Heartwarming / An American Tail: Fievel Goes West

• While it might also serve as Nightmare Fuel, when Papa Mousekewitz sees Fievel fall from the train, he instinctively tries to go after him to save him as a Papa Wolf, only to be held back from doing so by Mama, Tanya, and some of the other mice passengers. One of them even shouts to him, "Don't be a fool, Mousekewitz!" Still got to give Papa credit for trying at least. He lost Fievel once, he wasn't going to lose him again.
  • Of course, their reunion once Fievel reaches Green River is heartwarming in itself as, this time around, the family knew Fievel would find his way back to them, not just Tanya like before.
• Tony and Bridget's quick Continuity Cameo showing that they're still together and have a baby.
• Tanya's song "Dreams to Dream". It is virtually completely pointless to the story, but is such a heartwarming scene. It's pretty telling when Cat R. Waul, who has been maintaining a very unflattering view of mice up to this point, hears it and is moved to tears. Not to mention when he gently picks her up, brings her to the saloon, and gives her a chance to live her dream of being a beloved singer. He is even more than happy to spare her of his true plot for the mice.
• Miss Kitty in general is this, she is a gruff but incredibly kindly woman who advises and protects Tanya closely as if she were her own daughter.
  • Her revealing that she still truly loves Tiger and misses him dearly, regretting ever leaving him. Later they reunite and stay together for the rest of the series!
• The ending, especially with the beautiful music underscoring it all. Fievel and Wylie Burp are watching the sunset and Wylie offers his badge to Fievel, but the mouse can't accept it because he's not a hero like Wylie. Wylie replies:
  "Maybe not. Maybe a real hero's the last to hear about it. But you pulled me out of a gutter, and for that I owe you some thanks. Just remember, Fievel: one man's sunset is another man's dawn. I don't know what's out there beyond those hills, but if you ride yonder, head up, eyes steady, heart open, I think one day you'll find that you're the hero you've been lookin' for."
  • Plus, Fievel flipping his hat back to the blue at the end was sweet, like he learned he could be a hero by being himself.
  • Especially touching is that this was Jimmy Stewart's final film role, with that closing speech effectively symbolizing the passing of the baton from his generation of actors to the next.