"The language of the lips is easily taught, but who can teach the language of the heart?" Mahatma Gandhi once asked. In this delightful and fast-moving animated feature film based on the adventure novels of Edgar Rice Burroughs, a little boy and his parents survive a shipwreck and nest in a tree house on an island. After his parents are devoured by a leopard, he is rescued by a female gorilla, Kala (voiced by Glenn Close), whose own child was killed by the same leopard. Kerchak (Lance Henriksen), leader of the gorilla family, doesn't want this outsider in their midst, saying "He's not our kind." But Kala prevails. She realizes that Tarzan (Tony Goldwyn) is linked to them all through the beating of his heart. He grows up into a fearless and agile animal able to surf moss-covered trees and swing gracefully on vines with the greatest of ease.

Directed by Kevin Lima and Chris Buck and propelled by dramatic rock musical selections by Phil Collins, this story accentuates Tarzan's friendship with Terk (Rosie O'Donnell), a wise-cracking monkey, and Tantor (Wayne Knight), an elephant. However, his life is immeasurably complicated when he meets up with Jane (Minnie Driver), the daughter of a professor (Nigel Hawthorne) who's on an expedition in the jungle to find gorillas. Their guide, Clayton (Brian Blessed), has other things in mind for these wild ones.

Tarzan is a fine family film that affirms our spirit connection with all members of the animal kingdom. In its own limited way, the drama teaches children the value of the language of the heart. You might heed the advice of the poet Rainer Maria Rilke as you leave the theater: "Work of the eyes is done. Now go and do heart work."