Taglines: A new angle on the classic tale… and that’s no lie!
The Adventures of Pinocchio movie storyline. Long ago, Italian woodcarver Geppetto carves a heart into a pine tree, expressing his secret love for a woman named Leona whom he has been attracted to for years. When he leaves, lightning strikes the tree, imbuing the heart with magic.
Years later, the older Geppetto reunites with the remains of the tree and carves a puppet out of it, naming him Pinocchio. Due to the heart’s magic, Pinocchio comes to life, referring to Geppetto as his father. Pinocchio chases a pigeon outside, meeting Leona, and then a pair of thieves, Volpe and Felinet, who work for Lorenzini, a sinister theater director and puppet master, informing him of Pinocchio’s existence and sentience. Lorenzini tries to purchase Pinocchio, but Geppetto refuses to sell his son; due in part to their business rivalry and Lorenzini’s poor treatment of the puppets he buys.
Pinocchio climbs out of a window and wanders into town, joining a group of boys in school. He gets into a fight with the rowdy Lampwick, and when lies about it, his nose grows longer, and is kicked out of the class. In bitterness, Pinocchio ends up causing damage to a local bakery, and Geppetto is arrested as a result. Pinocchio flees home, meeting a talking cricket, Pepe, who tells Pinocchio to behave in order to become a real boy. The next day, Pinocchio and Geppetto are put on trial. Unless Geppetto pays a fine he will be imprisoned. Lorenzini enters, offering to pay off the debt if Pinocchio is given over to him. Geppetto reluctantly agrees.
Pinocchio becomes the star of Lorenzini’s shows and is given gold coins as payment. However, Pepe helps him discover that he is ultimately unloved by Lorenzini. Pinocchio rescues several of Geppetto’s puppets from being deliberately burnt, unintentionally setting Lorenzini’s theater alight. He then leaps into a river and flees to the forest, where he decides to live. Felinet and Volpe find him, swindling him out of his coins. Pinocchio spots a stage coach passing by carrying Lampwick and other boys, travelling to Terra Magica, a hidden funfair for boys to do as they please. Meanwhile, Geppetto and Leona have been tracking down Pinocchio, lose track of him, and Geppetto rows out to sea upon finding Pinocchio’s hat on a beach.
The Adventures of Pinocchio is a 1996 American fantasy adventure film based on Carlo Collodi’s original novel of the same name co-written and directed by Steve Barron. Barron collaborated with Sherry Mills, Tom Bender and Barry Berman on the screenplay. The film was an American, British, French, Czech and German venture produced by New Line Cinema, The Kushner-Locke Company, Savoy Pictures, Pangaea Holdings and Twin Continental Films. The film stars Martin Landau, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Rob Schneider, Udo Kier, Bebe Neuwirth, David Doyle and Geneviève Bujold.
The Adventures of Pinocchio (1996)
Directed by: Steve Barron
Starring: Martin Landau, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Rob Schneider, Udo Kier, Bebe Neuwirth, David Doyle, Geneviève Bujold, Dawn French, Jean-Claude Dreyfus, John Sessions
Screenplay by: Sherry Mills, Steve Barron, Tom Benedek, Barry Berman
Production Design by: Allan Cameron
Cinematography by: Juan Ruiz Anchía
Film Editing by: Sean Barton
Costume Design by: Maurizio Millenotti
Art Direction by: Jirí Matolín, Ian Reade-Hill, Tony Reading
Music by: Rachel Portman
MPAA Rating: G for all audience.
Distributed by: New Line Cinema
Release Date: July 26, 1996
Views: 208
