Ernest & Celestine

Ernest & Celestine

Company type	Animated film
Industry	Film industry
Founded	2012
Founder	Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar, Benjamin Renner
Products	Animated comedy-drama film

Ernest & Celestine () is a 2012 animated comedy-drama directed by Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar, and Benjamin Renner. Adapted from the children's books by Belgian author and illustrator Gabrielle Vincent, the film was showcased in the Directors' Fortnight at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, featured within the TIFF Kids segment at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival, and screened at the 2013 Hong Kong International Film Festival.

The movie was chosen to open the grand competition at the 2013 World festival of animated film Animafest Zagreb. It made its U.S. debut in 2013 through GKIDS, with an English-language version released on 28 February 2014, starring voices such as Forest Whitaker, Mackenzie Foy, and Lauren Bacall. Receiving widespread critical praise, it became the first animated film honored with the Magritte Award for Best Film. Additionally, it earned a nomination for Best Animated Feature at the 86th Academy Awards, where it competed against Disney's Frozen, which ultimately won.

A follow-up titled Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia premiered in France on 14 December 2022.

Plot

Celestine is a young mouse residing in an underground society of rodents. At her orphanage, the caretaker known as the Gray One warns her about dangerous bears living above ground, though Celestine remains skeptical of these stories. While she has a strong passion for drawing, she is expected to study dentistry like other mice and must retrieve lost teeth from bear cubs by venturing outside her community. On one such trip, she is captured by a bear family and trapped overnight inside a trash bin. The following day, a famished grizzly bear named Ernest discovers her and initially intends to eat her. Celestine convinces him to release her by helping him break into a candy store’s basement so he can satisfy his hunger. Ernest is arrested during this escapade, but Celestine agrees to secure his freedom if he assists her in stealing teeth from the office of the store owner’s wife, who is a dentist.

Although their theft is successful at first, both rodent and bear law enforcement pursue them relentlessly. They evade capture by stealing a van and fleeing to Ernest’s secluded cabin. Initially reluctant to host Celestine, Ernest warms up to her after learning about her artistic talents. He confides that his estrangement from his family stems from rejecting their legal profession to follow a career in entertainment. They spend the winter together as social unrest escalates, with lower classes rising against their upper-class rulers.

In spring, authorities track down their stolen vehicle to Ernest’s cabin. Both Ernest and Celestine are arrested—Ernest by rodents and Celestine by bears—and face simultaneous trials held on different levels of the courthouse. Despite their protests against prejudice and refusal to betray one another, their appeals are dismissed. During the court proceedings, a fire breaks out; while people flee in panic, Ernest and Celestine rescue their judges. The judges are publicly humiliated as those they sought to punish become heroes while their own subjects abandon them. Defeated, the judiciary drops all charges and permits Ernest and Celestine to live together, unable to comprehend their unconditional friendship as the courthouse burns down.

Reunited at Ernest’s cabin, they decide to create a book illustrating their friendship—though Celestine insists on altering some parts after rejecting Ernest’s initial attempt to include his plan to eat her.

Cast

Character	French voice actor	English dubbing actor
Ernest	Lambert Wilson	Forest Whitaker
Celestine	Pauline Brunner	Mackenzie Foy
The Grey One	Anne-Marie Loop	Lauren Bacall
The Rat Judge	Pierre Baton	Paul Giamatti
The Dentist	Dominique Collignon	William H. Macy
Lucienne	Brigitte Virtudes	Megan Mullally
Georges	Patrice Melennec	Nick Offerman
The Bear Judge	Féodor Atkine	Jeffrey Wright
Chief Police of Bears	Vincent Grass	David Boat
Antionette		Ashley Earnest

Production

Producer Didier Brunner initiated the project toward the end of 2007, completing an animated pilot within the following year. By April 2009, financing was secured, which allowed for a subsequent year dedicated to storyboard development. The principal animation phase lasted 18 months and was followed by a short post-production period.

