Plaza Classic Film Festival: FernGully: The Last Rainforest

Plaza Classic Film Festival: FernGully: The Last Rainforest

The fairies of FernGully have enjoyed a tranquil, playful life in their lush rainforest largely due to naivete about the outside world. Though most fairies doubt the existence of humans, Crysta (Mathis) remains curious about these rumored beings. When she ventures outside the protective boundaries of her tight-knit community, she comes face-to-face with a man named Zak (Ward) and learns the threats of pollution and logging to FernGully. This was the first animated film that included the vocal talents of both Robin Williams (as Batty Koda) and Elton John (who debuted his song, “Some Other World”). It was inspired by the rainforests of Australia, which were carefully studied by cartoonists to create the colorful and lively backdrops. It had a significant impact on young children’s views of environmental threats. — Kristin Trick