Elijah Wood
Interview: Elijah Wood Talks Happy Feet
“As much as you'd like to read into it, I guess,” said Wood. “That's about it. No, I don't think there's much of a connection but I'm sure you could put a connection into that if you'd like.”
Mumble is a social outcast because instead of singing a love song like the other penguins, he can tap dance. However, when Mumble belts out a scratchy off pitch attempt, that’s all Wood.
“I can hold a tune. No, my voice is not nearly as bad as Mumble. It was actually kind of great though because I was called on to sing really poorly for the film, and I thought I did a pretty competent job of singing poorly. But they actually digitally made it worse. So when I saw the film, I knew what I had done, but my god, they made it sound horrendous. It's wonderful.”
Okay Frodo, how about the dancing? “Again, I've got rhythm, but I wouldn't call myself a competent dancer either.”
Elijah is Mumble in Happy Feet
Elijah is Mumble in Happy Feet
Rare in animated movies, Wood actually got to record with his costar, Robin Williams, who plays several of the characters Mumble meets along the way. “The nature of doing an animated film, oftentimes it's completely based on the actors schedules, and it's not always you get to be in a room with the actors you're meant to be working with. It helps to make the scenes come alive and breathe life into them when you've got other people to play off of.”
Ultimately, Happy Feet is more than just a fun family film. It’s got a message about environmentalism and religion, as Mumble defies his god-worshiping elders and teaches everyone the true causes of the dwindling arctic. That, and be true to yourself.
“I think the outstanding message for children but I think adults can take something from it too is that sense of individuality and I think we all go through life, particularly as young people in a school environment, the most typical place where we experience that sense of having to conform and not being accepted or having a character defect or some defect that people pick up on and excise you from that community. But I think adults can relate to that to. It’s something we experience in all ways of life. For kids, to see this character who is largely not accepted by his penguin family, by his friends or the community at large because he dances and he doesn’t sing. The beautiful thing about Mumble is he’s beautifully unaware of it. It’s not so much confidence in the beginning. He just doesn’t see that there’s anything wrong. He then, as a result of that, goes on this journey to truly establish who he is and to look for greater answers for these questions that he has, but I think it’s a great message for young people to realize these things that separate us from each other are ultimately what make us who we are. That’s something to celebrate.”
Happy Feet opens to theatres this Friday, November 17th.
For trailers, stills, posters and movie info, go to the Happy
Feet Movie Page.
Stay tuned for updates.
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