Pete's Dragon (1977)

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Pete's Dragon (1977)

A young dusty-haired orphan named Pete is fleeing his abusive adoptive hillbilly family, the Gogans. As Lena Gogan and company pursue him ("The Happiest Home in These Hills") an unseen force, which Pete calls Elliott, knocks the Gogans into a mud pit. Lena, her husband Merle, and their sons Grover and Willie are determined to find Pete because, in Lena's own words, "We paid $50 for that kid, and we ain't got fifty more." The lazy, inept and constantly-bickering Willie and Grover are told by their equally-heelish parents that "If we don't get him back, you two boys are gonna have to start workin' the farm with your own two hands."

The next morning Pete and Elliott, revealed to be a green and purple animated dragon who also has the power of invisibility, share breakfast ("Boo Bop Bop Bop Bop") and decide to visit a nearby village called Passamaquoddy. Due to the clumsy antics of the unseen Elliott, Pete is labeled a source of ill luck and must flee. Lampie, the drunken old lighthouse keeper, stumbles out of a tavern and encounters Pete. A mischievous Elliott makes himself visible to him and a terrified Lampie runs into the bar to warn the townsfolk ("I Swear I Saw a Dragon"). His capable daughter Nora takes him back to their home, the local lighthouse, settles him down and puts him to bed. Meanwhile, in a seaside cave, Pete rebukes Elliott for causing trouble. Just as the two make up Nora appears, having spotted Pete earlier. She offers Pete shelter and they talk ("It's Not Easy"). Pete is inquisitive and soon learns the story of Nora's fiancé, Paul, whose ship was reported lost at sea the previous year. Pete promises to ask Elliott about Paul and Nora accepts, believing Elliott to be an imaginary friend.

The next morning, Doc Terminus, a medicine showman, and his shill Hoagie haphazardly arrive and manage to win over the gullible townspeople, who are initially angered by their return ("Passamaquoddy"). That evening Pete visits Elliot and Nora thanks her father for pretending that the dragon exists. Lampie insists he actually saw a dragon and Nora tells him to be realistic, to which her father retorts that her hoping for Paul’s return is just as unrealistic. Lampie apologizes for his outburst and excuses himself, giving Nora time to think ("Candle on the Water"). At the tavern, Lampie tells Terminus and Hoagie about the dragon. Terminus dismisses the tale, but Hoagie agrees to go to the cave. After an encounter with Elliott (in which all three, including Elliott, become frightened) Hoagie offers the dragon some liquor as a gesture of peace, which triggers a fiery belch that chases the pair away.

The local fishermen complain about the recent scarcity of fish and believe Pete is the cause. Nora reminds them the fishing grounds shift, and that "There's Room For Everyone" in town. Nora takes Pete to school, where Pete is punished unfairly by the strict teacher as a result of Elliott's antics. An enraged Elliott smashes into the building. Doc Terminus, now convinced of Elliot's existence and having learned that dragon anatomy has many medicinal uses ("Every Little Piece"), makes Pete an offer for Elliott, which Pete refuses. Pete gladly accepts Nora and Lampie's offer to stay with them permanently ("Brazzle Dazzle Day"). The Gogans arrive in town and confront them ("Bill of Sale"), only to be firmly defied by Nora and thwarted by Elliot. Terminus makes a deal with the Gogans and convinces the superstitious locals that helping him capture the dragon will solve their problems.

That evening, a storm begins to blow. Pete tries to tell Nora the good news that Elliott has located Paul. However Nora, still believing that Pete has imagined Elliott, replies that Pete has no more need to believe in him. Even Lampie begins to doubt that he saw a dragon. Undeterred, Pete helps Nora prepare the lighthouse for the storm. Out at sea, a sailing ship is approaching Passamaquoddy, its captain assisted by Paul.

Terminus lures Pete to the town's boathouse, while Hoagie does the same to Elliott. At the boathouse, the invisible Elliott discovers Pete but is caught in an immense net. Elliott frees himself and rescues Pete from the Gogans before they can escape. He incinerates their "Bill of Sale," then douses them all with a barrel of tar before chasing them off. As Pete and Elliott celebrate, Terminus aims a harpoon gun at the distracted dragon, but the harpoon's rope is looped around his ankle and he is sent flying through the ceiling. After rebuking Terminus and Hoagie, Elliott saves the mayor and other dignitaries from a falling utility pole, revealing himself to the grateful townsfolk. Back at the lighthouse, the lamp has been extinguished by a storm-driven wave. Elliott returns and tries to light the lamp with his own fire. As he is doing so, Nora finally sees that Elliott is real. After several failures, due to the damp wick and the fact that Elliot's esophagus is squeezed it the lighhouse steps, the light is finally ignited and the ship is saved. The next morning the townsfolk praise Elliott for his help and Nora is reunited with Paul...who, it turns out, was the sole survivor of a shipwreck at Cape Hatteras. However, he suffered total amnesia due to his ordeal in the storm (Hurricane Belle). Then, one day recently, his bed suddenly tipped over (courtesy of an invisible Elliot); Paul bumped his head and regained his memory.

Sadly, now that Pete is safe and has a loving family of his own, Elliott reveals that he must move on. Pete and Elliott say their goodbyes and Elliott flies off to help other children. Before he goes, Pete reminds Elliott to "stay invisible".