The Land Before Time (1988) | First Time Watching | Movie Reaction

[@martin43427]

R.I.P. Judith Barsi (voiced Ducky). Taken from us far too young in such a tragic manner. Didn’t even get to see her work once the film was released. Her performance as Ducky is so endearing and beautifully sweet that I will always associate her with the character of Ducky. A huge fan favorite.

[@AR-yd2nd]

I didn't know about her story...

[@t.c.thompson2359]

​@@AR-yd2ndshe's also Anne Marie in ADGTH.

[@solongdentahlplaan7975]

Seriously teared up when Ducky started talking.😢

[@BurnDem101]

So so sad. On her gravestone it says "Our concrete angel. Yep yep yep!"

[@jessediaz1293]

One of the saddest things when I read about her and the way she died. 😢

[@martythetickler]

Don Bluth's philosophy was that children can handle pretty much anything as long as a happy ending is attached.

[@ulfrinn8783]

Don Bluth stuff was generally way better than Disney.

[@mnomadvfx]

@@ulfrinn8783 Bluth's work was better simply because he didn't treat children as fragile idiots. IMHO he and Ghibli laid the groundwork for Pixar to do what Disney wouldn't. I don't augur a bright future for Pixar under the crack of Disney's corporate and risk averse whip without John Lasseter's creative guiding hand (even if it did occasionally stray where it shouldn't have).

[@ShadowSkyX]

​@@mnomadvfx reminder he also did Anastasia.

[@viperdemonz-jenkins]

he was correct.

[@Wolfmyth100]

But us adults can't....show us sad scenes from movies from our childhood and we turn into blubbery messes..

[@Karaokuma]

"How is this a kid's movie?!" Because, at one time, filmmakers took their young audiences seriously. They were more interested in providing children with wisdom and lessons than making a profit, and they wanted adults to enjoy the films they made too. That's why the 1980s-1990s is considered the best time for family entertainment.

[@pickleboy6059]

It wasn’t originally, it was for adualts. But made all sequent films more kid friendly due to all the parents taking their kids to see it

[@vtown5630]

💯

[@Karaokuma]

@@zeroskaterz92 Can you come up with a better one, or do you just go around insulting people who actually have opinions?

[@zeroskaterz92]

@@Karaokuma Because you're full of shii acting like recent animated movies didn't provide wisdom and lessons no different than the 80s-90s. But sure keep bs-ing yourself with that take.

[@zeroskaterz92]

@@Karaokuma Because you're acting like recent animated movies don't give wisdoms and lessons no different than in the 80s-90s. What a load of bs. Typical response when someone called out on your bs now suddenly it's "how dare you against muh opinion" like you're the only one in this world to have opinion and everyone has to agree with you. Get off your high horse princess.

[@Trikeboy2]

"How is this a kid's movie?" Don Bluth didn't treat children like morons that are easily distracted by flashy colours. He knew that children are smarter than people give them credit.

[@Outrider85]

At least until he made Troll in Central Park. By then he just gave up and did bright colors and jingling keys.

[@starkdilemma4916]

Well... sadly, movies like this were a psy-op to acclimate children to living without their parents, and to get them ready for a solitary life. Ever notice how in almost every children's movie, there are no happily married parents?

[@nthdgree5078]

I met Don Bluth at a convention a few weeks ago and we were talking about The Secret of NIMH. I said it was really cool how these movies were pretty frightening to we children that grew up on them and he said, of course, how do kids’ movies have any stakes if they aren’t dangerous?

[@SSgtJ0hns0n]

NGL, this kinda fucked me up as a kid. Watching Littlefoot's mom die made me appreciate my mom a hella lot more; I think she already knew what impact it would have on me.

[@wingedswordslayer]

Sometimes this actually backfired too. I remember Titan A.E's. marketing being a trashfire and being completely disassociated from what the movie actually was.

[@danielcody7568]

27:44 Because Don Bluth doesn’t believe in protecting children (or adults) from feeling deep feelings, especially fear and sadness. That’s why. He does balance it out with feelings of deep joy and a happy resolution. But you won’t feel as joyous and satisfied as you should at the end of the movie if you didn’t get very scared, sad, and angry on the way there.

[@CannonRaw]

I believe it's a quote attributed to him. "Children can handle any story, they just need a happy ending." As I've gotten older I can see this being true.

[@crystalgemgirl731]

I agree.

[@sathvamp1]

Speaking of not protecting children "(or adults)" from deep feelings, I sure had a much more tearful reaction to this as an ADULT compared to as a child actually. I personally last saw this (before recently as an adult) around age 12 (over and over, so when I RE-watched it a few years ago as a ~30-year-old adult, I remembered EVERYTHING about it perfectly)... but when I saw it as a KID I actually can't remember crying watching it even though I was definitely sad. I've never been prone to crying in general... so actually UNTIL I saw "Inside Out" at around age 30, I couldn't remember crying to ANY movie BEFORE "Inside Out", and "Inside Out" really surprised me in terms of "sneak-attack" triggering tears from me in such a way that made me notice the feel-good brain endorphins that can sometimes come at the same time (yes it's a thing.. I did a lot of research on it after that since I was so surprised by the fact I WANTED to find MORE tearjerker movies after "Inside Out"!) But given how NOT prone to crying I was, it took a WHILE (like a few more years) for me to find any movies that "did the same thing that "Inside Out" did to me". The first one was "Interstellar" and then a good half-year after that.... I re-discovered THIS movie (The Land Before Time). I never had such a strong reaction as I did during my adulthood re-watch of this movie. I actually started tearing up even during the first few minutes of the movie partly just because of the nostalgia impact. Then, during *that* scene, I went and locked my room door and accepted the flood that came.

