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Friday, October 24, 2008

Big Pete: The Magical Dragon

By Fabian Toulouse

Released in 1977, "Pete's Dragon" is a live action, animated feature film. Using a radical new mixture of live-action and animation, the story centers on a young orphan boy named Pete and his dragon, Elliott. The movie was the first Disney feature film to be released on home video in 1980. Animators chose to make Elliott an oriental dragon as oriental dragons are associated with good fortune. In "Pete's Dragon," Elliott is a do-gooder, constantly trying to dragon do-gooder for the protection of a little orphan boy, and those in need.

In early 20th century Maine, a little orphan boy, Pete, runs away for his adoptive family, the evil Gogans. While the family looks for him, an invisible dragon named Elliott intervenes. Pete thanks Elliott and the two form a close friendship. It is then that Elliott reveals he can be invisible or visible when he chooses. Pete thinks Elliott should stay invisible for his own protection. As they travel further from the Gogans, they land in the fishing town of Passamaquoddy, where the town drunk, Lampie stumbles out of a tavern and sees Pete and Elliott, who were visible at the time. As he tells the townspeople, nobody believes him and Lampie is rescued by his grown-up, capable daughter, Nora. Lampie and Nora live in a lighthouse, where Nora keeps a lookout for her missing fianc, Paul, who has been lost at sea for almost a year, after a shipwreck.

Hiding in a sea cave, Pete and Elliott are soon discovered by the lighthouse keeper, Nora. While visiting the lighthouse, Pete spies a picture of Nora's fianc, Paul. Upon hearing how Paul was feared dead, Pete tells Nora his dragon, Elliott, can find him. Nora thinks that Elliott is an imaginary friend. Eventually, con men come to Passamaquoddy, who have learned of the dragon and try to persuade Pete to sell Elliott. The Gogans also wander into town trying to reclaim Pete. What follows madcap mania as each group tries to outdo the other.

Revealing himself to save the mayor and a schoolteacher from a falling electrical line, Elliot soon becomes the hero of the town. The dragon rushes to save a ship heading from the jagged coast. He rekindles the lighthouse lamp, allowing the ship to steer clear rocks -- this fiery rekindling reveals the dragon to Nora. The ship is saved and Elliott becomes a hero. Nora's fianc, Paul finally returns, the sole survivor of the shipwreck. Paul lost his memory until intervention by Elliott made it return and he was on the ship that Elliott saved.

When all the action dies down and life returns to normal, Nora and Paul ask Pete and Elliott come live with them. Pete is overjoyed, but Elliott insists he must move on. Since Pete is safe in a loving family, he must move on to help the next child in need. As the film ends, Pete bids his flying friend a bitter-sweet farewell.

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