# "Chicken Run" and my son's appreciation of same **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 21, 2005, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-run-and-my-sons-appreciation-of-same/322788 "2005-09-21T22:35:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-run-and-my-sons-appreciation-of-same/322788/1 "2005-09-21T22:35:50Z")
My son requested we rent _Chicken Run_ this weekend. He had probably last seen it a year or more ago (he’s five) so it was essentially new to him. He laughed his head off. Three scenes in particular: 1. The chickens attempt to get out by stacking themselves up on stilts and disguising themselves as Mrs. Tweedy (he laughed so hard he was gasping for breath). 2. The farmer lifts up the roof of the coop to check on the chickens who have just rushed frantically to conceal the meeting they have been having. One of the chickens puts a (stolen) teapot in one of the nests. The farmer passes his flashlight beam over it then when he goes back quickly the pot has been covered up with a fake chicken head (knitted by Babs). We had to rewind and watch this part again. 3. The rats Nick and Fetcher hide under garden gnome ornaments and walk off with Mr. Tweedy’s tools (this had him literally falling out of his chair). It was great to see him enjoying it so much, and his reaction helped me to appreciate the film again. It is reallly a great little film. Nothing earth-shaking, almost an “extended short” but very enjoyable. The only frustrating part was that I could tell he wasn’t getting a lot of the dialogue. Between his hearing loss (as usual he refused to wear his hearing aids) and the British accents I know he missed a lot. Anyway we are really looking forward to _Curse of the Wererabbit_. We are probably going to see it the day it opens here. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-run-and-my-sons-appreciation-of-same/322788/2 "2005-09-21T23:35:47Z")
yeah, Chicken Run is one of those rare films that appeals to all ages, i liked some of the more “British” inside jokes they snuck in… the rats names, Nick and Felcher, are two britsh slang terms for theft/stealing, and that’s in fact what the rats _do_ they nick stuff and felch stuff… the actress who plays Babs (incidentally, all the knitting she does is _real_, done by knitters on the production crew) is also the same actress who plays the character “Bubble” in the Britcom “Absolutely Fabulous”, and has very similar “ditzy bubblehead” mannerisms, the actress that plays Ginger also plays the character of Saffron on Ab-Fab when the old General Rooster yells “Chocks Away!” he’s referring both to the wheel chocks used to keep airplanes from rolling when parked, and to the fact that the wheel “chocks” they are using look remarkably similar to the Swiss chocolate bar (Chocky is a British slang for chocolate) Toblerone which is packaged in a long triangular box ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-run-and-my-sons-appreciation-of-same/322788/3 "2005-09-21T23:53:31Z")
err—fetch things, _fetch_ stupid Universal Translator thingy… last time i buy from an “Honest” Ferengi… ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-run-and-my-sons-appreciation-of-same/322788/4 "2005-09-22T00:15:07Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > err—fetch things, _fetch_ Surely you meant “filch”? ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-run-and-my-sons-appreciation-of-same/322788/5 "2005-09-22T01:58:46Z")
I love this movie. Maybe you should get The Red Balloon for your son or some Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton films. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-run-and-my-sons-appreciation-of-same/322788/6 "2005-09-22T02:09:39Z")
Get him the Wallace & Gromit shorts. They were made by the same people that made Chicken Run. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-run-and-my-sons-appreciation-of-same/322788/7 "2005-09-22T02:11:16Z")
Perhaps you should have turned on the closed captioning. Also, he may enjoy the Wallace and Gromit films if he liked Chicken Run. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-run-and-my-sons-appreciation-of-same/322788/8 "2005-09-22T02:26:14Z")
Oh, there’s a TON of inside jokes! —The music from **The Great Escape** playing during the escape-attempt montage, which, of course, ends with Ginger bouncing a ball against the wall of the coal bin. —Mel Gibson’s first line in this movie is the same as his last line in **Braveheart** : “FREEDOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!” —Fetcher hesitating a long time before asking, “D’you wanna dance?” and Nick thinking it over before mumbling “Y’all right”, as in the Monty Python sketch: “…D’you wanna come back to my place?” “…Y’all right.” Well, all right; that’s only three. But still, this movie is **brilliant**! (And FTR, the actress playing Ginger is Julia Sawalha. I’ve only seen her in AbFab and this, but she was terrific in both. Babs is Jane Horrocks, and she’s good in everything.) ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-run-and-my-sons-appreciation-of-same/322788/9 "2005-09-22T02:49:18Z")
