The Cinematheque

“An unusual children’s film in many respects, the chief one being that it is unusually good.”

Janet Maslin, New York Times

A held-dear classic for kids of a certain era, the animated version of Peter S. Beagle’s fantasy novel—adapted for the screen by the American author himself—brims with enchanting hand-drawn animation and emotionally resonant storytelling that doesn’t talk down to its smart, junior-aged audience. It chronicles the quest of a unicorn in search of her lost kin, rumoured to have been driven away by a fabled Red Bull. On her journey she meets a bumbling wizard, who, in an act of compassion, transforms her into a human. The gorgeous, contra-Disney animation is by Japanese studio Topcraft, later recruited by Hayao Miyazaki to form Studio Ghibli. Legendary dad-rock band America performs the songs; top-tier actors Alan Arkin, Jeff Bridges, Mia Farrow, Angela Lansbury, and Christopher Lee voice the characters. Hampered by decades of subpar releases, The Last Unicorn screens here in its definitive 2015 edition.