Our Favourite Films Starring... Bunnies

bunnyWith the chocolate egg-fest that is Easter fast approaching, we thought it might be fun to focus our attention on that other staple icon of the season, the bunny. Here we present our top 10 films involving rabbits in some shape or form, with a little artistic licence taken…

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1)   Harvey.  The incomparable James Stewart plays Elwood P Dowd, a heavy-drinking, amiable social outcast, whose best friend is a man-sized imaginary rabbit, Harvey.  Romance and comedy ensue when Elwood introduces his friend to the tolerant but sceptical townsfolk in this dark but very funny classic.   

2)   Donnie Darko. The Jake Gyllenhaal-starrer swiftly became a cult hit, as well as scooping multiple awards. It follows Donnie, a troubled teenager living in Virginia, who is woken by a giant rabbit figure. Going by the name of Frank, the rabbit warns Donnie that the world will end in just over 28 days.

3)   Fatal Attraction. The worm turned in this thriller, which starred Glenn Close as the wronged mistress set on revenge. The bunny famously came to a very sticky end in a large stockpot, as well as introducing the phrase 'bunny boiler' into the public consciousness.

4)   Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Bunnies got sexy with this acclaimed animation/live action hit, with Jessica Rabbit (voiced by Kathleen Turner) sashaying all over the big screen in a killer frock that displayed her extraordinary curves.

5)   Bambi. Proof that the cinematic appeal of the bunny is enduring in the much loved 1942 Disney feature. In this tear-jerker, the rabbit, Thumper, was a cutie, with a pink nose and a strong sense of fun and loyalty.

6)   Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Our favourite pair of clay-mation heroes came up against a mutant rabbit while trying to solve the mystery of disappearing vegetables.  The feature was seen as an affectionate, comedy homage to cult B-movie horrors.  

7)   Watership Down. Adapted from Richard Adams' worldwide bestseller, this had audiences reaching for the tissues as they witnessed the rabbits' struggle to survive as they fled to a promised land. The film also spawned the Art Garfunkel mega-hit 'Bright Eyes'.

8)   Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog played a major role in a battle in this 1975 comedy from the ever-controversial Pythons. The rabbit also went on to appear in the spin off musical, Spamalot.

9)   Alice in Wonderland. The White Rabbit, one of Lewis Carroll's many creations, had a serious timekeeping problem. His film appearances include the 1951 Disney animation, as well as the more recent Tim Burton version, in which he was played by Michael Sheen.

10)  And finally, here comes the artistic licence - Pulp Fiction. Admittedly not an actual rabbit, but we think Jack Rabbit Slim's needs a nod. The 1950s themed diner was the backdrop for the now iconic twist performed by Uma Thurman and John Travolta in Tarantino's seminal feature.
 
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