Project inception and director selection

Brunner, already acquainted with the Ernest and Celestine illustrated books, obtained adaptation rights as soon as they became available, deciding to pursue a feature-length film rather than a television series. In December 2007, he enlisted Benjamin Renner to produce an animated pilot that would define the film’s artistic direction; Renner acted as artistic director throughout this year-long endeavor.

Following completion of the pilot, the originally intended director stepped down, prompting Brunner to propose Renner for the role. Due to Renner’s limited experience with feature films, he teamed up with Belgian co-directors Vincent Patar and Stéphane Aubier, who were recognized for their work on the stop-motion series Panique au village. The final film was co-directed by Renner alongside Patar and Aubier.

Official production commenced in 2009. The trio collaborated closely on the script, storyboard, and breakdown phases; Renner took charge of graphic design while Patar and Aubier concentrated on post-production tasks such as voice direction, sound design, and audio mixing.

Screenplay

Daniel Pennac authored the screenplay, which was then refined by the three directors to accommodate animation requirements. The creative team emphasized remaining true to Gabrielle Vincent’s world, honoring her rejection of earlier adaptation attempts that felt impersonal. Rather than a direct translation of the books, the film functions as a tribute that integrates elements from Pennac’s universe, resulting in a narrative with a more somber tone. Co-director Benjamin Renner praised the originality of Pennac’s script for enhancing both visual storytelling and narrative cohesion.

Visual design

The film’s visual style closely reflects that of the original albums, particularly Gabrielle Vincent’s minimalist linework and spontaneous drawing style. Character designs fuse inspiration from the albums with artistic interpretation. While initially very faithful to Vincent’s originals, Ernest and Celestine’s appearances evolved through multiple sketches; notably, Celestine was given a shortened snout and a more prominent forehead to impart greater human qualities and facilitate animation. Animator Seï Riondet maintained visual consistency and created approximately 174 main characters from Pennac’s script who had no counterparts in the original books. Their attire draws directly from Vincent’s illustrations.

Backgrounds by Zaza and Zyk are inspired by Vincent’s depictions of nature both inside and beyond the Ernest and Celestine series. Scenes set in court reference Vincent’s Je voudrais qu'on m'écoute, while designs for the rodent underground city and gendarme uniforms take cues from Paul Grimault's The King and the Mockingbird. To reduce expenses associated with animating large groups of police mice, Renner developed a collective character concept influenced by the fluid monster animations found in Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away.

Music

The original soundtrack was crafted by Vincent Courtois, incorporating two tracks by Thomas Fersen—one performed by Fersen himself and another by Lambert Wilson. The recording sessions featured contributions from musicians such as Louis Sclavis, Dominique Pifarély, Michel Godard, François Couturier, alongside Courtois.

Animation

Initial test animations were developed by Benjamin Renner utilizing Adobe Flash and presented to the producer. The entire production process extended over a period of four years.

Box office

In France, where Studio Canal handled distribution, the film premiered on , coinciding with major releases like The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and Beasts of the Southern Wild. It opened on 489 screens, drawing in admissions during its first week. In Paris alone, with 20 screens, it recorded the second-highest opening day attendance after The Hobbit, attracting viewers.

By the third week, ticket sales had exceeded , reaching . After one month, total attendance was , increasing to roughly after six weeks.

In Belgium, the film was distributed by Cinéart and released on , showing in 36 cinemas.

Critical reception

The film made its debut out of competition at the Directors' Fortnight during the Cannes Film Festival 2012. It garnered widespread praise from French critics. Isabelle Régnier of Le Monde described it as ''a delight from start to finish,'' commending both the artwork and screenplay for honoring the original series while introducing a fresh, politically charged narrative. Libération emphasized the watercolor visuals and sound design, highlighting the screenplay’s socially conscious themes that brought a political edge to Gabrielle Vincent’s world. Le Journal du dimanche referred to it as ''a gem of French animation cinema,'' lauding its intelligent and heartwarming storyline. Meanwhile, the free paper Métro praised its themes of compassion and love along with its high-quality watercolor animation style.

