The Wind in the Willows is a delightfully clever and very Monty Pythonesque live-action screen adaptation of Kenneth Graham's 1908 children's classic. Here the serenity and dignity of the quiet countryside is undermined by the discordant engines of greed and progress. It's the riverside animals against the nasty weasels of the Wild Wood.
Writer and director Terry Jones stars as the restless Toad, a country gentleman with an obsession for motorcars. Watch out, it's Toad on the road! When his beloved Toad Hall is threatened with demolition, other river folk band together to come to his aid. His allies include the homeless and insecure Mole (Steve Coogan), the picnic loving Rat (Eric Idle), and the take-charge Badger (Nicol Williamson).
These animal characters struggle, like we do, with the challenges and burdens of fear, addiction, friendship, and standing up for what's right. The Wind in the Willows bears the inimitable stamp of English idiosyncrasy.