The Fox & the Child (2007)

50% of critics liked it
(28 reviews)
63% of users liked it
(2,633 ratings)

A woman recounts her childhood friendship with a fox as a young girl.

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: G, 1 hr. 34 min.
Directed By: Luc Jacquet
Genres: Documentary, Drama, Kids & Family, Art House & International

In Theaters: Nov 28, 2007 Wide
On DVD: Apr 7, 2009
Studio: Christal Films

Critic Reviews

Ruth Hessey, MovieTime, ABC Radio National
There's plenty of scope for sentimental tears, but I hope most children will go away with something punchier - a longing to observe the natural world in this much detail, and a new respect for the difference between owning something, and loving it.
Derek Elley, Variety
Film is largely just the sum of its images and, aside from a surprise ending, is more a pleasant view with charming moments than a consistently gripping narrative.
Don Groves, sbs.com.au
A gentle, rambling adventure in the wild.
Joly Herman, Common Sense Media
Stunning story of friendship shows the magic of patience.
Anders Wotzke, Moviedex
Falls shy of being either a captivating tale for kids or an enlightening documentary for adults.
Sandra Hall, Sydney Morning Herald
The result is Nature seen through the eyes of a solitary and fanciful child with Jacquet intensifying the theatricality of it all by playing around with scale, amplifying every sound and raising the wildlife count.
Evan Williams, The Australian
The Fox and the Child is more than a wildlife documentary. It invites us to contemplate alternative worlds of sensation and experience, to enter the consciousness of other species, to explore our contacts with them.
David Stratton, At the Movies (Australia)
It's very beautiful, but it's so contrived.
Margaret Pomeranz, At the Movies (Australia)
Luc Jacquet doesn't do great narration, but he does animals really well.
Amy Wheeler, FILMINK (Australia)
A strange mix of doco/fairy tale, this film does have beautiful cinematography but is let down by inconsistencies in tone.
Louise Keller, Urban Cinefile
Exquisite cinematography and a beautifully told story about the unlikely friendship between a little girl and a wild fox, make this a magical experience
Mike McGranaghan, Aisle Seat
If, for example, Alvin and the Chipmunks is a children's movie, then The Fox and the Child is a children's movie for children who'd prefer to hang out at the local arthouse cinema than at the multiplex.
Victor Olliver, Teletext
The Tally-ho! brigade may need an extra snifter of sherry if they see Jacquet's new film. It's about to do for foxes what Babe did for pigs back in 1995.
Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall
Gorgeously scenery and a virtually dialog-free script lends this film an almost fairy tale quality that makes the most of the astonishing camerawork. And this almost makes it bearable as it heads into a rather cloying finale.
Derek Malcolm, This is London
Children will undoubtedly adore the film, and the local tourist board will probably have to take its phones off the hook.
Anthony Quinn, Independent
Kate Winslet does a syrupy voice-over to this bedtime story, but given what we know of foxes, it's a tough one to swallow.
Nigel Andrews, Financial Times
There seems no other reason to tell this rambling, glutinous tale - other than for us to go "ooh, aah" at the scenery, the seasons and the melting-eyed close-ups of Reynard the heart-throb.
, Sun Online
There is little insight into the life of this resourceful creature and it certainly will not educate your cubs.
, Daily Mirror [UK]
The main problem is it's so incredibly slow as we're forced to endure the unnamed girl's patient attempts to gain the animal's trust, while the youngster herself is too wide-eyed for her own good.

Read all 19 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Mark W

His previous film "March of The Penguins" was an impressive nature programme, on a par with David Attenborough. This time director Luc Jacquet attempts more of the same but combines the nature side with a fictional fairy-tale narrative. It tells the very basic story of a… More
His previous film "March of The Penguins" was an impressive nature programme, on a par with David Attenborough. This time director Luc Jacquet attempts more of the same but combines the nature side with a fictional fairy-tale narrative. It tells the very basic story of a little girl living ruraly who befriends a fox. At first, the relationship between them is obviously strained but they grow to trust one another and strike up a real heartfelt affinity. Jacquet's follow-up to his very successful first outing definitely has similair visual splendor and some very impressive interactive footage of the little girl and the fox. However, the story is whimsical and the little girl becomes quite frustrating in her stupidity in attempting to domesticate the wild animal. Kate Winslet's VoiceOver is a tad on the twee side also and becomes too sugary sweet. The visuals are excellent though, with some stunning cinematography and beautiful landscapes and even if its not an entirely successful amalgamation, it's still a fine attempt at one. Childish but charming.
Wahida K

Christ I dont know where to begin? This very beautiful tale of a girl becoming friend with a Fox and tries to make it a Home Pet is very adventurous. Not only Kids will adore this Movie but it will even steal Adults hearts. It is Magical without any animations or any special stuff.… More
Christ I dont know where to begin? This very beautiful tale of a girl becoming friend with a Fox and tries to make it a Home Pet is very adventurous. Not only Kids will adore this Movie but it will even steal Adults hearts. It is Magical without any animations or any special stuff. The Narration made it even more beautifull. For one and a half hour you ll completely forget the world around you, if you love the Nature and the Adventure Movies! Plot: A young girl of about 10 years lives in a farm house in the jurassic mountains in eastern France. One day in autumn, when she walks to school through the forest, she observes a hunting fox. Of course, the fox escapes, but the girl yearns for meeting the animal again. She spends most of her free time in the forests trying to find the fox during the following months. But she never meets the fox again before winter comes. During the winter, she follows fox's traces far across the fields. Suddenly she is alarmed by the howling of wolves near of her, she runs away panically, falls and hurts her ankle. The ankle heals very slowly, so that she has to stay at home during the winter reading book about animals of the forrest and foxes. When spring arrives, the girl is looking for fox kennels and waits for a fox. The fox has got young ones and moves kennel because of her observations; therefore the girl decides to observe the fox from a longer distance. She finds the fox again and tries to get the animal accustomed to her. She feeds it with meat. Later she can even touch the fox and is led to the new kennel. Finally she wants to keep the fox the animal as a tame pet in her house, but the fox refuses to do so and escapes by jumping through the closed window breaking the glass. The fox is hurt badly, but survives and the girl learn that she cannot keep wild animals as pets at home.
Film C

i didnt like march of the penguins which was directed or produced by the same person although interesting it just wasnt as good as i thought it might be and this is te same altough i love the relatioship and the scenery and the fantastic photography it just isnt my type of movie with… More
i didnt like march of the penguins which was directed or produced by the same person although interesting it just wasnt as good as i thought it might be and this is te same altough i love the relatioship and the scenery and the fantastic photography it just isnt my type of movie with nly winslet narrating and all scenes are a child a fox and a wood messing about although cute sweet and aww factor it just wasnt my type of movie and just bored me! If you like those type of movies then you'l love this !
Roy G

Children will undoubtedly adore the film
Dannielle A

The little girl in this movie was an adorable red-haired pixie who I fell in love with at once. She was almost as fun to watch as the foxes and beautiful European landscapes. It was an adventure to follow the vixen and her pups wherever they went. I was enjoying the movie until the… More
The little girl in this movie was an adorable red-haired pixie who I fell in love with at once. She was almost as fun to watch as the foxes and beautiful European landscapes. It was an adventure to follow the vixen and her pups wherever they went. I was enjoying the movie until the last portion. It was so real that I set out to find out if any animals were harmed during the making of the film. It was disturbingly convincing even though the credits assure me the foxes are safe. After I find out the fox isn't really dead in the end, I'm still left with a nasty aftertaste in my mouth. The moral at the end is bleak and abrupt.