[@danielcody7568]

@@sathvamp1 I think it can hit harder as an adult since we’ve experienced a lot of these things, like a tragic loss of a friend or family member. A kid probably hasn’t yet experienced those things, so something like death is an abstract concept to them that they know exists yet can’t fully understand. If you’re looking for another tear-jerker movie, I recommend watching “A Dog’s Purpose” if you haven’t seen it yet. It’s alternating happy/sad tears for the whole of the runtime, for me at least.

[@CKProductions-07]

And back before hollywood started the brianrot tend to gen z kids that made them entitle, and kind of dumb. I remember growing up with The Land Before Time films as a young child and the franchise still holds up. Even 33 yrs old Littlefoot's mom's death hits so much harder as an adult than I remember. This is why this film going to be turning 40 in 4 years still holds the test of time. And song 'Always there' in the 5th installment is Littlefoot singing about his mom. When I was a kid, I thought he was talking about his grandmother, but now, as an adult, the dude was singing about his mom, whom he had never talked about up until that moment in Mysterious Island. Teach your kids on Land Before Time guys. And none of these entitlement messages that are going around in kids' movies these days rot your children's brains.

[@brandonhill2183]

I haven't seen this movie in 30 years....and as a grown ass man....i still shed a few tears to it.....a lot of old feelings

[@Jon-yn4pq]

Especially since our own parents are getting up there in years now. Incredibly sad watching your parents become old and struggle.

[@Traveler89_89]

I’m crying right now 😭

[@RockingSanta]

Same here.. Big buff man ,crying… 😂 This one makes me feel so much.

[@sathvamp1]

I can SO relate, and I had a much more tearful reaction to this as an ADULT compared to as a child actually. I personally last saw this (before recently as an adult) around age 12 (over and over, so when I RE-watched it a few years ago as a ~30-year-old adult, I remembered EVERYTHING about it perfectly)... but when I saw it as a KID I actually can't remember crying watching it even though I was definitely sad. I've never been prone to crying in general... so actually UNTIL I saw "Inside Out" at around age 30, I couldn't remember crying to ANY movie BEFORE "Inside Out", and "Inside Out" really surprised me in terms of "sneak-attack" triggering tears from me in such a way that made me notice the feel-good brain endorphins that can sometimes come at the same time (yes it's a thing.. I did a lot of research on it after that since I was so surprised by the fact I WANTED to find MORE tearjerker movies after "Inside Out"!) But given how NOT prone to crying I was, it took a WHILE (like a few more years) for me to find any movies that "did the same thing that "Inside Out" did to me". The first one was "Interstellar" and then a good half-year after that.... I re-discovered THIS movie (The Land Before Time). I never had such a strong reaction as I did during my adulthood re-watch of this movie. I actually started tearing up even during the first few minutes of the movie partly just because of the nostalgia impact. Then, during *that* scene, I went and locked my room door and accepted the flood that came.

[@stevenescamilla9277]

My dad couldn't watch it. As a grown man I can't even watch it. Maybe as a kid but not now.

[@t.c.thompson2359]

Everyone at my elementary school all went around saying "Yep! Yep! Yep!" After the whole school was showed this movie one day.

[@t.c.thompson2359]

I think this was 30 years ago too.

[@zumwansi6734]

It's still my go to response when saying yes to this day

[@poolhall9632]

@@t.c.thompson2359can confirm - older than 30.

[@doragonsureia7288]

I do it sometimes nowadays! 😅

[@starvein8841]

Ducky's voice actress died in a double murder-suicide committed in their home by her father. Her grave says "yep yep yep".

[@guitarman0365]

mufasa , littlefoot's mama , and bambi's mama will always go down as the trinity of sadness for us 90's kids.

[@massomouse1556]

And what about Anne Marie as she held Charlie as he went up to dog heaven@@guitarman0365 ?

[@patrickb4750]

Just slightly outside of the 90s, but I remember feeling crushed when the ant died defending the children from the scorpion in 'Honey I Shrunk the Kids' (1989) 😭

[@MGmirkin]

Artax: "Am I a joke to you??"

[@patrickb4750]

@@MGmirkin The pinnacle of childhood trauma... of the 80s.

[@ShadowSkyX]

I watched Bambi so much I became mostly desensitized to her death. Still a little sad but i had stopped dropping the tears. Being off screen makes it less impactful now as an adult, but it's bambi's sadness at being told she won't be with him anymore that sticks. Those movies I watched as a 5-8 year old definitely reinforced empathy because death existed in them. The characters growing from it and not being consumed by the fear that it happened is an important lesson we all need to remember and be taught. That things beyond our control can and will happen. Finding a scapegoat to blame instead helps no one. Most anymore seem incapable of getting past the shock of the deaths. That in itself just comes off as a potential symptom of being too babied and sheltered. Kids cry, and that's OK. Let them. Sometimes they need to sit through uncomfortable things they don't like. There was a scene in Beauty and the beast I didn't like as a kid, when he yelled at Belle and slammed the door. It was too uncomfortable, loud, and scary. I was too young to connect that it was too much like my home life; at that young of an age, that comparison and reason never clicked together. My brother caught on i was using the bathroom as an excuse to avoid that part, so he made me sit there during that part the next time we watched the movie until I stopped trying to make excuses to leave. After 3 or so watches, I was finally able to sit through it with minimum discomfort. Did I hate him for it? For awhile yeah. As an adult I appreciate what he did to try and help me. It wasn't the first time he had helped me overcome some fears

[@breezy3392]

Little Foot's mama could throw down. She put up a hell of a fight against Sharp Tooth

[@boldbearings]

