Marilyn (1998 film)

Marilyn is a 1998 2D Animated fantasy horror comedy film directed by Kenneth Anderson in his directorial debut and produced by Tim Burton. The film focuses on 12-year old Urbington student Marilyn Shine, who's life is changed forever upon meeting the shy friendly giant Meek, who is on the run from mad scientist Zany O'Malice. The film features the voices of Claire Danes, Tobey Maguire, Williem Dafoe, Dom DeLuise, Brittany Murphy, Catherine O'Hara, Jeff Goldblum, Anna Paquin, Kate Winslet, and Christopher Walken. The film was released on October 16 1998 to critical acclaim and was a surprise box office success, grossing $224 million on a $50 million budget.

Plot
Marilyn Shine is a 12 year old student at Urbington Middle School who dreams of an adventurous life on her own. That all changes when she meets Meek, a shy friendly giant on the run from Zany O'Malice, a mad scientist who wishes to rule Urbington under his command.

Cast

 * Claire Danes as Marilyn Shine
 * A 12-year old middle school student and horror fan who sticks out among the other kids and dreams of an adventurous life on her own.
 * Tobey Maguire as Nathan Nomad
 * A 12-year old middle school student who just moved in to Urbington and develops a huge crush on Marilyn.
 * Brian D'Arcy James provides the singing voice of Nathan in the play scene.
 * Willem Dafoe as Zany O'Malice
 * An insane mad scientist and main antagonist who plots on taking over Urbington while being flashy and theatrical in the process.
 * Dom DeLuise as Meek
 * A shy but friendly giant forced to work for Zany who befriends Marilyn and has a strong hatred for Zany.
 * Brittany Murphy as Malinda Doe
 * A rich student at Urbington Middle School and Marilyn's rival who thinks the entire world should revolve around her.
 * Catherine O'Hara as Clarissa Shine
 * Marilyn's mother who works as a florist.
 * Jeff Goldblum as Aaron Shine
 * Marilyn's father and former scientist who now works as a pop artist, while also making sure his former friend Zany cause harm to Urbington.
 * Anna Paquin as Susie Feeble
 * A sensitive / shy student at Urbington Middle School and one of Marilyns' friends who carries a doll named Ally wherever she goes to relieve her loneliness.
 * Kate Winslet as Madilyn Glaze
 * A student at Urbington Middle School and Marilyn's identical twin cousin from England who is the president of an after-school horror club.
 * Christine Lakin as Emma Bore
 * A nerdy student at Urbington Middle School and one of Marilyns' friends.
 * Rachael Leigh Cook as Tuesday Van Dour
 * A rebel student at Urbington Middle School and one of Marilyns' friends whom Marilyn looks up to like an older sister. She is also a member of Madilyn's horror club.
 * Matthew Perry as Adam Scoller
 * The smartest student at Urbington Middle School whom Susie has a crush on.
 * Seth Green as Luke Hamming
 * A 12-year old student at Urbington Middle School and best friend / assistant of Adam who has a big imagination.
 * Natalie Portman as Linette Nadeen
 * A French student at Urbington Middle School and fine artist who works for Malinda but befriends Marilyn.
 * Lacey Chabert as Gretchen Dismal
 * A goth student at Urbington Middle School and best friend of Tuesday who is a member of Madilyn's horror club and always sees the world from a more negative point of view.
 * Shawn Wayans as Shadow
 * Marilyn's curious pet cat who loves the feel of adventure.
 * Marlon Wayans as Dagger
 * Dr. Incisor's trusty bulldog and best friend of Shadow.
 * Martin Landau as Albert Hutchinson
 * Marilyns' next door neighbor and former scientist / boss of Zany who keeps a small flock of crows as his pets.
 * Alan Rickman as Eric Therman
 * The science teacher at Urbington Middle School and rival of Dr. Incisor who creates a wide arrange of odd experiments, successful or deadly.
 * Christopher Walken as Victor Cash
 * The librarian of Urbington Middle School whom Marilyn often visits.
 * Kevin Nash as Malicious
 * A vicious cold-blooded beast working for Zany as his trusted assistant who has a hatred for Meek.
 * Paul Reubens as Bluffer
 * A clever but crazy creature from Tasmania working for Zany.
 * Chris Barrie as Polka-Dot
 * An enthusiastic creature working for Zany and best friend of Bluffer.
 * Tim Reid as Mr. Death
 * The leader of a Graveyard Cult working for Zany whose job is to collect the souls of the deceased and bring them to the Land Of The Dead.
 * Don Knotts as Pat Larry
 * The custodian of Urbington Middle School who collects an array of strange and unusual objects in the utility closet.
 * Norm Macdonald as Marvin Nomad
 * A business attorney working for the mayor and father of Nathan.
 * Joanna Kerns as Sharyn Nomad
 * An interior designer and mother of Nathan.
 * Christopher Lee and Timothy Spall as Trirascal
 * A destructive 3-headed monster who serves as Zany's new boss and the true antagonist of the film. Lee voices the 1st head while Spall voices the 2nd and 3rd heads.
 * George Carlin as Adrian Calgaria
