History WesternAnimation / TheWindInTheWillows1995

''The Wind in the Willows'' is a 1995 British AnimatedAdaptation of [[Literature/TheWindInTheWillows the classic 1908 novel of the same name]] by Kenneth Grahame. The film was directed by Dave Unwin and written by Ted Walker, and was produced by the now defunct TVC (Television Cartoons) in London.

* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: After Toad escapes from prison, he steals and crashes the Judge's car. After escaping the wreck, he sees a group of angry police officers come charging angrily up the hill to arrest him. Treating it like a game, he tauntingly tells them to "Catch me if you can!" The police are relentless however and chase him not only for the rest of the day but all the way to the riverbank. Cornered, the no longer laughing Toad was faced with the option of either being arrested again or jumping into the river. He chose the latter option where, thanks to his animal biology, he was alright.

* TheBigBad: Although the weasels, stoats and ferrets are usually grouped together as a whole, The Chief Weasel is usually given this status.

* DreamSequence: Rat's daydreams about sailing the Mediterranean.

* {{Fiction500}}: Averted with Toad, he may be rich but as Rat points out "he's not a millionaire".

* AdaptedOut: Rat decides to start wandering on his own, without the Sea-rat's encouragement, in this version.

* BookEnds: The film begins and ends with live action segments where a grandmother reads the novel to her grandchildren as they go for a boat trip on the river.

* ADogNamedDog: All the principal characters are either this or SpeciesSurname. (Since they only appear to have one name apiece, it's hard to tell which.)

* FleetingPassionateHobbies: A defining aspect of Toad.

* FurryConfusion: Not particularly strong, but the main cast are either about the same size or bigger than the stoats and weasels.

* LargeHam: Mr. Toad is usually played as this in any adaptation, but this one takes it up to eleven thanks to Rik Mayall.

* MediumBlending: Most of it is animated but there are two live action segments.

* MoralGuardians: As with many Wind in the Willows adaptations, Badger, who was a friend of Toad's late father appears to be something of this for Toad. Whilst he could have easily sat back and done nothing, he intervenes on Toad's behalf and acts in the latter's best interests. Ratty and Mole also count for the same reasons.
* MundaneFantastic: While Toad is the only animal to have extensive interaction with humans no one seems surprised at the sight of a bipedal talking toad who wears clothes.

** Later still, when Toad crashes the Judge's car, the police (who are still searching for him) are near enough to hear the crash and come rushing to the scene. Whilst some of them undoubtedly stayed to help the Judge and his driver, at least five members of the force went after Toad, chasing him for miles and miles until sunset. Toad only escaped them by jumping into the river, where the current carried him to safety.

* ScienceIsBad: Not science, exactly, but the rush of new fads for the rich, such as automobiles and aeroplanes.

* FelonyMisdemeanor: Toad'sprison sentence. Stealing the motor car is twelve months, while his reckless driving warrants three years and cheeking the police warrants fifteen years which adds up all together to nineteen years, which the judge then makes an even twenty.

* SatyrsAndFauns: The ArcadianInterlude subplot is resolved by Rat, who has visions of a satyr-like entity guiding him to Mr. Otter's MissingChild.

* AmbiguousDisorder: Toad's behavior matches up perfectly with bipolar disorder, though the film certainly doesn't call it that.

* LargeHam: Mr. Toad is usually played as this in any adaptation, but this one takes it UpToEleven thanks to Rik Mayall.

* DiscOneFinalBoss: The humans are the main antagonists for Toad for most of the movie, but after he escapes them, the weasels who took Toad Hall become the main villains the four must take on.

* FelonyMisdemeanor: Toad prison sentence. Stealing the motor car is twelve months, while his reckless driving warrants 'three years and cheeking the police warrants fifteen years which adds up all together to nineteen years, which the judge then makes an even twenty.
* {{Fiction500}}: Averted with Mr. Toad, he may be rich but as Rat points out "he's not a millionaire".

* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: After Toad escapes from prison, he steals and crashes the Judge's car. After escaping the wreck, he sees a group of angry police officers come charging angrily up the hill to arrest it. Treating it like a game, he tauntingly tells them to "Catch me if you can!" The police are relentless however and chase him not only for the rest of the day but all the way to the riverbank. Cornered, the no longer laughing Toad was faced with the option of either being arrested again or jumping into the river. He chose the latter option where, thanks to his animal biology, he was alright.

* LoveableRogue: Toad is considered an epitome of this. Although concieted, reckless and even [[KleptomaniacHero kleptomaniacal]] at one point, he genuinely cares for his friends and shows great humility and distress upon learning of the hardships they suffer on his account.
* MediumBlending: Most of it is animated but there are two live action segements.

* WhatMeasureIsANonCute / WickedWeasel: The weasels, and the related ferrets and stoats, are all nasty little crooks, sneaking into Toad Hall to take it over while Toad is out. They're eventually let go with a warning, though, as they promise to be good after being thrashed by Badger.

* WhatMeasureIsANonCute: The weasels, and the related ferrets and stoats, are all nasty little buggers, sneaking into Toad Hall to take it over while Toad is out. They're eventually let go with a warning, though, as they promise to be good after being thrashed by Badger.

* HeterosexualLifePartners: Mole and Rat.

* AscendedExtra: The judge. In this adaptation he happens to be the owner of the car that gives Toad a life in his washerwoman disguise.

* LargeHam: Mr. Toad is usually played as this in any adaptation.

* FatBastard: The corpulent judge who takes sadistic pleasure in sentencing Toad for a ridiculously long time.

'''''The Wind in the Willows''''' is a 1995 British AnimatedAdaptation of [[Literature/TheWindInTheWillows the classic 1908 novel of the same name]] by Kenneth Grahame. The film was directed by Dave Unwin and written by Ted Walker, and was produced by the now defunct TVC (Television Cartoons) in London.

* IdleRich: Toad. Like in the novel, he's a deconstruction of this trope has he has way too much time to devote to whatever hobby takes his interest.

* LoveableRogue: Toad is considered an epitome of this. Although concieted, reckless and even [[KleptomaniacalHero kleptomaniacal]] at one point, he genuinely cares for his friends and shows great humility and distress upon learning of the hardships they suffer on his account.

* {{Fiction500}}: Averted with Mr. Toad, he may be rich but as Rat points out "he's not a millionaire". note

It was well received by audiences and critics and a sequel, ''The Willows in Winter'', was made in 1996.

The film incorporates live action BookEnds with Creator/VanessaRedgrave as a grandmother (who also acts as the narrator), reading the original novel to her grandchildren as they go out for a boat trip together. The film [[MixedMedium changes into an animated setting]] as soon as the grandmother opens the book and stays that for most of the runtime until she closes it again.

* Fiction500: Averted with Mr. Toad, he may be rich but as Rat points out "he's not a millionaire". note

* FleetingPassionate Hobbies: A defining aspect of Toad.