Internationally, the film also received positive feedback. According to Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 98% approval rating based on 81 reviews, averaging an 8.20/10 score, described as "sweet and visually charming" with nostalgic appeal for animation enthusiasts. Metacritic assigned it an 86 out of 100 based on 22 critic reviews, indicating "universal acclaim." Andrew Chan from the Film Critics Circle of Australia characterized it as a straightforward yet impactful tale of an unlikely friendship. On Roger Ebert's platform, Glenn Kenny gave it 3½ stars, praising its warm, inviting atmosphere and uplifting messages about friendship.

A critic from Belgian RTBF appreciated its illustrations, music, and narrative as ''endearing and humorous while encouraging reflection on discrimination.'' In Variety, Leslie Felperin called it a ''charming animated feature,'' valuing its faithful adaptation of the book’s universe and subtle humor; she found the lead voice actors ''adorable,'' though she expressed some concerns regarding certain foreign-language dubbings.

Accolades

In June 2013, the film was honored with the Award from the Hungarian National Student Jury at the 8th Festival of European Animated Feature Films and TV Specials.

Honors and Awards
Award	Category	Nominees and Recipients	Outcome
Academy Awards	Best Animated Feature	Benjamin Renner, Didier Brunner	Template:Nom
Amsterdam Cinekid Festival	Best Picture		Template:Won
Annie Awards	Best Animated Feature		Template:Nom
	Character Animation in an Animated Feature Production	Patrick Imbert	Template:Nom
	Directing in an Animated Feature Production	Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar, Benjamin Renner	Template:Nom
	Production Design in an Animated Feature Production	Zaza, Zyk	Template:Nom
	Writing in an Animated Feature Production	Daniel Pennac	Template:Nom
	Editorial in an Animated Feature Production	Fabienne Alvarez-Giro	Template:Nom
Belgian Film Critics Association	Grand Prix		Template:Nom
2012 Cannes Film Festival	Art Cinema Award (Directors' Fortnight)	Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar, Benjamin Renner	Template:Nom
	Prix SACD (Directors' Fortnight)		Template:Nom
	Prix SACD (Directors' Fortnight) - Special Mention		Template:Won
César Awards	Best Animated Film	Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar, Benjamin Renner, Didier Brunner, Henri Magalon	Template:Won
Dubai International Film Festival	People's Choice Award	Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar, Benjamin Renner	Template:Won
Galway Film Fleadh	Audience Award for Best International Feature		Template:Draw
Gijón International Film Festival	'Enfant terrible' Prize for Best Feature Film		Template:Nom
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards	Best Animated Feature		Template:Won
Magritte Awards	Best Film		Template:Won
	Best Director	Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar	Template:Won
	Best Sound	Frédéric Demolder, Emmanuel de Boissieu, Luc Thomas, Franco Piscopo	Template:Won
Portland International Film Festival	Audience Award For Best Animated Feature	Stephane Aubier, Vincent Patar, Benjamin Renner	Template:Won
Satellite Awards	"Best Animated or Mixed Media Feature"		Template:Nom
Seattle International Film Festival	Youth Jury Award		Template:Won
Toronto International Film Festival	People's Choice Award for Best Drama Feature Film		Template:Nom

TV series

The film inspired a television adaptation titled Ernest & Celestine, The Collection, which comprises 52 episodes, each lasting 13 minutes. This series debuted on France 5 on 1 April 2017. Subsequently, four episodes were combined into a theatrical feature called Ernest & Celestine in Winter within the same year.

Sequel

In February 2022, StudioCanal revealed plans for a follow-up titled Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia, directed by Julien Chheng and Jean-Christophe Roger, scheduled for release on 14 December 2022.