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What's After the Movie?
Short animated drama

The Bear (1998): Cast & Plot

The Bear (1998) movie poster

The Bear is a 1998 short animated drama directed by Hilary Audus, starring Peter Knapp as Star Bear, Philip Sheffield and Charlotte Church. It runs 26 minutes.

The Bear (1998) movie poster
Released
Runtime
26 min
Director
Hilary Audus
Genres
Fantasy , Drama , Comedy , Animation
Original language
English
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is The Bear About?

The premise of The Bear without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

After escaping his enclosure, a polar bear returns a little girl’s beloved teddy bear, prompting her to look after him. In gratitude, the bear invites her on a magical journey filled with wonder. Adapted from Raymond Briggs’s bestselling picture book, the enchanting animated short comes from the same creators of The Snowman.

The Bear Themes & Keywords

· 21 tags
  • family home
  • little girl
  • female protagonist
  • animal protagonist
  • girl
  • british animation
  • hand drawn animation
  • polar bear
  • teddy bear
  • friendship
  • bathing scene
  • snowy landscape
+9 more
  • drinking from a toilet
  • human bear relationship
  • animal defecates indoors
  • british
  • english girl
  • child's bedroom
  • human animal relationship
  • human animal friendship
  • based on children's book
Cast & crew

The Bear Cast & Characters

Peter Knapp leads the cast as Star Bear, with Philip Sheffield as Polar Bear and Charlotte Church as Tilly. Directed by Hilary Audus.

Plot

The Bear Plot Summary

What happens in The Bear from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 13 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

A young polar bear cub chases a bird and is captured by seamen on a ship after he is spotted. The bear, now grown up in captivity, looks up at a star before lying down to sleep. The next day, a red-haired girl named Tilly Charlotte Church is on a day trip to the London Zoo, but accidentally drops her teddy bear into the bear pen. The bear wakes up, spots the teddy, paws at it, and carries it off to his cave as Tilly watches in a mix of shock and awe.

Full summary

The whole story of The Bear, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Quiz

How Well Do You Know The Bear?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

What is the name of the red‑haired girl who befriends the polar bear?

Seen The Bear?

FAQ

The Bear FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date

Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of The Bear, each answered in a sentence.

How long is The Bear?

The Bear runs 26 minutes.

When was The Bear released?

The Bear was released on December 25, 1998.

Who directed The Bear?

The Bear was directed by Hilary Audus.

More films by Hilary Audus

Who is in the cast of The Bear?

The Bear stars Peter Knapp as Star Bear, Philip Sheffield as Polar Bear and Charlotte Church as Tilly.

Does The Bear have a post-credit scene?

No. The Bear has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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