You are here:

An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island

Name: An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island
Director: Larry Latham
Released: 1998
Duration: 78 min

Representation Score

3.6/10

Limited

1998

Director

Larry Latham

Runtime

78 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

The film excels at using allegory to address heavy themes like post-colonialism and systemic displacement. By framing the immigrant experience through the lens of prejudice and the erasure of indigenous populations, it moves beyond a simple children's adventure. However, the film remains tied to traditional social structures. Gender dynamics are conventional, focusing on a male protagonist, and the narrative lacks any representation of LGBTQ+ identities or characters with disabilities. Ultimately, the work is a sophisticated social metaphor that balances a standard adventure plot with a meaningful critique of the American Dream and industrial expansion.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or explore non-traditional sexual or gender identities. The story focuses on traditional family reunification.

How does An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island portray gender?

Fair

The narrative centers around a male-driven quest, with female characters like Tanya playing traditional familial roles. While it avoids overt sexism, it maintains conventional gender roles.

How racially and ethnically diverse is An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island?

Excellent

The film uses mice as stand-ins for Jewish immigrants to critique systemic discrimination. Including Native American mice offers a sophisticated critique of colonial displacement of indigenous peoples.

How does An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island represent religion and culture?

Good

The story critiques 19th-century capitalist systems and the struggles of the working class. It portrays the immigrant experience as a complex negotiation with a hostile social order.

Does An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no evidence of characters navigating visible or invisible disabilities as central narrative drivers.

Present on Screen

Uses sophisticated allegory to critique systemic prejudice and the displacement of indigenous populations.
Provides a nuanced look at the immigrant experience within a predatory capitalist urban environment.
Highlights historical friction between underrepresented groups rather than promoting a 'melting pot' idea.

Limited or Absent

Lacks representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-traditional gender or sexual identities.
Maintains conventional gender roles, centering ability to act primarily on male characters.
Does not feature characters navigating visible or invisible disabilities.

Official Synopsis

Fievel and his friend Tony Toponi find a map that they believe points to a treasure buried somewhere beneath Old New York, and the plucky rodent is determined to find it. However, what he discovers under the city is a tribe of Native American mice who were driven underground by prejudiced European immigrants.

How are these scores produced? →