 * A corrupt elderly business millionaire who is the heir to his family's company Calgaria Industries.
 * John Cleese as Dr. Herman Incisor
 * The top dentist of Urbington who's secretly a mad scientist conjuring strange and twisted experiments, most of them unsuccessful.
 * Gene Wilder as Grandpap
 * An inventor, Marilyn's grandpa, and the late mother of Clarissa known for his inventions who was very close to Marilyn.
 * Mark "The Undertaker" Calaway as Mr. Molar
 * Dr. Incisor's assistant in dentistry and scientific experiments who communicates through grunts and growls for most of the movie and doesn't speak until near the end of the film.
 * Ed Asner as Norman The Sea Serpent
 * A giant grumpy but friendly sea monster living in the oceans of Urbington.
 * Sarah Jessica Parker as Anna Portly
 * A red monster on the run from Zany who takes disguise as a teacher at Urbington Middle School.
 * Conchata Farrell voices Anna in her monster form
 * Karyn Parsons as Macy Mantis
 * A gardening praying mantis living with Marilyn who hopes to find the man of her dreams.
 * John C Reilly as Drake The Good Luck Dragon
 * A red dragon and friend of Norman who always has good luck.
 * Jeff Bergman as Terry The Terrible
 * A freaky looking monster with a heart of gold and friend of Norman & Drake.
 * Tara Strong as Karen Shine
 * Marilyn's 16-year old sister who has an intriguing but conflicting personality.
 * Strong also voices Marilyn in a flashback scene when she was 7 / 8 years old.
 * Ernest Borgnine as Carl Borman
 * A retired actor who now works as the principal of Urbington Middle School.
 * Tim Conway as Laurence Belmont
 * A teacher at Urbington Middle School under the watch of Borman.
 * Charles Shaughnessey as Sheldon Walker
 * The loyal butler of Calgaria who sees to his master's every whim.
 * Sheryl Crow as Spectra Banshee
 * The spirit of a 1940s Jazz Singer and member of Mr. Death's Graveyard Cult.
 * Rob Paulsen as Shades Phantasm
 * The spirit of a 1940s Jazz Singer and member of Mr. Death's Graveyard Cult.
 * Glenn Shadix as Zeke
 * A strange creature from Golothia working for Zany.
 * Jon Lovitz as Ricky Wrats
 * A rat living in the junkyards of Urbington who likes collecting trash, though he occasionally fights with Rennie over the most trash.
 * Kath Soucie as Rennie Wrats
 * A rat living in the junkyards of Urbington and Rickys' wife who likes collecting trash, though she occasionally fights with Ricky over the most trash.
 * Mark Hamill as Psycho Jack
 * A scary clown jack-in-the-box working for Zany.
 * William Allen Young as Vinny Vermin
 * A busy cockroach living in Albert's house and love interest of Macy.
 * John Rhys-Davies as Omar McVeal
 * A butcher who runs his family business that has been passed down for generations.
 * Edie McClurg as Inca McVeal
 * A stay-at-home mother and wife of Omar.
 * Zachary Ty Bryan as Gregory McVeal
 * The son of Omar & Inca and student at Urbington Middle School who has a love for sweets.
 * Scott Menville as Quincy
 * A kind and gentle student at Urbington Middle School.
 * Tress MacNeille as Ms. Buffett
 * The bionic-armed lunch lady at Urbington Middle School and former scientist.
 * Paul Whitehouse as Mike
 * A member of the Trom-Bones working for Mr. Death's Graveyard Cult.
 * Charlie Higson as Carl
 * A member of the Trom-Bones working for Mr. Death's Graveyard Cult and best friend of Mike.
 * Joe Alaskey as Lance
 * A member of the Trom-Bones working for Mr. Death's Graveyard Cult who is the hardest working of the group.
 * Steve Whitmire as Eerie
 * A goblin working for Zany.
 * Dee Bradley Baker as:
 * Vex: A large house fly working for Zany and partner of Eerie.
 * Corneas: Small worms working for Zany who can reproduce in enormous amounts.
 * Daffadons: Yellow birds who like to sit on branches of Urbington trees to call to others.
 * Ed Gilbert as Mayor
 * The mayor and town chief of Urbington who runs the town quite smoothly.
 * Mary Kay Bergman as Miss Patty
 * The assistant of the Mayor.
 * Hynden Walch as Martha
 * A young woman who serves as Zany’s henchwoman.
 * Candi Milo as Abby
 * A young woman and Martha’s friend who serves as Zany’s henchwoman.
 * Bill Fagerbakke as Leonard Cyclops
 * A cyclops from Golonthia working for Zany.
 * Tom Kenny as Dimwit
 * A rare species of Dodomingo who is a frequent target for hunters.
 * Scott Innes as:
 * Bellow: A caterpillar-like creature working for Zany.
 * Maranzees: A group of marine chimpanzees who are quite sociable and cause spontaneous mischief.
 * Frank Welker as:
 * Purple People Eater: A dragon-like creature from Golothia and friend of Drake who eats everything.
 * Hector: A six-armed creature working for Zany.
 * Daffadons: Yellow birds who like to sit on branches of Urbington trees to call to others.
 * Maranzees: A group of marine chimpanzees who are quite sociable and cause spontaneous mischief.
 * Joseph Barbera as Barbera
 * A very calm and peaceful Tarsute who spends most of the time eating and sleeping, but can attack when threatened.
 * William Hanna as Hanna
 * A Tarsute and friend of Wallace.