Bro had more plot armor than a Stegasaurus. That first shot wouldve mushed his melon. 💣

[@ericanight8359]

She was not PLAYIN when it came to her child's safety🤣

[@slipknot95maggot]

I mean to be fair I'm pretty sure large Sauropods do tend to win that fight. It's not much of a compliment to this specific mom. Those things weigh like a million tons bruh, that tail hits you and your skull is done. ...okay they prolly weigh like 3x as much as the "sharp tooth". That's...... That's still quite a lot. I don't like fight culture much but I'm pretty sure I can tag in any of those people in to talk about the importance of proper weight class matchup for three hours xp It's like saying an elephant put up a heck of a fight against a dog. I- .... I mean, sure. If you're the dog it prolly felt like a heck of a fight. Buuuut from the sidelines, I gotta say seemed pretty straightforward to me xD

[@oruwigar3143]

Until it junped on her back but she still got it!

[@seawind930]

Little Foot's Mama was a Snack! Literally

[@MorriganAtwood]

Rooter was added because of how test audiences reacted to an early cut. It was decided that after the loss of Little Foot's mother there needed to be a moment of gathering and reassuring so that the journey could continue. Essentially, the kids need a little bit of counseling. And so do the grownups.

[@lemuriansettler]

I still need counselling. 30 years later. This still hits as hard as when I saw it in theaters.

[@kennethlane7645]

Ducky just straight up adopts Spike. Everyone needs a friend like her.

[@leffew2000]

And once they arrived at the Great Valley, her parents welcomed Spike without a second thought.

[@Quinna5537]

I edited this comment so that the one below doesn’t make sense

[@whitecloud2002]

@@Quinna5537 Not the point they were trying to make my friend, Ducky and Ducky's Parents did it without prejudice without even giving it a second thought, they took him in because he had no one and knew that he needed someone, while anyone could have taken him in including other stego's that where in the great valley, Ducky's Parents took him in and treated him like one of their own. Not sure what hardship has to do with ducky's parents' decision.

[@jamesrippy1161]

An entire generation is emotionally scarred for life thanks to a certain scene

[@thepeopledinfinite]

Scarred but stronger😅😊

[@kitadam1923]

wait which scene

[@eddipl5055]

I am pretty sure I suppressed this movie from my memory

[@ryanakers1372]

True, but it's also not the only animated movie from this time with traumatizing moments.

[@rollajay5301]

If we hold on together, I know our dreams will never die... that song kills me😢

[@johnnythiel9646]

My grandfather bought me this movie when I was about 2 years old. We always watched it together, he even called me Littlefoot for years as a child… this fall will be 5 years since we lost him, and this movie always brings out the waterworks because of that.

[@kalahkirby5422]

So sorry for your loss, all of my grandparents are in heaven.

[@6pointsROCKS]

My daughter's name was Edith Grace... she was born 6/27/2024... we lost her just after she'd been born. The words of Rooter are true. It is nobody's fault.

[@crystalgemgirl731]

In grief, his advice is easy to forget, "Death can feel so unfair, as if someone has taken something from you, as if it's been stolen, when something hurts this much, there must be a reason, there must be SOMEONE to blame." But, the same thing that makes one person angry, can make another person grieve.

[@KeithMixon-mk4jb]

I'm so sorry for your lost

[@this.is.a.username]

i'm so sorry for your loss

[@RockingSanta]

Sorry for your loss. ❤

[@bigpete7865]

I know this doesnt mean much, but i am terribly sorry for your loss

[@Evilgidgit4Ever]

Rooter is only ever in that one scene of The Land Before Time, but the wisdom and support he brings to Littlefoot is one of my favourite movie moments.

[@oruwigar3143]

Well actually in the 10th movie theres a possible reference to him but its not confirmed

[@Adrianne519]

I know, I love the scene so much & it’s such an important scene to show to not only kids but adults as well. I love how at first he’s a grump, even being a little mean to him but once he realizes what’s going on his heart softens & becomes so sweet & tender.

[@this.is.a.username]

also: he's the narrator.

[@HeathRHansen]

The conversation with him will strike very true for anyone who has dealt with great grief. That moment where Littlefoot says his stomach hurts...

[@Bhint320610]

Man I remember being in the theater with my mom. Both of us crying. One of my earliest memories of my mom.

[@tambourinesmusicmachine]

The reason they put stuff like Death in these films (during kids most formative years) is to help them cope with ideas in a safe environment. Much like how Mr. Rogers talked about emotions, and what to do with difficult situations a kid might not have any idea how to, like Death, Divorce & Sadness and Depression. Kids' films that touch on darker themes are important for kids to see. It lets them come to terms with some of life's more scary aspects. I feel as though we have shot ourselves in the foot as a species by not having as many challenging works of media for kids to watch. People kinda treat kids like they are stupid. That they couldn't possibly understand death or loss, so no reason to even show them that kind of stuff. So, they are only shown the most banal and sanitized shows and movies imaginable, lest we upset kids in any way.

[@mmxxiii9503]

The concept of loss

[@johnpooky84]

I wholeheartedly agree with this comment. Good kids' movies are rare, nowadays. "Inside Out 1 and 2" are the most recent examples of good kids' movies. Honestly, I think there'd be a lot more, if hand-drawn animation came back. CGI is great, but hand-drawn animation has an emotional impact that CGI has never fully captured. "The Princess and the Frog" was the last hand-drawn animated movie I remember seeing from Disney, and it was a really good blend of hand-drawn, and CGI elements. It's a shame they shut down their hand-drawn animation department.

[@kingcosworth2643]

Yes, the modern idea of hiding difficult concepts from people when they are destined to face said times seems ludicrous to me. It creates the 'words are violence' scenario.

