Between 1986 (starting with 'Santabear's First Christmas', very good) and 1994 (ending with 'The Lion and the Lamb', outstanding), Rabbit Ears Productions produced seven "Holiday Classics". The most popular holiday was Christmas, with there being only two Thanksgiving "Holiday Classics" and no Halloween ones. 1991's 'Squanto and the First Thanksgiving' is one of the two Thanksgiving ones and the better known of the two.
While pleasant enough, 'Squanto and the First Thanksgiving' was a slight disappointment and gets my vote as the weakest of the "Holiday Classics". My personal favourite being 'The Lion and the Lamb'. Did have reservations with 1992's 'The Night Before Christmas' with its adapting of the prose, but it did engage me more and the narration appealed to me more. By all means, 'Squanto and the First Thanksgiving' is not bad at all by any stretch, the company was just capable of brilliance and this fell short of that.
Am going to start with the good things, which are many. It is beautifully drawn, with many vivid colours and rich attention to detail. The music is gentle yet at times subtly stirring. The prose is honest, well meaning and never awkward, while never talking down to either children or adults. It is also never too complicated for the former or too juvenile for the latter.
Much of the story is poignantly and charmingly done, the spirit of Thanksgiving is intriguingly and beautifully captured and the titular character is relatable. Generally, Graham Greene does a nice job with the narration, there is a gentle nobility that fits the story's tone well.
The execution isn't perfect however. 'Squanto and the First Thanksgiving' is noticeably more slower paced than most Rabbit Ears Productions adaptations and there were instances early on where it felt a little too deliberate which made the story feel slightly padded.
Greene does well on the whole, but other narrators in the company's filmography were more consistently engaging. Greene's delivery could have done with a little more variety of expression, as there are times where it sounds too much of one tone.
Overall though, pleasant enough. Just not one of my favourites. 7/10.
While pleasant enough, 'Squanto and the First Thanksgiving' was a slight disappointment and gets my vote as the weakest of the "Holiday Classics". My personal favourite being 'The Lion and the Lamb'. Did have reservations with 1992's 'The Night Before Christmas' with its adapting of the prose, but it did engage me more and the narration appealed to me more. By all means, 'Squanto and the First Thanksgiving' is not bad at all by any stretch, the company was just capable of brilliance and this fell short of that.
Am going to start with the good things, which are many. It is beautifully drawn, with many vivid colours and rich attention to detail. The music is gentle yet at times subtly stirring. The prose is honest, well meaning and never awkward, while never talking down to either children or adults. It is also never too complicated for the former or too juvenile for the latter.
Much of the story is poignantly and charmingly done, the spirit of Thanksgiving is intriguingly and beautifully captured and the titular character is relatable. Generally, Graham Greene does a nice job with the narration, there is a gentle nobility that fits the story's tone well.
The execution isn't perfect however. 'Squanto and the First Thanksgiving' is noticeably more slower paced than most Rabbit Ears Productions adaptations and there were instances early on where it felt a little too deliberate which made the story feel slightly padded.
Greene does well on the whole, but other narrators in the company's filmography were more consistently engaging. Greene's delivery could have done with a little more variety of expression, as there are times where it sounds too much of one tone.
Overall though, pleasant enough. Just not one of my favourites. 7/10.
