James and the Giant Peach
Seen it?1996 | 79 min | Family, Animation, Adventure, Fantasy
Saturday SpecialWhy it’s a Saturday Special
Critics loved it (91% on Rotten Tomatoes) and it's still drawing plenty of interest. A strong pick for the weekend.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for fantasy fans, adventure fans and families. If you loved Coraline, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Feel-good.
- The pace
- Moves along nicely, at 1 hr 19 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated PG: scary moments. Worth a look first if you have very young kids.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
When the young orphan boy James spills a magic bag of crocodile tongues, he finds himself in possession of a giant peach that flies him away to strange lands.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
91% on Rotten Tomatoes, 78 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
6.6 out of 10
- AwardsSolid
Nominated for 1 Oscar.
- Box office & staying powerSolid
$38 million worldwide on a $38 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactStrong
About 293K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Henry Selick
- Paul TerryJames Henry Trotter
- Miriam MargolyesAunt Sponge / Glowworm (voice)
- Joanna LumleyAunt Spiker
- Pete PostlethwaiteThe Magic Man
- Simon CallowGrasshopper (voice)
- Richard DreyfussCentipede (voice)
- Jane LeevesLadybug (voice)
- Susan SarandonMiss Spider (voice)
- David ThewlisEarthworm (voice)
- Steven CulpJames' Father