[@Etticos.]

Ah, the film that gave a life spoiler to 3 year old me on what depression feels like while simultaneously fueling my childhood love for dinosaurs.

[@Jon-yn4pq]

Well put. Same.

[@poolhall9632]

100% same. I still know both very well.

[@Axelrooni]

3yo me, too. It helped that I could point out similarities between the whole cast and my siblings. As the oldest, I was Littlefoot, trying to look after everyone else. My oldest sister, a year younger than I, was Cera - very bullheaded and uncompromising. Ducky was our younger sister, who was always playing support in that fashion. And Spike was our little brother, who liked to eat and sleep and blindly follow orders in order to help out. It also didn't hurt that I (Littlefoot) was more of a mama's boy, and Sister 1 (Cera) was Dad's favorite. It all just fed into the narrative that I had created before kindergarten that this film paralleled my sibling dynamic, and I think that's a big reason why I still hold this film very close. And dinosaurs all the time. I've been very successful at introducing them to my niece with a positive reception.

[@RabbitWhiteThe]

I believe this is why our generation handles our emotions better to be honest.

[@WarBirdGhost]

Bambi was my first life lesson movie, as a child.

[@nickthepeasant]

The part that makes me cry every time, even just thinking about it - 'Sarah was still too proud to admit that..she'd gone the wrong way' 😢 I don't know why. This VHS was played to death in my house.

[@freelands8355]

Same here

[@srf1984]

I wore mine out 🤣

[@freelands8355]

I love how even though Cera had insulted his mother, Littlefoot ran back to rescue her too

[@BlackavarWD]

If you don't get kids used to the idea of death and depression (and hope) when they are young, they will be caught off guard when people around them start dying = reality. They need these kind of core memories.

[@798jeremy]

Absolutely true! I'm glad some people are still able to understand that...

[@natbatlightwood5288]

Absolutely agree.

[@bonnie_rabbit749]

Even though I grew up in the 90's - very aware of death, I still have a hard time with it. A lot of people close to me suddenly died within a few years when I was around 13, and because of it, I developed health anxiety. One of the people I lost was my maternal grandmother, the person I was closest to second to my mom. Still to this day, I dont think I have fully processed her death. I dont know how death is supposed to feel/be understood. Because when I think about her, I cant understand that she's dead. I mean logically I know, but it just doesn't feel like it. It feels like I have just lost contact with her, and she is still out there somewhere. But when im reminded of her, I cry -- still to this day. Whereas if I think about my paternal grandmother or my maternal grandfather or my uncle, I feel at peace with them being gone. Not in the sense that I dont miss them, but in the sense that I feel like I have moved on.

[@megafan2000]

1989. 1st grade. They wheeled the big TV cart to my classroom. We all sat on the rug indian style super excited to watch a movie. Every one of us kids in class balled. Ms. Allen knew exactly what she was doing scarring 20 something kids for life.

[@HeartDAlyson]

sorta a reverse trauma, but in the third grade my sisters teacher decided to treat her students to an animated animal movie...Water ship Down. the teacher had no idea what it actually was.

[@johnpooky84]

*bawled

[@this.is.a.username]

you weren't scarred, you were prepared

[@ccompson2]

20 is a little old for first grade. I'm guessing you were in some sort of special ed class? Bless your special little hearts

[@johnpooky84]

@@ccompson2 I think "20-something" was the number of kids in the class.

[@OneArmedRetroGamer]

When i was little my dad would go on leave for the army pretty frequently. He always watched it with me before he left

[@ryanjones358]

Don Bluth believed that children can handle anything as long as you give them a happy ending.

[@UnleashthePhury]

And he was right

[@John-ir4id]

But that's kind of a foolish way to go about it. Sets them up for a lot of traumatic experience in life.

[@UnleashthePhury]

@@John-ir4id no it doesn’t - life is traumatic. It doesn’t mean you give up. You keep walking toward the Great Valley.

[@John-ir4id]

@@UnleashthePhury life is traumatic. And it's better to learn that fact an how to cope with it without lying to oneself.

[@John-ir4id]

@@UnleashthePhury most people don't get a happy ending.

[@joshv9139]

Lion King definitely took a page out of this movie. Talking about the circle of life and littlefoot seeing her mom in the clouds

[@KublaVeruca]

The Lion King stole the whole book from. "Kimba The White Lion"...

[@FuckYoutubeAndGoogle]

Littlefoot is a boy

[@FuckYoutubeAndGoogle]

​@KublaVeruca No, it really didn't. The Lion King is based on Hamlet. Yourmoviesucks did an entire analysis of Kimba, and there's minimal similarity to The Lion King.

[@georgezee5173]

I've always thought Disney took a lot of inspiration from this movie for everything relating Mufasa's death. Even when he appears in "cloud spirit" form, it's almost the same scene as the one in TLBT, with son's crying for not being left alone again.

[@bmxdoe]

Both sources are very likely

[@20somthingdrifter11]

9:00 This secene was added after test audiances thought the orginal with little foot dealing with depression and losing the will to live was too much for kids.

[@Atamastra]

Don. Bluth. Was. The. GOAT. Every single one of his films were a masterclass of proper children's entertainment, a perfect animated mix of joyful, heart-wrenching, suspenseful, disturbing, and engaging; they didn't pander and coddle, they were straight up real stories. Get these girls to watch The Secret of NIMH!!

[@nsasupporter7557]

Yeah, I actually liked the sequel to American Tail better “Fievel Goes West.” It was way more fun than the first movie

[@Atamastra]

@@nsasupporter7557 That was my favorite of the two as well.

