Parents should be warned about a disturbing scene in Piglet’s Big Movie: Carly Simon, in thick makeup and snug bodysuit, gyrating as she rocks out to her specially penned piggie song, “With a Few Good Friends.” Intercut with the animated closing credits, Simon’s little music video—an attempt to reach a new generation of fans?—is an unsettling endnote to an otherwise pleasant if unoriginal kid flick. Piglet’s Big Movie can’t help but be charming as it reunites tubby little cubby Winnie the Pooh (voiced by Jim Cummings) with ever-despondent Eeyore (Peter Cullen), bristly Rabbit (Ken Sansom), and, of course, annoyingly happy Tigger (Cummings again) to deliver tongue-tickling verbiage such as “This will remind your rememberer!” Times find Piglet (John Fiedler) feeling blue after he catches the others taking part in a Big Plan to harvest some honey and they insist he’s too small to help. When Piglet makes a disaster-averting move and his friends still won’t acknowledge his contribution, he disappears to wallow. Somewhat illogically, Pooh & Co. use Piglet’s Book of Memories to search for him—after looking at one picture and realizing he’s gone only when someone says, “What’s that tiny pink dot?” Each picture leads to extended flashbacks of old stories from Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner, some so involved that the littlest ones in the audience (and maybe some big ones) may also forget that Piglet’s gone. And many of the new songs—all written by She’s So Vain—are tepidly genial and not very catchy. But these are small flaws. The touching story behind this Very Small Animal’s sadness and the rallying of his friends after they finally recognize his strengths is gently rendered, with a message and a sense of humor appropriate for all ages. Just make sure you head out for a little smackeral of something as soon as the credits roll. —Tricia Olszewski