Oksana Mitchell

Pd7
1/7/15

End of semester assessment: Option A

Boggis and Bunce and Bean
One fat, one short, one lean.
These horrible crooks
So different in looks
Were nonetheless equally mean.
The book, Fantastic Mr. Fox written by Roald Dahl, and the film Fantastic Mr. Fox
directed by Wes Anderson, may share the same name and basic plot, but are very different in
execution. On the surface, Fantastic Mr. Fox is just a childrens story about a sly fox, but upon
further investigation, and with help from the film, the story evolves into a tale of class struggle,
social differences, and community.
The books story line is much simpler than the films. In the book, Mr. and Mrs. Fox have
four children who remain nameless. Mr. Fox supports his family by stealing from three local
farmers: Boggis a chicken farmer, Bunce a duck-and-goose farmer, and Bean a turkey-and-apple
farmer. Mr. Fox justifies his actions by stating that A) the farmers are some of the meanest
farmers there ever were, and that B) they can afford to have a few chickens or jugs of cider
stolen every once in a while. Fox gets caught stealing and his whole family is forced to flee
underground. Soon enough the Fox family runs into the rest of the neighborhood (Rabbit,
Badger, Weasel, etc.) who were all run out of town because of the farmers. The gang of
diggers decide to sneak into each of the farms via underground tunnels. They all agree to stay
underground and create an underground village where they will all live and feast on stolen goods
from the three mean farmers. However, in the movie, Mr. and Mrs. Fox have one child named
Ash who is different from everyone else (in the end he uses his differences to help save the

Oksana Mitchell
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day), and a visiting nephew named Kristopherson who is a natural. In the film we see major
character development in both of these characters individually and as a unit. Badger is also Mr.
Foxs real estate agent in the movie and he and Mrs. Fox play the role of realists in Foxys life,
providing sound judgment and caring questions. Also in the movie Mr. Fox did not steal with his
familys knowledge or approval, he stole with his friend Kylee for his family until they were all
forced to flee underground. The film does not end after the feast like in the book, the farmers go
on to flood the underground tunnels leaving the animals to escape into the sewer, where they
realize Kristopherson has been captured by the farmers and held for ransom, the ransom being
Mr. Fox. Ash decides to go and save Kristopherson, proving that he is indeed of value. The
animals then all band together despite their differences and beat the farmers.
The book itself is very simple and easy to read, perfect for a child nine years and
younger. The four children of Mr. and Mrs. Fox do not have names, there are no intense and
suspenseful fight scenes, and there is no complicated character development, perfect for a
beginner reader.
The movie is clever, tactful, inviting, and appealing to the eye. It is an animated film,
however the animation itself is made to look like clay. The screen is filled with rich, autumn
colors as if everything has been soaked in tea and left with a stain. Wes Anderson managed to
get an amazing cast to do the voice overs, consisting of Meryl Streep (Mrs. Fox), George
Clooney (Mr. Fox), Bill Murray (Badger), Jason Schwartzman (Ash), Owen Wilson (Coach
Wilson), and even Wes Anderson himself as Weasel, just to name a few. Even though its an
animation you still get amazing close ups, typically of Mr. Foxs numerous facial expressions,
and beautiful crane shots. Wes Anderson becomes so much a part of his works that within the

Oksana Mitchell
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first five minutes of watching this film, any fan of his is able to go, Oh! This must be a Wes
Anderson film! he is truly an auteur with everything he does. He has become notorious for his
use of color and laying over of non- diegetic music to create a full experience. This movie is as
perfect for the same nine year old child reading the book, as it is for his or her parent.
Fantastic Mr. Fox is not just a childrens bed time story or a movie you put on in the car
to keep your child distracted from the drive, it is filled with hidden references to our everyday
lives. Mr. Fox acts as Robin Hood to his community. Its a classic example of the lower class,
the animals, rising up to defeat the upper class, in this case the three farmers. Ash, Mr. Foxs
son, plays the role of the relatable, less athletically inclined, different individual, who, in the
end, manages to use the things that make him so wonderfully different to help save
Kristopherson. And, if you dont relate to Ash, then there is always Kristopherson, the
intelligent, quite one, who comes in as the new kid, and stuns us all with his raw natural talent.
We also see a coming together of differences in the sewer system after the flooding of the
tunnels. Every character has his or her talents and unique qualities (for better or for worse), but
they all unite to help Mr. Fox steal back his tail (which Bean shot off), because they all have one
thing in common, they are wild animals, and they stick together. We see this all the time in the
world today. For example, after September 11, 2001 Americans everywhere banded together to
mourn the loss of our fellow people. This horrible tragedy brought us together to fight toward a
common goal, despite our differences.
Fantastic Mr. Fox is a good book, and an even better movie. The story is timeless and
will interest an audience of any age. The warm colors, eye catching and fun animation, clever
song writing, and of course the intriguing plot and character development all make for an

Oksana Mitchell
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amazing movie. Dahl and Anderson do an impeccable job of highlighting the social issues
addressed in the story, and make the otherwise political or mundane topics more interesting for
younger audiences. Fantastic Mr. Fox is not just a childrens book or movie, its so much more.