[@UnleashthePhury]

Secret of NIMH is an all timer

[@nsasupporter7557]

@@Atamastra like I said, the sequel was just alot more fun and upbeat. The original movie was boring to me… in fact, I don’t think I’ve even seen the original movie all the way through. Whenever American Tail is brought up, the sequel is the one that comes to mind, not the original movie

[@my_cousin_mose9782]

He made a couple doozies as well. Troll in Central Park and The Pebble and the Penguin come to mind.

[@leffew2000]

I'm glad they decided to add the scene with Rooter comforting Littlefoot. Pat Hingle (the narrator) did such a wonderful job voicing Rooter. He was able to go from grumpy old dinosaur to tender grandfather without hesitation.

[@BurnDem101]

"One red eye, like a homunculus." 😆 FMA is everywhere once it's in your mind

[@orthochronicity6428]

I cannot emphasize enough how much this movie was both my favorite movie when really little while also giving me severe anxiety. The calm of Littlefoot and Serra playing before the Sharptooth attack haunts me to this day, 30 years later. I don't know anyone who grew up with this movie who doesn't have trauma from this movie while also absolutely loving it. Part of that is because of the other characters, though; I think there's an entire generation that instantly understands you if you quickly say, "Yep! Yep! Yep!" Also, it made my mom irate: when my teenage cousin gifted it for me (a toddler) to watch, she was mortified by the prospect that she was suddenly going to have to explain death and the finality of life years before she was expecting. Fortunately for her, I immediately wanted to be reassured that "she's just sleeping, right?", and that was an out she happily took. Her scolding my cousin afterwords with "THE MOTHER DIES!?!?!" was a story she brought up for years and years after (my cousin only knew the box art on the VHS and nothing else about the movie).

[@Jon-yn4pq]

I know exactly what you mean, I still can't watch this fuckin movie. I tried watching it with my younger son a couple years ago and at THAT scene I was like "ok, nevermind. Let's watch something less sad like the Futurama episode Jurassic Bark..."

[@jordanhefley7365]

I have all 5 original characters tattooed on my left forearm, with a tree star on the inner elbow. This was my movie as a kid. I have carebears tattooed on my right forearm.

[@sonyabyrd8739]

"We Care!"

[@eternalforce116]

When the score hits as the clouds part to reveal the Great Valley, I sob EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. Without fail. What a great movie.

[@bemasaberwyn55]

James Horner is ALWAYS a win *DING*

[@tricksterfoxx]

ME TOO❤😢

[@geetuz]

Kids being presented with life in the form of abstract but relatable characters is a perfect way for kids to learn empathy, processing grief and understanding it, and also understanding that life is not all smiles and sunshine. It equips them with a robust emotional tool kit. It was emotional to watch as kid, this, and many others made me FEEL things as a kid that challenged me and prompted me to express emotion. Another more recent film (2016)that had my young boys in tears was "Kubo and The Two Strings". In it's own right it's a beautiful stop motion film, but it hits on some very emotional themes of family and loss. I think it's a good thing and more film studios should, where appropriate, not be afraid to talk about the tough side of life. Whether we like it or not it's always going to be there. The Good Dinosaur is very very similar to The land Before Time.

[@__taka__8200]

The Land Before Time holds a special place in my heart, its my favourite Film that really connects to me. but Also, i Like the Character ducky....Poor Judith Barsi. You Shall be missed. Rest Well.....

[@zumwansi6734]

You're not a baby. If you don't cry or at least shed a tear while watching this movie I don't think you're human

[@theoneandonlyoni]

We give lessons about tough things in children movies because children need those lessons. They don’t need lessons on the easy things in life... In the 80s and 90s kids were treated like they were gonna be grownups some day, not like everyone will be children forever..

[@zandylovesrisk]

Glad you liked it! Spielberg and Don Bluth made several animated films together before they went their separate ways in the 90s. Both continued on making films, Bluth with MGM animation(Thumblina, All Dogs Go to Heaven, and Troll in Central Park) while Spielberg starting Amblinmation which did An American Tail: Fievel Goes West, We're Back: A Dinosaur Story, and Balto before shutting down. I'd recommend all of their films!

[@fablethewolf825]

The music was composed by James Horner, who I'm not surprised sounds familiar because he did work for a lot of movies in the eighties and nineties, including kids films. An American Tail, Braveheart, Balto, Jumanji, and Casper are just a few more of the eighties and nineties movies he composed the music for. The man's biggest claim to fame, which won him several academy awards, was James Cameron's Titanic.

[@MrBreezeLI516]

James Horner did "Aliens" I believe too; the man IS MY CHILDHOOD!! 🥹

[@this.is.a.username]

James Horner deserves to be up there with John Williams and Han Zimmer

[@SusanTheBee]

I knew I shouldn't have clicked this. I genuinely start sobbing uncontrollably every time. I wany so desperately to comfort Little Foot, even more now as an adult.

[@ThePwig]

Kids movies hit different for gen x. The voice of Ducky, a little girl, was murdered by her father before the movie even came out.

[@brianrecinos3914]

All Dogs Go To Heaven, released in '89, was released in her memory as the last work she was in.

[@benn454]

Us elder Millennials were here too.

[@jabbawookeez01]

i didnt even know that. im a millennial so i grew up on this movie

[@CannonRaw]

​@@brianrecinos3914 Burt Reynolds had a closed recording for the last scene. So when he recorded his lines it was after her passing. So he was saying his lines to a recording after. When I learned this it broke my heart.

[@Lilithly]

This was a millenial movie, surely?

[@TheCheekyhalfling]

I turned 37 and this movie still kills me 😂 even worse after I found out the little girl who voiced ducky was murdered by her dad not long after this movie.

