Ernest & Célestine (2014)
93%RT Audience Score: 88%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 Oscar
14 wins & 15 nominations total
Ernest & Celestine is a delightful and heartwarming film that captures the essence of childhood innocence and friendship. The hand-drawn, watercolour aesthetic creates a world that is both impressionistic and lived in, with a warm glow that emanates from every frame. The film’s clever tale of opposites is infused with a dark strand of humour and sly visual gags that will keep both kids and adults entertained. The attention to detail and faithful cinematography make this film a true treasure, and the simple message about friendship is beautifully conveyed without pretense. Ernest & Celestine is a must-see for anyone who appreciates the art of animation and the power of storytelling.
Ernest & Celestine is like a warm hug from your favorite childhood stuffed animal. The watercolor animation is so beautiful, it’s like watching a painting come to life. And the story of two unlikely friends learning to accept each other’s differences is heartwarming and funny. It’s the perfect movie to watch with your little ones, or just to feel like a kid again yourself. Plus, who doesn’t love a movie with a tooth-obsessed mouse?
Production Company(ies)
La Parti Productions, Les Armateurs Maybe Movies
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for some scary moments
Year of Release
2014
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:NA
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Language(s):French, English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:NA
Genre(s)
Animation/Family
Keyword(s)
animated, family, friendship, watercolor, charming, sweet, visually delightful, old-fashioned, Vincent Patar, directed by, Lambert Wilson, Pauline Brunner, Anne-Marie Loop, Patrice Melennec, written by, critic reviews, Philippa Hawker, Eddie Cockrell, Joe Williams, Bill Goodykoontz, Josh Kupecki, Steven Rea, Richard Propes, Mattie Lucas, Ryan Syrek, Andrew Latimer, Debbie Baldwin, genre, box office performance, budget, producer names, MPAA rating, Ernest & Celestine, audience score, Tomatometer, reviewed by, critic consensus, animation lovers, Disney-dominated marketplace, kids, mini mouse, childhood sweetness, visual motif, beautifully illustrated, children’s book, grandparent-grandchild outing, wholesome message, Butch and Sundance antics, gentle style, subtle-yet-vibrant music
Worldwide gross: $8,111,137
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $10,136,871
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,963
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 1,105,438
US/Canada gross: $262,075
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $327,528
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,432
US/Canada opening weekend: $13,078
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $16,344
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,578
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): 9600000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $11,997,573
Production budget ranking: 1,597
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $6,460,693
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$8,321,396
ROI to date (est.): -45%
ROI ranking: 1,655
Pauline Brunner – Celestine
Anne-Marie Loop – The Gray One
Patrice Melennec – The Dentist
Vincent Patar – Director
Director(s)
Vincent Patar
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
NA
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
14 wins & 15 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (81) | Top Critics (30) | Fresh (79) | Rotten (2)
From its opening credits, [it] proclaims its hand-drawn, delicate, watercolour aesthetic. But it’s not all sweetness and light: there’s a dark strand of humour and some sly visual gags in this clever tale of opposites.
June 19, 2014 | Rating: 3.5/5
Philippa Hawker
The Age (Australia)
TOP CRITIC
Two styles combine to create a world at once impressionistic and lived in, infused with the kind of warm glow which emanates from a cosy fireplace.
June 19, 2014 | Rating: 4/5
Eddie Cockrell
The Australian
TOP CRITIC
Ernest learns to share, Celestine learns to a paint – and the audience learns that in a Disney-dominated marketplace, kids are still free to choose their own mini mouse.
April 10, 2014 | Rating: 3/4
Joe Williams
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
TOP CRITIC
“Ernest & Celestine” draws on plenty of classics, animated and otherwise, for inspiration, but the film manages to be delightful on its own offbeat terms.
April 3, 2014 | Rating: 4/5
Bill Goodykoontz
Arizona Republic
TOP CRITIC
The pace and the style of E&C, not to mention its wonderful attention to detail, lift the film from being merely sweet to being something special.
April 3, 2014 | Rating: 3.5/5
Josh Kupecki
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Ernest & Celestine is a genuine charmer for kids, and for the parental units tagging alongside.
March 28, 2014 | Rating: 3.5/4
Steven Rea
Philadelphia Inquirer
TOP CRITIC
A beautifully presented and emotionally resonant message about friendship and how friendship doesn’t have to look exactly like you.
September 7, 2020 | Rating: 4.0/4.0
Richard Propes
TheIndependentCritic.com
A simple message, beautifully conveyed without pretense, wrapped up in one of this year’s animated treasures.
August 7, 2019 | Rating: 3/4
Mattie Lucas
From the Front Row
Ernest & Celestine is pure childhood sweetness, with a visual motif that makes it feel like someone just finished sketching it in front of you.
August 6, 2019 | Rating: B+
Ryan Syrek
The Reader (Omaha, NE)
Their decision to use watercolour techniques, in-keeping with the original illustrations, produces a warm and loving adaptation which appeals to the value of faithful cinematography.
February 6, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
Andrew Latimer
CineVue
Watching this film is like reading a beautifully illustrated children’s book. It’s charming and beautiful with a touching and simple message. This is the absolute perfect film for a grandparent-grandchild outing.
November 1, 2018 | Rating: 8/10
Debbie Baldwin
Ladue News
A curious blend of charm and tooth-obsessed strangeness, with a wholesome message about friendship that’s somewhat tainted by the characters’ Butch and Sundance antics, but illustrated in a gentle style with wonderfully subtle-yet-vibrant music.
April 3, 2016 | Rating: B-
James Plath
Family Home Theater…
Plot
There is a world where the Bears live above ground in their cities and the rodents live below in their underground ones in mutual fear and hate. However, Celestine, an apprentice mouse dentist, finds at least momentary common cause with Ernest, a poor street Bear musician, that gets them rejected from both their respective worlds. In spite of this misfortune, the exiles find a growing friendship between themselves as their respective talents flower because of it. Despite this, their quietly profound challenge to the founding prejudices of their worlds cannot be ignored as the authorities track them down. When that happens, Ernest and Celestine must stand up for their love in the face of such bigotry and achieve the impossible.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
From its hand-drawn, delicate, watercolor aesthetic to its dark strand of humor and sly visual gags, Ernest & Celestine offers old-fashioned delights for animation lovers of all ages.
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