The Initial Release (1994)
At a time when Disney had re-invented themselves, and the youthful audiences of the time had been introduced to both An American Tail and The Land Before Time, any new feature -length animation would have to be pretty special to stand-out. The David Kirschner led The Pagemaster was, unfortunately, something special that just wasn’t special enough. Spending three years in development with a team of animators from across the industry, the film was one of the first to merge traditional animation with real-life and CGI; not only was it one of the first, but it featured sequences in which all three are streamlined together on-screen, making it a technical wonder.
That said, the production was marred with legal trouble as Kirschner came under fire for wanting to be the only credited screenwriter when the original pitch was by a man named David Casci. Proceedings ended up quite heated, with it looking like the feature wouldn’t make a Christmas release window. Thankfully, it was settled with Kirscher, Casci and a third writer, Ernie Contreras, receiving credits. However, it was all somewhat in vain as coming out in the same year as The Lion King and The Land Before Time II, the film that suffers from right place, wrong time with a box office bomb that seen it and its franchise of toys and video games all swiftly taken off the market. The Pagemaster would join We’re Back! A Dinosaur’s Story and Rover Dangerfield as another animated classic that simply couldn’t challenge the two-headed dragon of Don Bluth and Disney in the cinema.
My Full Experience (1994 – 2014)
I have many great memories tied with The Pagemaster throughout my childhood. Starting with living in the wild midlands of Ireland in a town called Longford, I remember seeing it first when I was at the ripe old age of five. The details escape me as to whether or not it was on home video or in the small, falling-apart-but-still-charming local cinema but that particular detail doesn’t matter because the mezmerization I experienced at the hands of the bold colors and emotionally driven screenplay have stuck with me throughout the years in a very poignant manner. Throughout the years, from sitting in the sitting room (living room for non-Irish readers) watching the film three times a day on Cartoon Network (yup, that regularly), Pagemaster was a firm mascot of my childhood, and a steadfast comfort from the troubles therein.
Starring Macauley Culkin (in one of his last roles), the opening scenes in real life show a child whose terrified of his own shadow, and a pair of parents who aren’t sure how to help him be more courageous. Cue some slapstick humor involving a treehouse and Richard (Culkin) is sent on a mission to get more nails for said treehouse. On the way to acquire these nails, Richard is bullied for being so gripped by neurosis by fellow young’ins who are having fun on a ramp, and gets caught in a storm. This storm leads the terrified nipper into a library where he meets Christopher Lloyd’s exceedingly charming librarian and our actual story begins.
One of the more clever aspects I noticed watching the film again after more than a few years is that there’s no technology shown on-screen so the narrative doesn’t feel aged. Without a television, computer, game or even mention of modern technology of the time, there’s a timelessness to the real-life portion and the dialog, set-up and characters all feel basic but fleshed out enough to like, and believe, in them. But of course, it’s all about when we get to the library that makes or breaks the film. Thankfully, the animation still looks the absolute business.
Beginning with an all too creepy painting melting onto our protagonist, the paint then starts to expand and become a CGI dragon that chases young Richard through the library, turning the books and bookshelves into cartoon in its wake. This sequence still holds up very impressively as not only does it contain CGI, traditional animation and real life, but the transition still feels relatively seamless and when we’re introduced to cartoon Richard and his first book compatriot, Adventure, the steady pace feels natural and coherent. Once books start being opened and the contents coming to life, things do quicken, but only when needed to serve the at times bombastic action that keeps The Pagemaster moving.
What unfolds from here is a very charming story of one boy, his three books, Adventure, Fantasy and Horror, and the exploration of the written word brought to life. They travel through stories like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Treasure Island, Moby Dick and Gulliver’s Travels with nods and hints towards other literary classics along the way. Each chapter and ‘world’ has it’s own color palette and soundtrack changes that compliment the eccentric characters that our explorers encounter. It truly is the fantasy of anyone whose ever been mesmerized by a book and truly wanted to transport themselves into the words held therein. Moreover, the film makes it very clear that it acknowledges that when you’re young and perhaps a little different from most other children, books can be your only friend.
The repeated mantra of the film is ‘When in doubt, look to the books’, and although this can feel a little crass with repetition now I’m older, it does inspire you to want to read these age old standards in fiction. Horror’s silly charm, Fantasy’s loving sentimentality and Adventure’s brazen courage are very loveable together, and together slowly draw Richard out of his shell, with his story ultimately coming down to accepting that despite the risks, he can be brave and rise above. The more whimsical elements begin to seep in towards the second half of the film, when the final act bringing us towards the Pagemaster himself kicks in with the only piece of music that’s a song used in the film. Richard beats the dragon that brought him there, encounters the master, and the ensuing conversation is his realization that he can be courageous. Then he’s sent home where he happily checks out his book buddies and cycles home.
Once the film ends, you realize how short it is; at a little over an hour, it’s not exactly a long piece of cinema by any stretch. Without any singing numbers, a feature that gives Disney films their often greater length to flesh out certain aspects of the story and characters, there’s a more stripped back element to the story here; it’s exposition and well animated and written characters and set-pieces that give it its charm. And that charm still holds strong two decades later.
The Pagemaster is a film that still stands up, and is still one of the more underrated animated films of recent decades. It’s message about relying on books and the adventure that books can bring is a positive one, and one that cannot bear overstating. Good written stories are like lifelong friends you can call on at any time, anywhere, and good films are no different. Thankfully, this manages the latter while reminding you of the former, which is all the sweeter. When in doubt, look to the books indeed.