[@tfpp1]

Between this movie, Bambi, and Dumbo, it's no wonder I had separation anxiety till I was in Jr. High, lol

[@stevenhernandeznon-profitf968]

Man 80’s films were hitting us with emotional chair shots!

[@sweetcinnamonpnchkin]

And just when you start smiling again, pile driver outta nowhere 😭

[@cyberpunkspacejams]

I'm fully convinced James Horner was the composer of our childhood.

[@798jeremy]

Absolutely. Then followed quite closely by Hans Zimmer (solely because of the Lion King on its own, obviously) and John Williams...also, Danny Elfman and Alan Menken, of course.

[@dbluwlf3596]

This movie was the FIRST movie I had ever seen in theaters. I was literally like... 2? 3? And I do recall crying at that one scene. Perfectly understood the context of what happened.

[@johnnie2638]

One of my son's favorite movies when he was growing out of his toddler phase. He was obsessed with all the characters and asked constantly for me or his mother to put the tape in the VCR to watch for the upteenth time. Funny watching again in this response video I still remembered almost all the dialogue and I'm 61 now! LOL I was dad in my 20s back then. Thanks, Arianna for this little trip down memory lane.

[@georgezee5173]

The soundtrack in this movie elevates the whole thing. Incredibly touching music themes that create an instant sense of nostalgia. Another amazing combo Bluth+Horner is An American Tail. I was raised watching these two movies and I loved as a child even though they were depressing and even scary at times (that sea tempest scene with the "water demon").

[@TothanCrawk]

Do you have a favorite music cue form the movie?

[@this.is.a.username]

@@TothanCrawk when his mom gives him the treestar. that scene tears me up. there was a tiktok a few years ago where some girl found a leaf just like it and put her hand on it and said "a treeeestaaar" and that music played and i just fucking burst into tears.

[@Elurin]

I think a part of the emotional impact of that scene of the discovery of The Great Valley is the excellent musical score. I still tear up when I hear it!

[@kitto2brazy465]

As a 32 year old man you almost got my crying with ya. Havent cried over this since i was a child. My grandparents raised me so these movies and shows like hey arnold made me feel not so alone as a child. Beautiful reaction.

[@spenhaPot]

The end song, "I'm not done with you yet!"

[@mc_gaming2007]

This brought me to silent tears. I remember watching this movie when I was 5 or 6. So much emotion in this film.

[@sVieira151]

Oh I can't believe you'd put Arianna through this 😂

[@deonaustin9575]

The girl who voiced Ducky was named Judith Barsi, she and her mother were killed by her father in a house fire. The only other role she played in was Ann Marie in All Dogs Go To Heaven. On her tombstone was the quote from her character Ducky, Yep,yep,yep.

[@DumblyDorr]

Next up - Watership Down?

[@TheYakusoku]

She already watched The Neverending Story for this channel. It doesn't get more traumatic than Artax in the swamp.

[@cjjackson2423]

​@@deonaustin9575Why did you randomly say that😅

[@deonaustin9575]

@@cjjackson2423 I know that was some awkward info but there are probably people who are wondering about the voice actors. And if they did any other work or what happened to them. But I had just found that out recently, and I was rather shocked. Now I appreciate this cartoon so much more now even as an adult, because to me Judith Barsi has left a small unknown legacy as the two characters she has played; Ducky and Anne Marie from The Land Before Time, and All Dogs Go To Heaven.

[@serenitytoepper]

For me this movie is a classic and I grew up with it as a little girl myself, all of the land before times movies not just this movie, but all of them and honestly even as an adult looking back at it all now, there is so much that they try to teach us back then and they put messages in the movies and for kids, and honestly I still love that there's a lot of friendship lessons and things to learn that they try to teach in each and every movie, and honestly it's still as a special place in my heart.

[@kerryakainelya238]

When I was a child I didn’t give much thought about what the old dinosaur said to Littlefoot. But those words helped me to grieve after my parents passed away, my mom in 2017 and my dad in 2020. I am glad that life lesson was there. ❤❤

[@nedzed3663]

Don Bluth animation was emotionally scarring us 80's and 90's kids until the year 2000, Lol. I saw this at that sweet spot age of being obsessed with everything Dinosaur related and Disney animation, so Land Before Time was a treat for me back then. Oh, don't cry Ariana, if it makes you feel any better, all of those Dinosaurs eventually go extinct to make way for us mammals

[@nsasupporter7557]

Did you see “Dinosaur?” The computer animated movie from 2000?

[@nedzed3663]

@nsasupporter7557 Yep, but it didn't have the same emotional impact since I was a grown-up when I saw it. But if I'd have been a kid at the time, it would have probably hit differently

[@PlanetMobius87]

I’m 37 and this movie still tears me up. I used to watch this on a loop when I was a kid

[@Zankaroo]

The 90s and older kids movies were harder and taught lessons while entertaining. Like the song "Worthless" that is sung during the junkyard scene in The Brave Little Toaster. The song is literally about how our society cast out people in different after they have had their use. There is a video clip of it on YT that has a comment on it breaking down the song. Its amazing the shit they put in there that no kid will ever pick up on.

[@NeroIML]

This was one of my favorite films when I was a little kid (liked the first few sequels as well) and despite having been over 30 years I still feel my heartstrings being plucked at the sad parts. The song that plays over the end credits can make me cry just on its own.

[@JDMC13]

I hope they had the tissue box ready. The tears come early and they just keep coming.

[@ieyke]

This movie can wreck me all by itself. But Ducky's voice actress' real life story just makes it SO MUCH more soul-crushing. R.I.P. Judith Barsi

[@gugurupurasudaikirai7620]

Don Bluth didn't hold back. He actually broke up the partnership with Steven Speilberg because he was so mad that Speilberg made some serious cuts to the scene with Littlefoot's mom. It was originally going to be a lot longer and a lot more brutal but Speilberg thought it was too much. Had this movie on VHS, when my parents took me to see the Lion King it did not affect me like they thought it would.

