Ernest & Celestine
A breathtakingly beautiful hand-drawn French film about the unlikely friendship between a little mouse and a big bear, set against two societies that insist they should be enemies. The warmth and artistry are exceptional, with only a handful of mildly scary moments keeping it from being fully all-ages.
Most comfortable for kids 6 and up, with a caring adult nearby for sensitive 5-year-olds during the tenser scenes.
If you’d rather skip
The orphanage caretaker uses dramatic shadow-puppets on the wall to tell a frightening story about bears eating mice — the most likely moment to unsettle a very young child.
A bear family discovers Celestine and immediately tries to catch and kill her, then lays mouse traps throughout their home.
Police from both communities angrily pursue and arrest Ernest and Celestine; the chase scenes have some urgency but no real danger.