WELCOME! You have reached my Fox and the Hound Page. The main purpose of this page is to convey to you, the viewer, why this Disney film stands out from all the others. Over the course of this page, you will see how this movie has made a great impact on me, and hopefully on you! There will be a great abundance of factors that give this Disney film its value. The characters, of course, will be the most important. However, the lessons that can be learned from this movie are what makes it such a valuable and spectacular film. I hope you enjoy it! But before I start to really jump into the film, I would like to thank an internet member who has greatly been helping me to get my site going. He also uses tripod for his page on The Fox and the Hound. Thanks, Mario, for helping me to make this page possible! By the way, all pictures are property of the Disney company. Enjoy them! Click on a character to see more about them.
Introduction:
The main aspects of The Fox and the Hound that have really made it stand out from the others are: the lessons that it teaches its viewers, and the fact that the film was very quiet, yet dramatic at the same time. The drama is what gives this film its unique character. It did not follow the recipe of the villain, the comedy relief, and the many, completely overblown musical numbers which detract from the quality of the movie. It was simply an accurate portrayal of foxes, and the boundaries of society that are placed upon friendship. If you think that I'm going to merely discuss cutesy animals, think again! The Fox and the Hound actually has MEANING. It's one of the few Disney movies that a person, such as myself, can really relate to. Of course, it's sweet to see Cinderella put on that glass slipper and live happily ever after with her charming prince, but COME ON! There's only so much of that I can take! I could never sit and constantly watch Cinderella's fairy godmother miraculously turn a pumpkin into a coach. I guess it's kind of cute, but completely unrealistic! The great thing about The Fox and the Hound is that in addition to the drama within the story line, there is also a great deal of realism. The themes and the lessons that can be learned are based on real life issues such as friendship, racism, etc. Plus, the characters are very natural and they don't do ridiculous things that seem out of the ordinary. The characters will be discussed in more depth as this page progresses.
WARNING!!
Before you proceed to read beyond this point, I must warn you that the parts of the plot from the film will be revealed, although if you really want to get the most out of the film, I would highly recommend that you watch it as well. Once you see it, you'll want to see it again and again!
Plot Summary
The movie begins in the countryside (and remains in the country for the entire movie) right outside a forest/game preserve. A mother fox is seen holding her cub in her mouth while running from a pack of vicious hunting dogs heard in the background. The mother is forced to abandon her cub by hiding him by a fence post and runs off in the distance over a small hill. Seconds later, two gunshots are heard and she was shot. The fox cub was all alone. Big Mama, a mother owl has seen the entire display and attempts to find a new home for the fox. She succeeds by hiding him under the clothing of a widow, also living in the country setting. Widow Tweed was her character’s name (voiced by Jeanette Nolan). She immediately falls in love with the small fox cub and takes him in like he was her own son. Later, she names the fox cub Tod. Tod, like any baby animal, is curious about everything around him, so he can’t help getting into trouble. One day while exploring, Tod meets a young hound dog named Copper (owned by a rough-looking hunter named Amos Slade). Both Tod and Copper quickly become the best of friends and promise that they’ll be friends forever, but their friendship was short lived because of what Amos thought of Tod. He originally attempts to shoot the so called “thief” with his rifle, for Amos considers Tod an enemy and a dirty thief, while Tod only wants to explore and play. Tod is completely misunderstood by Amos, like many real foxes and other animals in the wild. When Tod and Copper meet again as adults, their friendship is in great danger. Copper explains to Tod that those days of friendship are over and that he’s now a full grown hunting dog. A second bout with Amos and his rifle forces Tod to run into the night over steep and rocky hills. Amos threatens the widow that he’ll kill the fox the first chance he gets. This forces the widow to abandon her only companion by releasing him back into the wild where he truly belongs. His collar of domesticity is removed and he is left to fend for himself. But he quickly finds companionship again when he meets Vixey (a female fox), also someone he belongs with. The two quickly become a couple in love and settle down in a burrow. Meanwhile, Amos swears the ultimate revenge upon Tod and so he takes Copper into the wild to smell Tod out. Copper and Tod, once best friends, are now forced to fight one another and become mortal enemies. Amos and Copper are attacked by a ferocious bear and Tod bravely comes to their rescue, only to be persued by the bear himself and sent hurling down a raging waterfall. Miraculously, Tod survives the fall with a little worse than total exhaustion, but only to be again confronted by Amos and his rifle. Only this time, Copper steps in front of Tod blocking Amos’s line of shot. With a convincing look from Copper, Amos lowers his rifle and allows Tod to live.