[@MsCassidy23]

Damn, now I'm wondering what was cut out. 37, and Littlefoot's mom's death still makes me cry.

[@Leapingspirit]

This movie, and the series of movies that follow, are my favorites to this day and I'm about to turn 30. So, so heartfelt and so many meaningful lessons and moments. It especially meant a lot to me because I was raised by my grandparents, so Littlefoot being raised by his made it especially personal.

[@fernandopaiz3696]

As an animation movie, “The Land Before Time” was ahead of its time!

[@TheEsoteric]

As an 80's baby, I watched this so much growing up. I loved it. The "heaviness" of it never got to me as a kid. But now as an adult, this hits emotional depths that are honestly very overwhelming. So much that it hurts. I still love it...its just too much. And the Score by James Horner (RIP) is absolutely amazing.

[@brianrecinos3914]

Diana Ross will always be synonymous with this movie to me 'cause of the ending song.

[@natbatlightwood5288]

My new favourite thing is watching people react to this movie. If i had to cry watching it then i'm going to revel watching others cry too. I started singing lessons and learned the song from this film, to honour my dog. As the song is quite hopeful in the lyrics.

[@brownsey1]

Ah jaysus, Arianna is gonna be crushed watching this 😅

[@THEvagabond29]

Wow, this brings back memories of my hs sweetheart. I showed this to my daughter, but we had to leave to town for an event. "last i saw littlefoot found friends walking the desert." She says she'll watche the rest someday w/ her kids.

[@snakeeyes5638]

This was more than a cartoon movie. This had so much heart and soul 🥇

[@BYERE]

The animation is still so beautiful to this day... That scene at the beginning where Littlefoot's mother brings down the Tree Star would alone be wonderful, but all the water pooling in the centre of it too. Sometimes it's hard to believe that so many Don Bluth movies are nearly 40 years old... Also, this was the very first movie I went to see in the cinema. My aunt took me, my sister, and my cousin (her son) to go see it. This'll always be such a special movie in my heart.

[@weaponizedturtle1270]

Is there just an “Emotional Damage” list y’all are going down? This is just masochism at this point 😂

[@Diegesis]

Lol this was her idea

[@McBrannon1000]

​@@Diegesisy'all better put some stock in Kleenex,my God.

[@mmxxiii9503]

​@@Diegesisthis is a good movie

[@CarbonFiberSwan]

Oh man, the nostalgia! I'm a 90s kid so I grew up with these movies. I don't think I quite watched them all, but I watched most of them. I still sing "Beyond the mysterious beyond" when I'm going to new places, lol!

[@Pirelli913]

I saw The Land Before Time in theaters when I was 6. When I got home after seeing the movie, I went into the basement and solemnly played with my dinosaurs. Littlefoot's mother's death was probably my first experience with death. And even though everyone reunites at the end, it's bittersweet as Littletoot's mother died and that wrecked me. I didn't know it at the time, but I was experiencing depression. As a 6-year-old, you don't understand that type of emotion.

[@TheWindcrow]

27:30 Arianna, these movies made us a different generation. Even Mr. Rogers went into hard lessons that people/kids needed to hear. He didn't shy away from anything. We can deal with things better as adults with the knowledge. It was needed imo.

[@Kyjohnson1500]

Honestly, as a kid, I found the beginning of this movie more depressing than the Lion King.

[@UnleashthePhury]

It is - but that just means it’s good. It’s got real stakes, it’s not just some goofy piece of fluff

[@breezy3392]

It's the Circle of Life

[@Gecko....]

It's too much for kids under 7-8 imo. No wonder the 80s generation kicked off the school shooting phase.

[@lonewiso]

I remember this movie as a kid and after watching it, i remember been more "aware" or bother my mother more. I learn to appreciate her for just been there for me. Thank you for the video

[@countessD84]

This movie succeeded where Disney failed with "Bambi", specifically regarding the loss of the mothers. Bambi's mom dies offscreen, and while the scene that follows is sad, the mood whiplash from a dark and wintery tragedy straight into the musical spring with all the twitterpated birds didn't help the movie, in my opinion. Like, I'm pretty sure kids were still crying during the spring scenes. "The Land Before Time", on the other hand, did a better job. Not only did Littlefoot's mother die onscreen, she passed away right in front of him (and us, the audience!). We get to see Littlefoot experience all five stages of grief: depression (a lot of it), anger (blaming his mother), bargaining (saying he should never have wondered so far from home), denial (thinking his shadow is his mother, believing she's still alive), and finally, acceptance that she's really gone.

[@gamestation2690]

Apparently, that mood whiplash in Bambi was intentional. The transition from winter to spring symbolizes the cycle of life and the inevitability of renewal after loss. Bambi's mother’s death marks a pivotal moment in Bambi's journey from innocence to maturity. The shift to springtime reflects Bambi's need to move forward despite his grief. It also helps prevent the film from dwelling too long in darkness, especially given that Bambi is a movie intended for children. By quickly moving to a brighter scene, the filmmakers balance the heavy emotional moment with something lighter, ensuring the overall tone of the movie doesn't become too overwhelming for the audience.

[@Dot-hack]

If you think you're depressed now just wait till you finish reading this. The voice actor for Ducky is the same voice actor for the little girl in "All Dogs GO to Heaven". Right after she finished recording for it she was murdered by her abusive ( can't remember if it was Step Father or actual ) Father. She never even got to see how people loved her performance. THAT'S, depressing.

