The Little Matchgirl

September. 07,2006      G
Rating:
7.8
Rent / Buy
Rent / Buy
Trailer Synopsis Cast

An animated short based on Hans Christian Andersen's tale about a poor young girl with a burning desire to find comfort and happiness in her life. Desperate to keep warm, the girl lights the matches she sells, and envisions a very different life for herself in the fiery flames filled with images of loving relatives, bountiful food, and a place to call home.

Similar titles

Surge
Surge
Mass: abstract gravity. Experimental art film created with partially lit paper relief.
Surge 1996
Daffy in Wackyland
Daffy in Wackyland
Daffy Duck pursues Yoyo Dodo through Wackyland in search of a simple meal.
Daffy in Wackyland 2023
In the Bedroom
Paramount+
In the Bedroom
Summertime on the coast of Maine, "In the Bedroom" centers on the inner dynamics of a family in transition. Matt Fowler is a doctor practicing in his native Maine and is married to New York born Ruth Fowler, a music teacher. His son is involved in a love affair with a local single mother. As the beauty of Maine's brief and fleeting summer comes to an end, these characters find themselves in the midst of unimaginable tragedy.
In the Bedroom 2001
Steel and America
Steel and America
A short film by Disney in which Donald Duck is involved in showing the history of Steel and America.
Steel and America 1965
Contact
Contact
Stranded on a distant planet, a lonely astronaut sends out a signal in search of human contact.
Contact 2017
Ecstazoo
Ecstazoo
This is about how drugs alter our perception and take the place of normal sensory input.
Ecstazoo 1996
American Nazareth
American Nazareth
The short film (conveyed in a parable-like story structure) follows a man devoted to himself and the blessings of his attributed god. He struggles to survive a primitive life and is forced to take action to ensure his own prosperity.
American Nazareth 2022

You May Also Like

The Ballad of Nessie
The Ballad of Nessie
A legendary and friendly creature named Nessie lives happily in a small pond with her friend MacQuack, a rubber duck. When a rich developer takes the pond and land surrounding it to build a miniature golf course, Nessie is forced to search for a new home.
The Ballad of Nessie 2011
Dog Running
Dog Running
Eadweard Muybridge photographs a dog running from two different angles: one from the side, one from the back.
Dog Running 1
I Live in the Woods
I Live in the Woods
A woodsman runs amok.
I Live in the Woods 2008
Mad Hot Ballroom
Prime Video
Mad Hot Ballroom
Eleven-year-old New York City public school kids journey into the world of ballroom dancing and reveal pieces of themselves and their world along the way. Told from their candid, sometimes humorous perspectives, these kids are transformed, from reluctant participants to determined competitors, from typical urban kids to "ladies and gentlemen," on their way to try to compete in the final citywide competition.
Mad Hot Ballroom 2005
The Little Whirlwind
The Little Whirlwind
Mickey wants some of the cake Minnie has just baked, so he offers to clean up her yard. As he's working, a tiny tornado (smaller than him) with a mind of its own comes along and causes trouble. After Mickey finally chases the little twister off, it gets its big brother, which makes a grand mess of the yard. Most of the cartoon, except for the opening and closing, has no dialogue.
The Little Whirlwind 1941
How to Hook Up Your Home Theater
How to Hook Up Your Home Theater
Following in the great tradition of his classic "How To" animated shorts of the 1940's, Goofy makes his return to the big screen in "How to Hook Up Your Home Theater". When Goofy is desperate to watch the Big Game, he heads to his local electronics store to tackle every consumer's nightmare - selecting the perfect home theater system and worse, trying to hook it all up.
How to Hook Up Your Home Theater 2007
Sanjay's Super Team
Sanjay's Super Team
SANJAY'S SUPER TEAM follows the daydream of a young Indian boy, bored with his father's religious meditation, who imagines "a kind of ancient, Hindu version of The Avengers," with the gods appearing like superheros.
Sanjay's Super Team 2015
Cat Burglar
Cat Burglar
In this edgy, over-the-top, interactive trivia toon, answer correctly to help Rowdy the Cat evade Peanut the Security Pup to steal some prized paintings.
Cat Burglar 2022
Rally Road Racers
Rally Road Racers
Zhi, a rookie race car driver, gets the opportunity to compete against the reigning champion of the rally car circuit. With help from a former driver-turned-mechanic, Zhi must overcome treacherous terrain, rival racers, and unexpected obstacles to prove he has what it takes to be the next great racer.
Rally Road Racers 2023
Lorenzo
Lorenzo
A cat named Lorenzo is dismayed to discover that his tail has developed a personality of its own.
Lorenzo 2004

Reviews

Sexyloutak
2006/09/07

Absolutely the worst movie.

