The Snail and the Whale

""How I long to sail!" said the tiny snail."

2020 0h 26m EN

👍

6.6

SOLID

⭐

7.3

IMDB

★6.6TMDB · 51★7.3IMDB · 1,689

AnimationFamilyTV Movie

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A half hour animated film for all the family based on the much-loved book written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler. The Snail and the Whale is the much loved classic that shows us a restless young snail who has ambitions to travel the world. The other snails think she should stay put, but she puts out a call for a “Lift wanted around the world”. Eventually her call is answered by a great big grey-blue humpback whale! She sets off with him across the seas. On their journey the snail and the whale discover towering icebergs and far-off lands, fiery mountains and golden sands. The snail is delighted by the wonderful world around her, until she realises how small it makes her feel.

“"How I long to sail!" said the tiny snail.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Rob Brydon
Whale (voice)
Sally Hawkins
Snail (voice)
Diana Rigg
Narrator (voice)
Cariad Lloyd
Teacher (voice)
Max Lang
Fish (voice)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Max Lang
Writers: Suzanne Lang, Max Lang
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 26-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 6 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by René Aubry. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Rob Brydon and Sally Hawkins and Diana Rigg carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Marketing tagline: ""How I long to sail!" said the tiny snail.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt9303756 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 51 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Max Lang directs. René Aubry scores. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 26-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
2Released 6 years ago.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Original score by René Aubry. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Rob Brydon and Sally Hawkins and Diana Rigg carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: ""How I long to sail!" said the tiny snail.".
7IMDB entry: tt9303756 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 51 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
9Classified under 8 themes, including "based on novel or book", "whale", "cartoon", "based on children's book".

The technical file

Original score: René Aubry
Runtime: 26 min · 0h 26m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): G
IMDB: The Snail and the Whale (2020)
IMDB rating: 7.3/10 · 1,689 votes

Awards

5 wins & 2 nominations

NYICFF Audience Award
BAFTA's Children & Young People Award - Director
BAFTA's Children & Young People Award - Animation

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Max Lang

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2024-12-28
★ 7/10
Did you know that a group of snails is called a 'flock". Well it is in Julia Donaldson rhyming world and one of a group who live rather mundanely on an harbour rock dreams of going out to sea and exploring the world. Using it's very own snail-trail, it writes a message that attracts an enormous humpback whale who invites this tiny little gastropod to slide onto his tail and off they go. Luckily, he is quite adhesive so doesn't get washed off as his giant host takes him on an enjoyable trip for both us and the animators who get to present us with a submersible travelogue that shows the delights and dangers of the deep, has some fun with some hungry sharks and even manages to involve some human kids and some human kindness. This is a charmingly simple story that sort of encourages the grass is greener philosophy, but equally extols virtues of inter-reliance, friendship and courage. Maybe best not look at the whale snail scale too closely, but that's just a detail for this finely drawn film.

Production companies