[@slowpoke8585]

I had the pleasure of meeting Don Bluth and I told him how much I loved his films and how his films dealing with death taught me valuable lessons about life. He told me that although people die, it's another part of life and he wanted to teach people, including kids, that the soul lives on beyond death. He's such an amazing man!

[@GorramT]

The 2nd one is pretty good too(despite being a musical) but the OG is a childhood classic

[@boldbearings]

23:11 Chilling, the change in Littlefoots tone. Having seen death, his dark side is the first to emerge.

[@Kyvid]

I’m emotionally scarred from this movie even now as an adult. Then you gotta also think about the other tragedy of this movie too…

[@zephyrus8]

Yep! Yep! Yep!

[@Jon-yn4pq]

​@@zephyrus8christ

[@deonaustin9575]

Arianna is going to love it.

[@NoriMori1992]

12:27 I love how you look at the camera and grin with a surprised expression, like you weren't prepared for this sudden dose of sunshine and joy amidst all the misery and grief 😆

[@hpc1717]

Not so fun fact: The little girl that voiced Ducky and her mother were murdered by her alcoholic father not long after this movie came out

[@eriklunden5218]

Wow, this came out the year I was born, and I don't think I've seen this in near 30 years. What a nostalgia trip. How cool to relive it!

[@jellykelly7994]

As someone who lost their mother as a child (I was 10) and was raised by their grandparents, this movie has a special place in my heart since it hit so close to home for me

[@zacharyjoy8724]

I never knew there was a novelization of this movie for years. When I learned about it, I also learned why Sharptooth scared me so much, even more than Rexy from Jurassic Park. Sharptooth isn’t just a carnivore: he’s a sadistic thrill-killer. He wants his prey to be at their maximum terror before he eats them. He was also very vain and arrogant, and took Lit6lefoot wounding his eye VERY personally. No wonder it was so frightening to see him deliberately hunting the kids, even though there was larger prey around. And no wonder it was extra satisfying to finally see him die.

[@sosaysjayrod]

1990s gang, we out here

[@Lemon_Force]

✊ rep

[@Bugsy-dq2en]

I have such a deep love for this movie 💛 Some people say it is too sad for a kids movie, but when I was a little girl who was dealing with lots of powerful emotions I didn't understand, due to my undiagnosed mental health issues and childhood trauma, it spoke to me and made me feel less alone. I still cry watching it now and I'm in my 30's

[@joshuacoldwater]

No idea why you would do this to yourself- no idea at all

[@toodleloos]

the thought comes to mind of this one episode of the rugrats where they show chuckie's memories of his mom, and the director said that there are kids that know loss and grief but have no idea how to process it, and that by shielding children from reality we leave behind the ones living through it. so watching this back with you, i think it was really important that it showed little foot fully experiencing the loss of his mother and how difficult it was for him to move on. especially the ups and downs of his adventure and his grief and anger, that was all really great. it wrecked me as a kid, filled me with a lot of anxiety lol but don bluth was on to something when he wanted to balance the sadness and the happiness great reaction, though! cloud mom DEFINITELY had me sobbing lol

[@Awhmanitsdanttv]

NO ONE TELL HER ABOUT DUCKY VOICE ACTRESS I SWEAR TO GOD

[@TheHAMMER91]

Too late 🙄 I’m crying just hearing her little voice…

[@christopherpage2622]

Such a fantastic and charismatic young actor especially voice acting and very sad her full potential was taken from her

[@flinten7485]

My mother took me to see this film when it was in theaters back then in '88. I was only 5 years old but I remember it very clearly. This film is about the earliest memory I have of any film I've ever seen. It will always be very special to me, like it is to many others who grew up with it. I struggle to listen to the music because it's very hard to hear without tearing up. 😢

[@jasondamrau9943]

They just dont make movies like this anymore. Producers dont believe in pushing kids' emotions to their limits like legends like Spielberg and Bluth did. It is so important to push the boundaries of childrens emotions when they are young. Without that we end up with the soft always offended generations that we see today

[@Mr187Dag]

I watched this movie on repeat when i was 5 to 6 years old and i still remember it (im 33 years now). Haven't watched it for 26 years and this reaction made me emotional aswell. I got teary eyes. One thing i can say for sure is that grief and cuteness are the only emotions that hit me today. Back then it was every emotion. Grief, fear (everytime sharptooth was around), companienship, love , hunger( when spike begins to eat his nest it looked to me like a 5 star menu and i got me a slice of sausage every time), fear of loss, hope, etc. I even felt cold when cera was all alone and felt warm when she cuddles up with them. Im telling you. To kids this movie hits on a different level. It felt to me like i was on that journey to the great valley at least 50 times with Littlefood, Cera, Spike, Pitri and Ducky

[@PEAKCENTURY]

This film (and its perfectly composed and timed soundtrack) taught us early how to accept death and the process of grief. I have been able to better process losses my life thanks to this masterpiece of animation, music and voice acting. R.I.P. James Horner

[@robertlauncher]

Don Bluth is probably my favorite character animator. Nails a wonderful balance between believable, dramatic emotion and the liveliness of cartoon exaggeration.

[@jakecalder8270]

I feel for little foot. I lost my mom 7 years ago. I was in my early 20’s. I am almost 30 now and the scene where he loses his mom hits very hard for me. My life shattered that day. Every time I watch that scene, I re-live all the emotional pain I felt that day. Life has never been the same for me since then. Birthdays, and Christmas are just another day to me now. They have lost all special meaning for me. My mom’s passing, broke me.

[@Tauramehtar]

My favorite film to watch as a kid. Like 4 years old, I do remember the sadness of it all. The theme itself to me is very bittersweet.