... more
MusicChat
2006/09/08

It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

... more
Voxitype
2006/09/09

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

... more
Murphy Howard
2006/09/10

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

... more
Armand
2006/09/11

it is one of films who are not defined but story - well - known - but for art to translate in image a classic text. the science to present new nuances for Andersen story . and, in that case, the job is remarkable.for the grace of details, for the smart solutions, for the lovely animation, for the blue and white and gray, for the magic and for the last images. a film like an embroidery. delicate, simple, touching, honest and hard careful work. the little girl is different by the original character but the new details are beautiful homage to the author. a lovely short film.useful for the remember of childhood emotions.

... more
Dawalk-1
2006/09/12

This short only gives another good example of what to be thankful for and a blessing to count on that holiday. That's exactly what I love about this: The lesson/message/moral there is in the end. Which is some of us should consider ourselves fortunate enough not to be in that situation and go through what the little Russian girl had to go through and struggle to survive on the streets daily and/or nightly. With her having to try to get by, selling matches to the passersby. This is definitely one that goes out to the homeless.A poor, little, Russian girl is a match vendor and she goes about her routine attempting to sell matches on a wintry night. Hoping to use the money she could've received possibly to buy some food I imagine. Sadly for her, there are no takers. Afterwards, she heads into the alley and settles under a makeshift tent. She then uses up her matches and every time she lights one, she imagines other things that she could've been doing at that moment, such as having a nice dinner. The visualizations are her only means of escape, if solely temporarily. Another vision she has is that she either returns home or visits the house of her grandmother. A third involves her in a sleigh ride. Youtube was once again the first source of where I saw this months ago and one commentator said that the girl was dumb for wasting all of the matches that she had and that the commentator was glad for the girl's eventual misfortune, and demise. To that commentator, I'd say/type:" I don't think it would've really made much of a difference. Even if the girl hadn't used up all or any of her matches, she still wouldn't have been able to withstand the weather/climate that night. But since she did use up all of the matches, the fires she made with them simply burned themselves out after a while and she still didn't endure the winter anyway. It was inevitable and bound to happen either way, a no-win situation. Other than you saying 'it was her own fault', I wonder if you were in her situation but you saved all of your matches, would you be able to bear the cold? And how would you feel if somebody said the same that you said about her fate? Making a dense comment like that and failing to think ahead and logically before commenting? "We have no idea for sure accurately how nor why the girl ended up being so poor and getting on the streets, but how can nobody continuously feel for her after the aforementioned case that I mentioned above? Anyway, I recommend this because it's wonderfully told with actions instead of dialogue, plus since like probably the late '50s or early '60s, we've been getting one new Disney 2D animated short per year. So, it's a real treat that even after Home On The Range in 2004, we still got the Disney 2D featurettes, if not full-length feature films, in a time in which animation is dominated by the 3D/CGI style. I wish there were more than one Disney 2D cartoon short per year though, even if that's better than none at all, but still. It's a real tearjerker that will tug at your heartstrings. I never got teary, but I'm also sad for her and wish the conclusion of this would've been on a happier note, like somebody or some people in the animation crew suggested and would've liked (as the other Disney films had traditionally or usually avoided somber endings) . Each time anyone watches this, it's important they bear in mind that the point of this is to be grateful for what they have and not take everyday things for granted. Not having to strive the hardships and shortcomings like she did and literally weather the (snow) storm or at least try to do so.

... more
julito32
2006/09/13

I never read the original story, so I had no idea what this was about. Needless to say by the end of the short (which is about 6 minutes) I was felt a heaviness in my chest an my eyes were teary. Mind you, I'm an action/horror movie guy - I don't emote much. :-) THIS is the full potential of what animation can do - even without any words spoken. The expressions and fluidness of the characters simply would not emote the same way if it was CGI and as this was the final hand drawn 2d work by Disney's studio it looks to be their final true masterpiece.Its BURIED in the Platinum edition of the Little Mermaid DVD, be sure to find it on the 2nd disk Why a person would tell this story to their child is really beyond me.

... more
William Raymer
2006/09/14

I had heard a lot about this short film called "The Little Matchgirl" in the last few months, like how it was originally created for an aborted "Fantasia" sequel, how it was based on a short story by "Little Mermaid" author Hans Christian Andersen, yadda yadda. But, when I finally got the 2-disc "The Little Mermaid" Platinum Edition DVD on which "Little Matchgirl" is found, I was totally blown away. Roger Allers did a (pardon my language in a comment on a Disney film)damn fine job on this short. I do believe that if nominated for an Oscar, "The Little Matchgirl" will blow all those other shorts out of the water.Just a friendly word of advice, folks: bring a lot of Kleenexs...

... more