James and the Giant Peach (1996)
80%RT Audience Score: 65%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 Oscar
4 wins & 13 nominations total
The arresting and dynamic visuals, offbeat details and light-as-air storytelling make James and the Giant Peach solid family entertainment
James and the Giant Peach is a wild ride that’s both whimsical and macabre, just like the book it’s based on. The animation is stunning, and the bizarre characters will keep you entertained from start to finish. Plus, that nightmare sequence? It’s a trip. While it may not be as flavorful as the book, it’s still a fun adaptation that’s perfect for a family movie night. Just don’t forget the popcorn!
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
Buena Vista Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
San Francisco, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for some frightening images
Year of Release
1996
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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:1h 20m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Apr 12, 1996 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 3, 2010
Genre(s)
Fantasy
Keyword(s)
starring Paul Terry, Joanna Lumley, Miriam Margolyes, Pete Postlethwaite, Simon Callow, Richard Dreyfuss, directed by Henry Selick, written by Roald Dahl, Karey Kirkpatrick, Jonathan Roberts, Steve Bloom, Fantasy, box office performance, budget, reviewed by David Ansen, Dave Kehr, Jeff Strickler, Anthony Lane, Jay Boyar, Steven Rea, Rachel Wagner, Zaki Hasan, Chris Wright, Roger Hurlburt, Tom Gliatto, produced by Tim Burton, Denise Di Novi, PG, stop-motion animation, live action, Roald Dahl, Karey Kirkpatrick, Jonathan Roberts, Steve Bloom, New York City, enchanted peach, talking insects, Buena Vista Pictures, Surround
Worldwide gross: $28,946,127
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $55,250,790
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,286
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 6,025,168
US/Canada gross: $28,946,127
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $55,250,790
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,026
US/Canada opening weekend: $7,539,098
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $14,390,219
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 813
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $38,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $72,532,329
Production budget ranking: 581
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $39,058,659
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$56,340,199
ROI to date (est.): -50%
ROI ranking: 1,692
Joanna Lumley – Aunt Spiker (Voice)
Miriam Margolyes – The Glowworm, Aunt Sponge (Voice)
Pete Postlethwaite – Old Man (Voice)
Simon Callow – Grasshopper (Voice)
Richard Dreyfuss – Centipede (Voice)
Director(s)
Henry Selick
Writer(s)
Roald Dahl, Karey Kirkpatrick, Jonathan Roberts, Steve Bloom
Producer(s)
Tim Burton, Denise Di Novi
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
4 wins & 13 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (75) | Top Critics (25) | Fresh (68) | Rotten (7)
Dahl himself thought his book would be impossible to translate into film, and for all the ingenuity that’s been thrown at the screen, perhaps he was right. This overgrown peach never ripens.
February 23, 2018
David Ansen
Newsweek
TOP CRITIC
The film is a technical tour de force, featuring a wealth of inventive design ideas. But James never develops the emotional dimension that Nightmare possessed.
November 11, 2014 | Rating: 3/4
Dave Kehr
New York Daily News
TOP CRITIC
A snappy, fun adaptation that entertains young viewers without speaking down to them.
November 11, 2014
Jeff Strickler
Minneapolis Star Tribune
TOP CRITIC
As a tribute to the cranky genius of Dahl, it’s both fond and, in the best sense, fruitful.
November 18, 2013
Anthony Lane
New Yorker
TOP CRITIC
This movie remembers what fun is.
November 18, 2013 | Rating: 4/5
Jay Boyar
Orlando Sentinel
TOP CRITIC
James and the Giant Peach shines with weird, whimsical invention.
November 18, 2013 | Rating: 3.5/4
Steven Rea
Philadelphia Inquirer
TOP CRITIC
Underrated animated film from director Henry Selick
November 14, 2021
Rachel Wagner
Rachel’s Reviews (YouTube)
…valiantly attempts to convey the amazement and childlike sense-of-wonder so characteristic of the late Dahl’s books, and while it does succeed occasionally, more often than not it falls flat.
April 12, 2019 | Rating: C
Zaki Hasan
Zaki’s Corner
This film adaptation of his James and the Giant Peach, though capturing Dahl’s comic brilliance, does not shy away from the tale’s surreal grimness.
November 11, 2014
Chris Wright
Boston Phoenix
A truly sinister fairy story laced with bizarre characters — both live-action and animated — James and the Giant Peach from Walt Disney Pictures is a stunning, if not markedly macabre, adaptation of author Roald Dahl’s best-selling 1961 book.
November 18, 2013
Roger Hurlburt
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
A brief nightmare sequence, which appears to be some sort of hallucinatory blend of collage and live action, is simply one of the greatest bits of animation I’ve ever seen.
November 18, 2013
Tom Gliatto
People Magazine
Ultimately, though, it isn’t nearly as flavorful as Roald Dahl’s deliciously perverse children’s book, upon which the movie is based.
November 18, 2013
Chris Kridler
Baltimore Sun…
Plot
James’ happy life at the English seaside is rudely ended when his parents are killed by a rhinoceros and he goes to live with his two horrid aunts. Daringly saving the life of a spider he comes into possession of magic boiled crocodile tongues, after which an enormous peach starts to grow in the garden. Venturing inside, he meets not only the spider but a number of new friends including a ladybug and a centipede who help him with his plan to try to get to New York.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels doesn’t say anything goofy or funny about the film James and the Giant Peach.
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