Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) – a little… “different”

One of my personal favorite movies. Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) is a gorgeous stop-motion picture based on Roald Daul’s children’s novel about a Fox who can’t help but do what he does best: be sly, cunning, and wild. The story pulls at the heartstrings of the viewer with characters that can be sympathized for their relatable family dynamic but is held back by Fox’s constant need to impress and be “fantastic”. Fox meddles with the three most infamous farmers in the country: Boggis, Bunce, and Bean, who go on a tireless quest to get revenge on Fox and end up endangering all the other animals in the process.

There are a couple recurring themes and leitmotifs in this movie. The most obvious one is the theme for the three farmers. The theme is first introduced about 7 minutes into the movie, before Fox nor the audience even know who Boggis, Bunce, and Bean are. Only when Fox meets with his financial adviser is he given the whole scoop- and with it, we are given the origin of the music itself which is supposedly derived from a children’s song in the movie. Now that there are words to a theme the audience has already heard, the theme has added value by text. This theme is used constantly throughout the movie but it may be used in different contexts for different characters. For instance, Rat has his own variation of the theme that is whistled and is accompanied by Spanish-flavoured guitar work to give him his characteristic flair while still showing that he is working for Bean (or at least he thinks he is).

The other theme I particularly noticed during this viewing of the movie is one that is heard during multiple moments of connection, understanding, or sacrifice within the Fox family. It is in a major key and consists of a banjo ostinato that is joined by a xylophone. These timbres, in my opinion, give such a heartwarming “children’s book” emotion which is appropriate considering the text that the movie is based on, and also the way the movie deals directly with family-related issues. An example of when this music can be heard is when Mrs. Fox is giving Ash a talk about “[knowing] what it’s like to feel… different“. In this clip there’s no mallets, but the melodu is traded-off with another banjo and a flute. Both of these give a children’s song pastel aesthetic.

Finally, there are a couple uses of cultural references in the movie. The Beach Boys make multiple appearances in the movie: the first is during Foxy and Felicity’s last farm heist before they decide to hang up the criminal life (or at least, for the time). The song, “Heroes and Villians” is a classic ‘getaway’ soundtrack trope that has some ironic value when used with foxes behaving like humans. The music comes to an abrupt stop when Fox traps himself and his wife under the cage and they are seemingly doomed. Once Felicity drops the bomb that she is pregnant as well, Mr. Fox gives an exaggerated smile in the reaction shot to try and hide his shock. To add to the humor of the situation, the song kicks back in during this reaction shot which is adding to the chaos of the situation and is sort of helping Foxy to hide his panic.

There are just so many good things about this movie. The visuals, the writing, the casting… so I’m really glad to watch the movie again with music in mind for me to realize that the sound is just another part of the genius of the film. I had no doubts.