Production
Marilyn was one of the first projects announced by Warner Bros. Feature Animation in May 1995, alongside The Quest For The Grail, which would later go on to become Quest For Camelot. Kenneth Anderson, who was a fan of Tim Burton's work, started work on Marilyn in 1994, around the same time he was working on the Fox Kids animated series Xorgs From Outer Space, which only lasted one season from 1995 to 1996. The film was originally going to be distributed by 20th Century Fox and animated at Fox Animation Studios, but was moved to Warner Bros. after Anderson had a disagreement with Fox.

The film was animated at the Glendale, California and London, England facilities of Warner Bros. Feature Animation, and both Anderson and Burton had creative control in the making of the movie. Production was completed in November 1997. Anderson wanted his film, and future films made by him, to be aimed at the older children / teen demographic, while still being marketed for the family audience as well.

Marketing / Release
The first teaser trailer for the film was released in June 1997, attached to all theatrical screenings of Batman & Robin. A teaser poster was released shortly after.

The film was originally going to be released on May 15 1998, but in October 1997, it was delayed to October 16 1998 to avoid competition with Godzilla, which was scheduled for release on May 20. Quest For Camelot, which was originally set for a Fall 98 release, moved upward to May 15, as production for that film was already completed around that time.

Another teaser, which showed some finished animated scenes and set to the tune of Love Can't Be Denied, was released in December 1997 and was played before screenings of Titanic and MouseHunt. A full length trailer was released in May 1998 attached to screenings of Quest For Camelot and Almost Heroes, followed by a final trailer in August 1998, attached to screenings of The Avengers and Wrongfully Accused.

Promotional campaign licensees for the film included Burger King, Mattel, and Kellogg's.

