Rooter Showcase - February 2021

[rhombus]

https://i.imgur.com/iEcUHV2.mp4

"Hey, what's going on here?"

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In this topic please feel free to discuss Rooter as a character, to share your own creations (fanfics or fanart) concerning this character, or to mention some of your favorite fanworks of others involving him.  For a full set of rules please see the 2021 Monthly Character Showcase topic but keep in mind that this is meant to be fun as opposed to any sort of contest.

I will go ahead and get the discussion started with the following questions:

1.  Rooter was added to the original Land Before Time film at the urging of psychologists in order to soften the impact of the death of Littlefoot’s mother and the scariness of Sharptooth.  What do you think of this decision?

2.  Even though he was only featured for a short time in the first film, Rooter had a large impact.  What are your thoughts on Rooter as a character?

[LittleDas75]

I am wondering is Rooter the narrator or is it a coincidence that their both voiced by the same guy?

[Nanotyrannus]

I find it hard to come up with a lot to say about Rooter both because he gets so little screen time and because so much about him is clouded in mystery. Regardless, I'll at least try and come up with responses for the two prompts:

1.) Personal thoughts on him and his scene aside (I'll get into that below), I think that it was for the best that the scene was added given that it does provide a bit of welcome recuperation after two back-to-back scenes of savagery/mass destruction and emotional devastation respectively; at the same time, I'll admit that I don't think it flows extremely well with what comes after, given that it is immediately followed by another scene of levity with the baby pterosaurs where Littlefoot isn't any better off emotionally than he was before his talk with Rooter. In that regard, I think it could have been cut out of the movie without much consequence.

That said, I think that the movie is better off with the scene given how powerful it is; dare I say, I find it even stronger on an emotional front than the scene that precedes it.

2.) For as little time as he gets, I do get a character out of Rooter; though he's typically gruff and belligerent and has more likely than not been through some serious stuff throughout his long life, he knows when to let his guard down and impart wisdom and sympathy. Despite his rough edges, he is very likeable; I'm inclined to say that he's one of my favorite characters in the franchise, and I think that, if he was handled well, he would have been a very welcome addition to a sequel or two.

On that note, I think VI would have better if it dropped the Lone Dinosaur and Saurus Rock guff and the focus on the Great Valley and instead focused on Rooter and his backstory with a slight western vibe.

I am wondering is Rooter the narrator or is it a coincidence that their both voiced by the same guy?

I they just had Rooter be voiced by Pat Hingle because they already had him on board when Rooter was implemented, but I do like the prospect of Rooter doubling as the narrator, even if that idea isn't entirely solid given that he and the narrator's inflections are a little different.

[aabicus (LettuceBacon&Tomato)]

eyyyy it's the character I voiced

I definitely think adding Rooter was a good narrative call. It was a pretty traumatizing sequence leading up to his appearance, considering most 90's kids still point to this, Mufasa and Artax being the big three horrifying deaths in kids' films of that era. Plus the film isn't about Litttlefoot blaming himself for his mom's death, it's about him trying to find the Great Valley, and without Rooter there's no easy way for Littlefoot to realize he wasn't at fault and prioritize the actual plot over self-loathing. (I guess the writing could have just glossed over that interpretation, but that's pretty disingeuous considering children commonly blame themselves when they lose a parent early, even if it's a divorce and not even a death in the family.)

[StardustSoldier]

I think these showcase threads are a great idea and I haven't forgotten about them. But I have a busy summer coming up and so it probably won't be until around autumn when I get around to sharing my wordy analysis posts. I'll play catch-up then.

[StardustSoldier]

Continuing on through the remaining 2021 & 2022 showcases. That's two down now!

1.  Rooter was added to the original Land Before Time film at the urging of psychologists in order to soften the impact of the death of Littlefoot’s mother and the scariness of Sharptooth.  What do you think of this decision?

2.  Even though he was only featured for a short time in the first film, Rooter had a large impact.  What are your thoughts on Rooter as a character?

Hmm. Well, I don't think the film needed any softening. But I do appreciate Rooter's scene all the same. It's both sad and heartwarming at the same time. It adds something special; a little extra something that I think that would have been lost if the scene hadn't been included. It was also one of the scenes I remembered the most from watching the film as a kid, so it clearly left an impact on my younger self.

Strangely, I also like that this is Rooter's only appearance. It seems more haunting and meaningful in a way that we don't see him again after this.