The Tale of Despereaux is a 2008 children's fantasy adventure film about Desperaux Tilling, a courageous, curious mouse who befriends a compassionate rat, Roscuro, as he embarks on an adventure to rescue a kidnapped princess and restore happiness to the kingdom of Dor in the process, even when his ambitions get him banished from his hometown.

Directed by Sam Fell and Robert Stevenhagen. Written by Gary Ross.
Small mouse. Big dreams.  (taglines)

Dialogue

[first lines]
Sigourney Weaver: Once upon a time, there was a brave, little mouse who loved honor and justice and always told the truth.
[Camera zooms in and we see a rat named Roscuro]
Sigourney Weaver: No, that's not him.
[Roscuro yawns]
Sigourney Weaver: That's a rat. And anyone who knows anything, knows there is a big difference between a mouse and a rat. [Roscuro climbs on a barrel and looks at the sun] First of all, rats hate the light. They spend their lives in the darkness. They're also terrified of people, which is why they slink and cower all the time. [Roscuro goes to near of a sailor named Pietro] And as far as telling the truth as concerned, well, that is impossible, because as everyone knows...
[Roscuro clears his throat]
Sigourney Weaver: ...a rat can't talk.
Roscuro: [begins to talk] Tell me that thing again, please.
Pietro: Come on!
Roscuro: Just once, I promise. Tell me one more time and I won't ask you ever again, I swear.
Pietro: Fine. We are headed to Dor, one of the most magical places in the whole world.
Roscuro: No, that's not what you said before. You know, every place has something special, and in Dor, it's the soup!
Despereaux: So, you're a gentleman.
Roscuro: [turns to Despereaux] Tell me that story... about the princess. Tell me what she looked like.
Despereaux: Well, she was...
Roscuro: Was she angry?
Despereaux: No. No, not at all. Her heart was full of... longing.
Roscuro: What's longing?
Sigourney Weaver: And that's how a friendship is born. Over the next few weeks, he told Roscuro everything he knew about loyalty and honor and chivalry and courage. He told him about the Princess, and where her longing came from. That she missed the rain, and the soup, and even the rats.
Roscuro: Even the rats?
Sigourney Weaver: He told him about their code of honor, about his noble quest, about duty and loyalty. And there, in the darkness of the cellar, two knights pledged devotion to a princess who was trapped inside a castle. Trapped in a life full of pain and longing. Even if no one could tell.
Sigourney Weaver: [last lines] So, you could call all of this a big misunderstanding if you wanted to. A king was hurt, so he hurt a rat. And a rat was hurt, so he hurt a princess. And a princess was hurt, so she hurt a servant girl without even meaning to do it. And that servant had been hurting for so long, that almost nothing could make her feel better. But was it a mistake, or was it just good luck? Because the servant girl went back to her farm. And the jailer finally found his princess. And the king found something stronger than grief. And the mice finally got rid of their fear. And the people of Dor lived side-by-side with their rats...all except one, who went back to sea and felt a cool breeze each morning, and the sun on his face every afternoon. And we'd tell you that they all lived happily ever after, but...what fun is that?

Voice Cast

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