Based on a Book

Jason Alexander's vocal performance as the hambone father of Louie, a mute trumpet swan, is quite simply the most entertaining element of Trumpet of the Swan, an animated version of E.B. White's children's novel. Given to long-winded speeches and flamb... Read More

Jason Alexander's vocal performance as the hambone father of Louie, a mute trumpet swan, is quite simply the most entertaining element of Trumpet of the Swan, an animated version of E.B. White's children's novel. Given to long-winded speeches and flamboyant displays (Alexander's extended "death scene" after his character is knicked on the wing is a hoot), the former George Costanza's hot-air waterfowl partially salvages this oddly unmoving family feature. The story concerns the silent Louie (his thoughts are spoken by actor Jeffrey Schoeny), who suffers the ridicule of other swans but communicates a depth of feeling by playing a brass horn. The restless script has difficulty developing a coherent emotional rise; director Richard Rich (The Swan Princess) would have done well to cut back on the number of discrete episodes that rush by with dizzying, graceless speed. Joe Mantegna signs on as the voice of a big-city scoundrel who signs Louie to an exploitative music contract, while Mary Steenburgen plays Louie's mother, and Reese Witherspoon speaks for the hero's true love. --Tom Keogh

Although he lacks a voice in the traditional "Ko-hoh!" sense, trumpeter swan Louis learns to speak to the world with a trumpet stolen from a music store by his father. With the support of an unusual boy named Sam, who helps Louis learn how to read and ... Read More

Although he lacks a voice in the traditional "Ko-hoh!" sense, trumpeter swan Louis learns to speak to the world with a trumpet stolen from a music store by his father. With the support of an unusual boy named Sam, who helps Louis learn how to read and write, the swan has some rather unswanlike adventures and ultimately wins the love--and the freedom--of a beautiful swan named Serena.

For over 30 years, E.B. White's masterpiece has captured the fancy of countless readers. Now, with stunning new art by award-winning illustrator Fred Marcellino, the beloved story can be experienced anew. The sepia-colored drawings lend an old-fashioned charm to the story--it's almost as if, with their complementary dry wit and uniquely creative talents, White and Marcellino originally worked together. Marcellino received the Caldecott Honor for his illustrations in Charles Perrault's Puss in Boots. (Ages 8 to 12) --Emilie Coulter