Heartwarming / The Rescuers

This is the heart of someone you'd want to rescue.

• There’s something endearing about Bernard singing the Rescue Aid Society anthem. Although he’s just a janitor at this point, he still considered himself to be a member of the RAS before he went on his first mission. It could also indicate that he wanted to be an agent, but resigned himself to janitorial duties due to lack of confidence at first.
  • A small one just before this: Bernard can be seen greeting the other delegates as they arrive. The first to acknowledge him are the French, Soviet, and German ambassadors.
• Bernard trying to convince the Chairman that the mission is too dangerous for Miss Bianca, and she is clearly touched by his concern. You can also tell that this is where she fancies Bernard from that point onward. It goes to the next level when she chooses him to be her co-agent instead of all of the others because he cares about her as a person, not just because she is beautiful and well-bred.
  • Equally heartwarming are the reactions of the other delegates by this curveball of a decision. Rather than react with envy or jealousy towards the lowly janitor who somehow has won the attention of Miss Bianca without even trying, they cheer (in contrast to the Chairmouse, who's been very dismissive of Bernard). In fact, only the Chairmouse expresses annoyance at Bernard's lack of finesse, while the rest of the congregation find him amusing, meaning he's seen as kind of a mascot. Add in the fact that he quickly proves himself to be more competent than even he thinks he is, and it's little wonder he's promoted to American representative by the sequel.
  • Hell, the entire relationship between Bernard and Bianca is full of heartwarming moments. They balance each other out super well, despite their differences in personality, and they work well as a team, just like Bianca said they would.
• Rufus's flashback to when he last saw Penny, alone on her bed, sad because she wasn't adopted, and comforts her with his "Faith is a Bluebird" poem. The music that plays in this scene is also tear jerking. As is Penny saying "I love you, Rufus" while petting the grandfatherly cat. Rufus' contented purring is the cherry on top.
• If 'Faith is a Bluebird' doesn't make you tear up a little...

  Faith is a bluebird you see from afar.

  It's for real, and as true as the first evening star.

  You can't touch it, or buy it, or wrap it up tight;

  But it's there just the same, making things turn out right.

• Rufus, when he learns that the mice are looking for Penny, tells them everything he knows. He gives them a lead: a "weird lady" who runs "a sleazy pawn shop down the street" wanted to give Penny a ride, but Penny wouldn't have anything to do with her. Bernard and Bianca realize what this must mean — that Penny didn't run away, she was kidnapped — and go to the pawnshop, thanking Rufus for his help. He's doubtful they can do much to save her, but looks hopeful regardless.
  • Overlapping with awesome is Bernard's assessment of the situation — a little girl is likely in trouble, and he and Bianca have to help her. He might have just been a janitor until Bianca called on him to be her partner, but he won't let that stop him from doing his all to help someone in need.
• A sweet moment when Bernard tells Miss Bianca there are thirteen steps on the staircase onto Orville's back. Rather than look impatient or as though she thinks he's being silly, Miss Bianca simply chuckles and suggests he jump the last one.
• The "Tomorrow is Another Day" montage, which shows Bianca and Bernard starting to bond.
• Miss Bianca cuddling up with Bernard on their way to Louisiana. They end up falling asleep snuggled together.
  • Also her telling Orville he flies beautifully.
• When they fall out of Orville, whose tail-feathers are on fire, Bernard's first priority is for Bianca's safety. He struggles to keep her on the bird, and then falls with her. Doubling as a Moment of Awesome, he manages to grab her, open his umbrella, and assume a skydiving position to go with the Parasol Parachute. This slows down their fall sufficiently so that they're only winded and waterlogged when the umbrella fails a few inches off the ground.
• When Evinrude is piloting the boat the first time, he gets winded after Bianca and Bernard think they lost sight of Penny being taken back to Medusa’s boat. When Bianca falls overboard, though, he pushes through another run to help Bernard save Bianca.
• During the organ-playing sequence, Bernard tries to save both Bianca and her hat, going out of his way to retrieve it as Brutus and Nero blow them around the pipes and making a life-threatening situation even more life-threatening for him. When it eventually gets snagged on one of the alligators' claws, he flattens Bianca against the inside of the pipe to shield her from harm, and the two end up clinging to each other in an embrace.
• Penny praying, not only for herself, but for her teddy, Rufus, and all the kids at her orphanage, and that she and they will all find happy homes and be adopted by new families.
• The entirety of 'Someone's Waiting For You'. Some of the most gorgeous lyrics ever; not even necessarily the most poetic, but beautiful in their simplicity, and sung with an incredible amount of emotion.

  Be brave, little one... make a wish for each sad little tear... hold your head up, though no one is near; someone's waiting for you...

• Bianca and Bernard reveal themselves to Penny and say they're busting her and Teddy out of there. She takes to it, just telling them they need to get past Brutus and Nero. Soon they're excitedly planning, with Penny coming up with ideas to cause distractions.
• Bernard's protectiveness of both Bianca and Penny is also on display during their attempts to retrieve the Devil's Eye from the pirate cave. Despite being frightened by what he sees in the hole from which the rising tide enters the cave, he still runs ahead of Bianca and puts his own life on the line to try to find a safe way across himself. For her own part, Bianca also demonstrates how deeply she cares for Bernard's well-being when she unhesitatingly runs over to pull him up when he nearly falls in the hole. Lastly, Penny herself does not hesitate to assist the mice when they are having trouble prying the diamond free even as the tide inundates the cave, and she grabs them when they almost get sucked into a whirlpool despite her own life being on the line as well.
• Penny finally being adopted at the end, finding the loving home and parents she had longed so much for as her friends cheer them on. Also, the reporter stating that this is more important that the largest diamond in the world being recovered.
  • During the interview, Penny says that two mice from the Rescue Aid Society helped her escape from Medusa and Snoops. She calls out to them on television, while the duo gives a wave. The reporter takes it in stride, questioning Penny seriously about the mice.
• The whole rescue attempt that ultimately proves successful for Penny. Ellie Mae and Luke reveal they've been wanting to rescue Penny for ages, but haven't figured out how; when Bernard and Bianca explain they're here to help, the two creatures gather up their animal friends and prepare to lead a charge on the ship. The minute Evinrude shows up utterly spent, and Luke revives him with some moonshine, the little dragonfly leads the charge, and everyone rushes out immediately to storm Medusa's riverboat. They focus all their efforts on distracting Medusa or incapacitating her so Penny can make a safe getaway.
• Luke is shown to be a generous fella, if somewhat ditzy. He gives Bernard some homemade moonshine to help revive him from the crash landing, offers a drop to Evinrude, and is convinced to give up the whole bottle when the swampmobile needs gas.
• Despite their first trip ending with Orville getting shot down by fireworks and then sucked into the Swampmobile's engine, leaving him a smoky mess he's not only willing to take them on another adventure but even takes them out in the middle of a snowstorm that he can barely take off in. In fact the sequel suggests Orville would be Bernard and Bianca's go to transport for all missions for years to come.