The actress who voiced Babs is also the voice of Fenchurch in the new HHGttG radio series. There are a LOT of movie references in Chicken Run: [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120630/movieconnections](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120630/movieconnections) (I can’t vouch for all of those, but there are quite a few) Brian ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-run-and-my-sons-appreciation-of-same/322788/10 "2005-09-22T03:49:36Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#): > > —The music from **The Great Escape** playing during the escape-attempt montage, which, of course, ends with Ginger bouncing a ball against the wall of the coal bin. I believe that was a Brussels sprout. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-run-and-my-sons-appreciation-of-same/322788/11 "2005-09-22T03:55:08Z")
All right then, a Brussels sprout. And I remembered another reference: Ginger grabbing her hat just before the door closes, a la Indiana Jones. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-run-and-my-sons-appreciation-of-same/322788/12 "2005-09-22T15:57:54Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#): > > (And FTR, the actress playing Ginger is Julia Sawalha. I’ve only seen her in AbFab and this, but she was terrific in both. Babs is Jane Horrocks, and she’s good in everything.) Julia Sawalha is perfect as Lydia in the A&E film _Pride and Prejudice_. After the above two level-headed roles, it would surprise you to see how well she plays a ditzy bonehead. Did you see Jane Horrocks in _Little Voice_? That was a good flick, too. I only noticed the last time I watched _Chicken Run_ that the voice of Mrs. Tweedy was Miranda Richardson, another fine Brit actress who has been brilliant in everything I’ve seen her in. ---
**Author:** ![YellowTail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b5ac83/32.png) [@YellowTail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YellowTail)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-run-and-my-sons-appreciation-of-same/322788/13 "2005-09-22T20:17:35Z")
When so many animated features are made (with varying degrees of success) with computer animation, it’s great to see somebody going to the trouble to make something genuine and smart. You won’t be disappointed with Wallace & Grommit. They have a lot of very clever physical humor in them. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-run-and-my-sons-appreciation-of-same/322788/14 "2005-09-22T20:40:17Z")
> [@teela brown](#): > > Did you see Jane Horrocks in _Little Voice_? That was a good flick, too. **Little Voice** , **Life Is Sweet** , **Getting It Right** , **Deadly Advice** …anything that makes it to this side of the pond. And she’s going to be a voice in **Corpse Bride**! A few years ago, Mr. Rilch got me a Babs doll. He said, as I was opening the package, that he figured that this would prove just how well he knows me: Ginger being the obvious choice for most people, but Babs being voiced by my really favorite actress. And he was right! ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-run-and-my-sons-appreciation-of-same/322788/15 "2005-09-22T20:41:01Z")
> [@YellowTail](#): > > When so many animated features are made (with varying degrees of success) with computer animation, it’s great to see somebody going to the trouble to make something genuine and smart. Computer animation isn’t the problem; it’s studios using computer animation to cover up a weak story, shallow characters, and an overabundance of flatulence jokes. Related self-promotion: [Why Pixar kicks digital ass.](http://www.electric-escape.net/node/984)😉 ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-run-and-my-sons-appreciation-of-same/322788/16 "2005-09-23T00:38:52Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > I love this movie. Maybe you should get The Red Balloon for your son or some Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton films. I dunno…I remember seeing _The Red Balloon_ when I was a little older than him, maybe six or seven, and being alternately bored and slightly creeped out. > [@Little Nemo](#): > > Get him the Wallace & Gromit shorts. They were made by the same people that made Chicken Run. Yes, we already have them on DVD. That’s why we are so eagerly anticipating [The Curse of the Wererabbit](http://www.wandg.com/) > [@Dewey Finn](#): > > Perhaps you should have turned on the closed captioning. While he is smart as a whip he is only five…he doesn’t read quite that well yet. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-run-and-my-sons-appreciation-of-same/322788/17 "2005-09-23T00:44:26Z")
I’ll chime in to say I love Chicken Run, and still haven’t grown tired of it. I can’t wait to see Curse of the WereRabbit. It’s great for kids, but it’s also good enough to keep adults enthralled. I also love Wallace and Gromit - the sheepnapping, the evil penguin etc.