carol (1982)
* Great Expectations (1983)
* David Copperfield (1983)
* The Old Curiosity Shop (1984)
* A Tale of Two Cities (1984)
* Nicholas Nickleby (1985)
* The Pickwick Papers (1985)

Sherlock Holmes
Animated Classics|

* Sherlock Holmes and a Study in Scarlet (1983)
* Sherlock Holmes and the Baskerville Curse (1983)
* Sherlock Holmes and the Sign of Four (1983)
* Sherlock Holmes and the Valley of Fear (1983)

Literary Animated Classics|

* 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1985)
* The Adventures of Robin Hood (1985)
* The Man in the Iron Mask (1985)
* Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1986)
* Ivanhoe (1986)
* Kidnapped (1986)
* King Solomon's Mines (1986)
* The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1986)
* The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1986)
* The Three Musketeers (1986)
* Black Beauty (1987)
* Don Quixote of La Mancha (1987)
* Rob Roy (1987)
* The Last of the Mohicans (1987)
* The Odyssey (1987)
* Treasure Island (1987)
* Alice in Wonderland (1988)
* Around the World in 80 Days (1988)
* Black Arrow (1988)
* Black Tulip (1988)
* Hiawatha (1988)
* Peter Pan (1988)
* Prisoner of Zenda (1988)
* Westward Ho! (1988)
* Wind in the Willows (1988)
* The Corsican Brothers (1989)

* v
* t
* e

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

Characters|

* Mr. Toad

Film and TV adaptations|

* The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
* Toad of Toad Hall
* The Reluctant Dragon & Mr. Toad Show
* 1983 film
* 1984–1988 TV series
* 1987 film
* 1988 film
* 1995 film
* 1996 film
* 2006 film
* Toad & Friends

Stage adaptations|

* Toad of Toad Hall
* 1985 musical
* 2016 musical

Related works|

* Mole's Christmas
* A Tale of Two Toads
* Oh, Mr. Toad
* Tales of the Willows
* The Willows at Christmas
* Mr. Toad's Wild Ride

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