Soundtrack

 * 1) Love Can't Be Denied, Brian D'Arcy James
 * 2) Marilyn's Lament, Claire Danes
 * 3) Marilyn's Lament, Sheryl Crow (credits version)
 * 4) Perfect, Smashing Pumpkins
 * 5) Circles, Soul Coughing
 * 6) My Favourite Game, The Cardigans
 * 7) Dead Of Winter, Eels
 * 8) Weird, Hanson
 * 9) So What'cha Want, Beastie Boys
 * 10) Dreams, The Cranberries
 * 11) Spiderwebs, No Doubt
 * 12) In The Meantime, Spacehog
 * 13) Blue Monday (7 inch version), Blue Monday
 * 14) I Love You Always Forever, Donna Lewis
 * 15) Time After Time, Cyndi Lauper

Reception
The film received critical acclaim, with many calling it a step up for Warner Bros. Feature Animation following the disappointment of Quest For Camelot. The film holds a 94% certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The film was released on October 16 1998, grossing $36 million on its opening weekend and ranking #1 at the box office. It stayed #1 for several weeks until the week of November 8, when The Waterboy was released that day. The film grossed $224 million at the end of its theatrical run, making it a surprise box office success.

Accolades

 * Academy Awards
 * Best Directing (Nominated, lost to Steven Spielberg for Saving Private Ryan)
 * Best Animated Film (won)
 * Best Original Musical Or Comedy Score (won)
 * Best Original Song - Perfect (Nominated, lost to When You Believe from The Prince Of Egypt)
 * Best Editing (Nominated, lost to Saving Private Ryan)
 * Annie Awards (27th Annie Awards)
 * Best Animated Feature (Nominated, lost to The Iron Giant)
 * Best Animated Effects (Nominated, lost to The Iron Giant)
 * Best Character Animation (Nominated, lost to The Iron Giant)
 * Best Directing In An Animated Feature Production (Nominated, lost to The Iron Giant)
 * Best Music In An Animated Feature Production (Nominated, lost to The Iron Giant)
 * Best Production Design In An Animated Feature Production (Nominated, lost to The Iron Giant)
 * Best Storyboarding In An Animated Feature Production (Nominated, lost to The Iron Giant)
 * Best Voice Acting In An Animated Feature Production - Claire Danes (Nominated, lost to Eli Marienthal for The Iron Giant)
 * Best Writing In An Animated Feature Production (Nominated, lost to The Iron Giant)
 * British Academy Film Awards:
 * Best Film (Nominated, lost to Shakespeare In Love)
 * Best Direction (Nominated, lost to Peter Weir for The Truman Show)
 * Best Original Music (Nominated, lost to David Hirschfelder for Elizabeth)
 * Critics Choice Awards
 * Top 10 Films (won)
 * Best Animated Feature (won, tied with The Prince Of Egypt)
 * Best Score (Nominated, lost to John Williams for Saving Private Ryan)
 * Best Song - Perfect (Nominated, lost to When You Believe from The Prince Of Egypt)
 * Golden Globe Awards
 * Best Motion Picture - Musical Or Comedy (Nominated, lost to Shakespeare In Love)
 * Best Screenplay (won)
 * Best Original Score (Nominated, lost to The Truman Show)
 * Best Original Song - Perfect (Nominated, lost to The Prayer from Quest For Camelot)
 * Best Original Song - Love Can't Be Denied (Nominated, lost to The Prayer from Quest For Camelot)
 * Satellite Awards
 * Best Animated Or Mixed Media Film (won)
 * Best Director (Nominated, lost to Terrence Malick for The Thin Red Line)
 * Best Editing (Nominated, lost to Saving Private Ryan)
 * Best Film - Musical Or Comedy (Nominated, lost to Shakespeare In Love)
 * Best Original Score (Nominated, lost to Hans Zimmer for The Thin Red Line)
 * Best Original Song - Perfect (Nominated, lost to Marilyn's Lament from Marilyn)
 * Best Original Song - Marilyn's Lament (won)
 * Best Original Song - Love Can't Be Denied (Nominated, lost to Marilyn's Lament from Marilyn)
 * Best Screenplay (Original) (won)
 * Saturn Awards
 * Best Director (Nominated, lost to Michael Bay for Armageddon)
 * Best Writing (Nominated, lost to Andrew Niccol for The Truman Show)
 * Best Music (won)
 * Best Fantasy Film (Nominated, lost to The Truman Show)