The Cinematheque

A strong contender for our favourite family film of the 2000s, eternal-kid Wes Anderson’s stop-motion stunner, a big-hearted adaptation of the book by Roald Dahl, is a marvel of visual wonderment and whimsy. Featuring George Clooney and Meryl Streep as the voices of Mr. and Mrs. Fox, respectively—Anderson’s regular troupe (Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson et al.) fills out the remaining cast—this meticulously-crafted labour of love centres on Mr. Fox’s predicament when, discontented with his bucolic life, he takes to looting three nearby farms, endangering both his family and his furry community. Anderson, directing British animators remotely from Paris, insisted on capturing the jerky, unpolished style of stop-motion holiday specials from his childhood. The film’s mixtape soundtrack includes choice ​‘60s pop songs by The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, and The Bobby Fuller Four, plus an original, twangy tune by Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker.