Brave The Movie in Kanpur,

• Info
• Cast & Crew

• Genre: Animated,Adventure,Comedy
  
  Synopsis:
  A courageous Scottish princess (Kelly Macdonald) must figure out how to undo a beastly curse after an eccentric witch (Julie Walters) grants her an ill-fated wish.
  
  Release Date: 08/13/2012
  Rating: PG - Parental Guidance Suggested
  
  http://disney.go.com/brave/?cmp=wdsmp_brv_url_dcombrave#/home
  
• Cast:
  Voice of Princess Merida: Kelly Macdonald,Voice of Queen Elinor: Emma Thompson,Voice of King Fergus: Billy Connolly,Voice of Witch: Julie Walters,Voice of Lord MacGuffin/Young MacGuffin: Kevin McKidd,Voice of Lord Macintosh: Craig Ferguson,Voice of Lord Dingwall: Robbie Coltrane
  
  Crew:
  Director: Mark Andrews,Director: Brenda Chapman,Screenwriter: Mark Andrews,Screenwriter: Steve Purcell,Screenwriter: Brenda Chapman,Screenwriter: Irene Mecchi,Producer: Katherine Sarafian,Executive Producer: John Lasseter,Original Music: Patrick Doyle
  
  Production Companies:
  Pixar Animation Studios,Walt Disney Studios
  
  Distributors:
  Pixar Animation Studios,Walt Disney
  
  Notes:
  Production Notes - Notes provided by Walt Disney Pictures - ``Some say our destiny is tied to the land, as much a part of us as we are of it. Others say fate is woven together like a cloth, so that one's destiny intertwines with many others. It's the one thing we search for, or fight to change. Some never find it. But there are some who are led. Merida Since ancient times, stories of epic battles and mystical legends have been passed through the generations across the rugged and mysterious Highlands of Scotland. From Disney and Pixar, a new tale joins the lore when the courageous Merida (voice of Kelly Macdonald) confronts tradition and challenges destiny to change her fate. ``Brave follows the heroic journey of Merida, a skilled archer and headstrong daughter of King Fergus (voice of Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (voice of Emma Thompson). Determined to carve her own path in life, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the unruly and uproarious lords of the land: massive Lord MacGuffin (voice of Kevin McKidd), surly Lord Macintosh (voice of Craig Ferguson) and cantankerous Lord Dingwall (voice of Robbie Coltrane). Merida's actions inadvertently unleash chaos and fury in the kingdom, and when she turns to an eccentric Witch (voice of Julie Walters) for help, she is granted an ill-fated wish. The ensuing peril forces Merida to harness all of her skills and resources-including her clever and mischievous triplet brothers-to undo a beastly curse before it's too late, and discover the meaning of true bravery. ``'Brave' is about a teenager's struggle with finding herself, with creating her own destiny, says director Mark Andrews of Disney-Pixar's 13th full-length feature. ``More specifically, it's about Merida's struggle in reconciling how the world sees her versus how she sees herself. True courage must be found on the inside. ``The main theme is being brave, finding the courage to let go. Merida is a very brave character-she climbs cliffs, shoots arrows, fights bears-but it's really that bravery of the heart that's the hardest. Mark Andrews, Director Directed by Andrews and Brenda Chapman, and produced by Katherine Sarafian, ``Brave is a grand adventure full of heart, memorable characters and signature Pixar humor that audiences of all ages around the world have come to expect. Based on an original story by Chapman, ``Brave was written by Andrews, Steve Purcell and Chapman & Irene Mecchi. The film takes aim at theaters on June 22, 2012, and will be presented in Disney Digital 3D(tm) in select theaters. ``Brave is rated PG by the MPAA. Andrews and Chapman join the elite roster of Pixar directors-only five people before them have directed a Disney-Pixar feature. Says Andrews, ``We're in very good company and surrounded by fantastic mentors. Their wealth of experience was always ready at hand and helped me become a better filmmaker. Andrews, who brings a life-long passion for Scotland, Scottish history and action-adventure films to his role, served as story supervisor on the Oscar(R)-winning animated features ``The Incredibles and ``Ratatouille. In bringing ``Brave to the big screen, Chapman, a long established storyteller with credits including ``Beauty and the Beast and ``The Lion King, was inspired by her own relationship with her young daughter, as well as a love of Scotland. Infusing drama, authenticity and spirit in ``Brave is a phenomenal vocal ensemble comprised largely of actors with Scottish roots. Kelly Macdonald (``Boardwalk Empire, ``No Country for Old Men, ``Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows-Part 2) brings heart to the tempestuous teenager Merida. Acclaimed Oscar(R)-winning actress Emma Thompson (``Howards End, ``Sense and Sensibility) gives a transformative performance as the regal and proper Queen Elinor. Renowned Scottish comedian/actor Billy Connolly voices King Fergus, the jovial patriarch of the kingdom and a heroic warrior who longs for a rematch with the demon bear Mor'du that took his leg. Voicing the strapping Lord MacGuffin and his son, Young MacGuffin, is Scottish actor Kevin McKidd (``Trainspotting, ``Grey's Anatomy). Popular late-night talk-show host/actor Craig Ferguson (``The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, ``Winnie the Pooh), also a Scottish native, voices the boisterous, battle-ready Lord Macintosh. Glasgow native Robbie Coltrane (``Harry Potter films) adds plenty of pluck to scrappy Lord Dingwall, and acclaimed British actress Julie Walters (``Educating Rita, ``Billy Elliott, seven ``Harry Potter films) conjures up some vocal magic as the mysterious Witch. Oscar(R)-nominated composer Patrick Doyle (``Sense and Sensibility, ``Hamlet, ``Thor) creates an epic score that weaves together all of the film's action, emotion and humor. Being true to his heritage, Doyle employs traditional Scottish dance rhythms and native instruments played by Scottish musicians. Adding to ``Brave's musical lineup, Scottish Gaelic folk singer Julie Fowlis performs a pair of songs: ``Touch the Sky and ``Into the Open Air. Birdy, 16-year-old singing sensation, performs the epilogue song for the film titled ``Learn Me Right with Grammy(R)-nominated folk rock group Mumford & Sons, who also penned the original track. ``Brave represents Pixar's most daring, sophisticated and complex feature film to date. It also establishes numerous firsts for a Pixar film. It is the studio's first film to feature a female protagonist, its first period piece in which historical references intersect with a fantasy world, and its first epic adventure set in a natural human world. ``I am so proud of this film for its beauty, its story, its drama, its humor and its action, says John Lasseter, chief creative officer for Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios and an executive producer of ``Brave. ``It's a beautifully balanced film that just sweeps you away in this incredibly gorgeous world with these really entertaining characters. It's unlike anything you've ever seen. That's what we love to do at Pixar. We love to go to new worlds and present stories that you've never seen before. It's a tour de force of technology and artistry. There's great storytelling, humor and vocal performances. According to Lasseter, ``Brave is also notably groundbreaking in every way. ``'Brave' raises the bar for the art form on every level- human animation, hair and clothing; animation of animals, including bears and horses; believability of organic, natural environments and historical settings. It's an incredible blend of action and humor, with magic, mystery, sorcery and real adventure-a genuine edge-of-your-seat experience. You can't wait to see what happens next. John Lasseter, Executive Producer ``'Brave' has a visual complexity that's at a new level-even for Pixar, says producer and Pixar veteran Katherine Sarafian. ``Ancient Scotland-with horses, bears and human beings-is about as organic as you can get. There's absolutely nothing easy in the film. We've pushed the look, pushed our technology and pushed our artists to new heights. Merida's wild, curly mane of red hair and the complexity of clothing on all of the characters-from formal dresses to tunics, cloaks and armor, plus layers and layers of kilt-made this our most challenging film yet. ``What I love about Pixar films is that we're always trying to push the envelope and not be formulaic, says Andrews. ``With 'Brave,' we're telling a story that audiences are going to get wrapped up in. We put a lot of honesty into making this film. INSPIRED ``Brave Story Springs from Reality The story of ``Brave was very personal for the film's directors, Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman. They drew from the experiences of their own families, combining that with their Scottish heritage and love of the country. With their strong backgrounds in storytelling and filmmaking, they were able to weave a tale that was original, emotionally stirring and full of thrilling adventure. ``It's all about changing your fate. And Merida-feeling the constraints of castle life tightening around her-desperately wants to change hers. Mark Andrews, Director Spirited and more than a little headstrong, the red-haired renegade in ``Brave is determined to carve her own path in life. But that's part of growing up, says Andrews. ``Teenagers are burgeoning, becoming the adults they're going to be and that's the really chaotic transition that's all through this movie. ``The most important thing to Merida is her bow and her horse and the free time that comes with them, Andrews continues. ``So she's a phenomenal archer. She loves to be outside racing around the Scottish countryside on her horse Angus. Merida is the product of her father, King Fergus, who has handed down his love of the outdoors. ``Fergus is this immense Highland warrior-the kind of guy who wears a bear cloak, says Andrews. ``He's loud and boisterous, kind of like me, and full of guts and wisdom. He lost his leg to the demon bear Mor'du and will tell the tale to anyone whether they've heard it or not. Fergus delights in endlessly regaling his daughter and her triplet brothers with stories of his adventures. So by the time Merida reaches her teenage years, she's a chip off the old block-scaling cliffs, sword fighting, shooting arrows and giving Angus a hearty workout every chance she gets. But galloping through the rugged Highlands with her bow in tow isn't Merida's destiny. At least, not according to her mother Queen Elinor, who has her own plan in mind for Merida-a plan that's been predestined since long before either of them was born. It's time to grow up, whether Merida likes it or not. ``Queen Elinor is a working mother, says producer Katherine Sarafian. ``She's raising the family. She's keeping the peace. She's handling the royal duties with elegance and dignity. And she has goals for her daughter. Unfortunately for Merida, those goals include royal responsibility and a marriage designed to uphold the tenuous truce among the kingdom's unruly clans. Elinor has spent years preparing Merida for this moment and she doesn't understand her daughter's resistance. Meanwhile, Merida can't bear to be controlled by anyone, least of all her mother. ``They're at an impasse, says Sarafian. THE GENESIS OF ``BRAVE ``Merida's story is universal. I think a lot of people-adults, teenagers and kids-are going to relate to the idea that you want to choose your own path, and at the same time, you have an allegiance to your family, so you're always walking that line. What's overstepping and what's not? Katherine Sarafian, Producer There's a reason why the story of ``Brave is so relevant, says director Brenda Chapman: it's inspired by a real relationship. ``I was dealing with a very headstrong daughter, says Chapman. ``She was so passionate and so strong-and she was four at the time. I thought, 'What's she going to be like as a teenager?' ``I started to imagine what a fairy tale would be like, continues Chapman, ``with a working mom and a really willful daughter whose strength you don't want to squash-but sometimes you do want to squash it a little. But in the end, it wasn't a fairy tale at all. 'Brave' turned out to be more of an epic action-adventure. Chapman knew instantly where she'd set this new action-adventure fantasy tale. ``I have a love of Scotland, she says. ``It's my ancestry, though I'm one of the great American mutts and my family has been around since before the Revolution, so I can't find that old country family connection. Scotland's just such an amazing place. It's beautiful. The people are really hearty and they have an incredible spirit. Andrews shares Chapman's passion for Scotland. The director and self-proclaimed amateur historian of all things Scottish spent his honeymoon there. He returned to Scotland in 2006 with Chapman, then as her unofficial Scottish consultant, to help research ``Brave, taking an instant liking to their guides. ``They were filled with local lore, says Andrews. ``They could name every tree, rock and hill-each had a story. They have an incredible storytelling tradition in their heritage. When Andrews later stepped in as director of ``Brave to build on Chapman's vision, he also found an instant connection to the film's family. ``I have a daughter and three sons, he says, ``just like Fergus and Elinor. The seasoned dad sees Merida's rebellion as a part of growing up. ``There's a chemical thing in teenagers to fight back-they want to figure out the world for themselves. Like Chapman, Andrews drew on his own family dynamic, seeing the contentious relationship between Merida and Elinor as universal. ``It's a parent-child relationship that's core to this film-mothers and daughters or dads and sons, it doesn't matter. Producer Sarafian says ``Brave really benefited from the contributions of two directors. ``Mark and Brenda have so much in common, and they also complement each other as storytellers and filmmakers. They're both family focused and esteemed story artists with years of training and impressive credits. They each bring something unique to the process. Mark has a much more rambunctious approach and loves action. Brenda loves the quieter moments. 'Brave' is this incredible blending of those skills-it reflects Brenda's inspired concept and the adventurous excitement that Mark brings. Co-director and screenwriter Steve Purcell and story supervisor Brian Larsen also played a large role in helping to shape the plot and personalities. ``We feel that the heart of the film is very important, says Purcell. ``When you have the spine and emotional heart of the film, then you can hang the other elements on it. If the spine is strong enough, it will support all the changes you make over the years as it morphs from one thing to another. ``We also believe that it's important to have humor to balance the emotion, continues Purcell. ``The humor should come from the characters and radiate from their personalities, rather than having it feel like the gags are just placed on top of what you have. For example, the lords and their sons are very broad-their distinct personalities prove to be a great source of comedy. For Larsen, ``Merida's journey is a coming-of-age story. I love the fact that she likes her life just like it is-she doesn't really want to grow up. That's so different from the typical story where a woman is waiting for a man to change her life. As the story progresses, her mom experiences emotions Merida's never seen her go through before, which ultimately inspires Merida's own change. Mark and the story team were very interested in the idea of the child recognizing the adult in herself by watching her parent go through some tough stuff. Through Merida's rites of passage, mother and daughter develop a new appreciation for each other. In creating the story for ``Brave, the filmmakers took elements of Scottish history and lore to construct their own legends. A demon bear named Mor'du, the gathering and unity of the clans, the role of the mystical will o' the wisps and a mysterious witch with the power to create change are all rooted in reality and mythology. ``When we visited Scotland on our research trip, we met amazing storytellers and historians who had a big influence on us, says Larsen. ``Scotland is a storytelling culture-wherever we went, the locals erupted into stories of their everyday lives and the people they knew. The story of Mor'du was inspired by the stories we heard while we were there. Filmmakers infused the folklore and magic they soaked up in Scotland throughout the story. According to production designer Steve Pilcher, even a hint of magic enhanced the mystical tone of the film. ``We evoke the feeling of magic without using magic, he says. ``Adding lichen to the standing stones or dew drops on the grass-it catches the light and emits a little sparkle. We created the fantasy with a natural element, which is great for this story in this place. Adds Andrews, ``The will o' the wisps are in a lot of Scottish folklore. They were said to lead you to treasure or doom-to change your fate-but they're an actual phenomenon of swamp and bog gas seeping up through the earth and interacting with the natural resources to create the blue flames. People would follow these lights thinking they were little fairies, and basically drown or get sucked down into the bogs. [So] we made the wisps like actual little spirits. Once Pilcher had that directive, the design of the wisps came together. ``We liked sapphire blue against the natural environment because there's nothing like it in the rest of the film. That shade of blue is the hottest part of a flame, yet it feels cold. That contradiction is intriguing and that's what magic is about. There is a desire to touch it, to follow it, but also a little fear. ``They're almost like Marley's ghost in a way, says Andrews, ``because Marley's ghost isn't an evil spirit-even though he's frightening, he's trying to warn Ebenezer to change his ways. That's what the wisps are doing. There's a duality to them, because they're either good or evil-they lead Merida into more and more trouble, but in the end, they've led her exactly where she needs to go. WHO'S WHO IN ``BRAVE Filmmakers Cast Distinctive Characters and Voice Talent to Bring Epic Adventure to Life From a trio of wee mischievous brothers to an elegant-if somewhat uptight-queen, not to mention its lot of quirky lords, ``Brave features a cast of wildly diverse characters and a host of talented pros who lend them their voices. MERIDA Passionate and fiery, Merida is a headstrong teenager of royal upbringing who is struggling to take control of her own destiny. She feels most at home in the outdoors, honing her impressive athletic skills as an archer and sword fighter and racing across the magnificent Highland countryside with her faithful horse, Angus. Merida also has a softness of heart, especially when it comes to her wee triplet brothers. As the daughter of the king and queen, her life is weighted with responsibilities and expectations, causing her to yearn to preserve her freedom and independence. When Merida blatantly defies an ancient tradition, the consequences of her actions prove disastrous for the kingdom. She must race against time to make right the result of her reckless behavior, her journey compelling her to look inside to discover the meaning of bravery and reveal her true fate. Artists at Pixar Animation Studios took Merida's decidedly powerful pastimes into consideration when creating the look of the character. ``We knew Merida needed strength in her upper body to pull that bow back, says Steve Pilcher, production designer. ``We wanted to feel her strength. She's an expert archer, not your average girl. She is a great force and we wanted that to be visible. And just as Merida's strength is showcased in her physique, her vibrant spirit is evident in her hair. ``Merida's hair is wild and alive, and it becomes a character of its own. I think it suits her so well because it's untamed, just like her. Her mother is constantly trying to comb it and put a wimple [head covering] on top of it, and she's having none of it. Kelly Macdonald, the voice of Merida Likewise, Merida's wardrobe showcases the tug-of-war between mother and daughter. Artists created an informal look for Merida that would allow her to comfortably ride her horse and practice archery. In contrast, her formal attire needed to be restrictive to illustrate the confines of the life Elinor expects her to adopt. Tia Kratter, shading art director, had a definitive approach to Merida's royal look. ``I went straight to the fabric store and looked for fabrics Merida would most hate as a working athlete-fabrics that were shiny and satin and confining. Macdonald, for one, liked the fact that Merida was a character with power and opinions. ``Merida is not your typical heroine, she says. ``I feel quite proud to be the voice of Pixar's first female protagonist. ``Animation flexes different performance muscles because it's all in your voice, Macdonald continues. ``I'm the queen of subtlety when I'm working, but you can't rely on any facial movements, so it's really difficult for me. Merida was such a fun character to play and her voice isn't too removed from mine. I amped up the teenage thing that's never quite left my life-I just had to pretend my mom was in the room. Nothing winds you up like your parents. Director Mark Andrews saw a great connection between Macdonald and Merida. ``Kelly is so alive and vibrant with a great charm, wit and quirkiness that totally works for Merida. The character is funny and goofy and can laugh at herself, but has this Scottish teenage angst. Kelly Macdonald is the soul of the character and she makes Merida truly appealing. Macdonald certainly shares Merida's love of her homeland. ``This is going to sound a bit biased, but Scotland is the most beautiful country in the world, concludes the actress. ``The filmmakers have got it down to the tiniest bit of heather-the settings are so lush and verdant, it can make you homesick. QUEEN ELINOR A vision of grace, wisdom and strength of character, Queen Elinor is fiercely dedicated to the well-being of her family and kingdom. As the measured, diplomatic counterpoint to her more impulsive husband, King Fergus, Elinor carries the weight of the kingdom on her shoulders in order to maintain the fragile peace between the volatile clans. Elinor strives to instill in Merida the knowledge and manner of a royal, expecting complete commitment to Elinor's standards. But her vision of her daughter's future is at odds with Merida's rebellious spirit and desire to forge her own path, which ultimately causes Elinor to face calamitous consequences. ``Elinor is beautiful, but under a great deal of pressure, says Pilcher, ``which is tough to showcase visually. We added a shock of white hair that really shows her backstory-this woman has suffered some stress in her life, her daughter's rebellion is likely just the tip of the iceberg. That unspoken history and bit of imperfection makes Elinor more interesting. According to Pilcher, the design team studied paintings of Lady Macbeth, among other tragic heroines, incorporating the heavy robes and thick fabrics they observed to illustrate the weight Elinor bears. Actress Emma Thompson, who voices the queen, says it's that attention to detail and intense research that makes Pixar successful. ``I was terribly pleased to be asked to come and work for Pixar, because their films are works of genius and extraordinary art, she says. ``And the thing that really made me want to do 'Brave' even more than my worship of their work is that it was set in Scotland. I'm half Scottish, and I live there for three or four months of the year. Scotland to me is the land of the free, the land of the brave. The Scottish landscape is epic and lends itself to epic emotion. ``Scotland is really a character in the film, Thompson continues. ``The filmmakers didn't just look it up in a book. They went off and spent all this time in Scotland looking at different landscapes, addressing the landscape with the story. There's a real connection with the countryside-they loved it as everyone does because it's the most beautiful country in the world. Thompson also had an affinity for her character. ``Queen Elinor is a character I like very much because at one time she was quite feisty-Merida's spirited personality comes not only from her father but from her mother as well-but Elinor has managed to put that stuff she had when she was young in a box and she's stitched it up nicely. The two of them have to work out which bits of the other they're okay with containing and becoming. Andrews says Thompson captured the essence of Elinor. ``Emma is royalty in the acting world and she knows exactly what Elinor needed to be. She is queenly and regal and noble, but at the same time, she can be bawdy and funny. She can be very serious and theatrical-then crack a joke. That's exactly who our queen is. Emma gives Elinor just the right amount of emotion, earthiness and humor. Animators often reference video footage of the actors recording their lines and sometimes incorporate subtle gestures, expressions and mannerisms into the characters' physical performances. Thompson could see a bit of herself in Elinor. ``I love the way they've captured my eyebrows in my character. My eyebrows are always in this kind of questioning, slightly worried shape, and they got that just right. Thompson adds, ``'Brave' is full-hearted, exciting, adventurous and very funny in many places, yet emotionally rooted in reality. The calibrations of the story and the way it moves emotionally is pure Pixar; it's real and beautiful. It has everything I would want in a story, including just enough magic to make trouble. KING FERGUS King Fergus is a heroic warrior with a majestic bear cape, broadsword and a knobby peg leg-the result of his much-regaled skirmish with the demon bear Mor'du. His vendetta against the beast who took his leg makes Fergus a ferocious and determined bear hunter, evidenced by a home full of mounted trophies of every size. According to Pilcher, filmmakers decided early on that Fergus should be big, powerful-and a bit of a hothead. ``His symbol is the sword, says Pilcher. ``It represents both aggression and defense. They're experiencing a time of peace, but their world is very volatile, so Fergus is always prepared to take action. Showcased in his boyish face and jovial expressions, the king has a soft side, too. Protector of his kingdom and family, Fergus's pride for his firstborn daughter, Merida, is unmatched, and he has gifted her his great skill and passion for the sword and the bow. ``Bravery is an essential part of everybody's life, says Billy Connolly, who provides the voice of Fergus. ``It can mean taking on something that frightens the bloody life out of you and not showing it. Being a comedian can be brave-just going on stage in front of huge crowds and doing something that's terrifying to you. Director Brenda Chapman knew from the start that Connolly could fill Fergus's big shoes. ``Billy Connolly was my first choice for the role of King Fergus, she says. ``He's hysterical; he just cracks me up. I wanted Fergus to be larger-than-life-when he talks, everything sounds so incredulous. I just couldn't think of anyone else who could have so much energy. Andrews adds, ``Billy is exactly like Fergus in that he's this gregarious comedian, who's smart as a whip, has a great wit and just wants to tell stories all the time. The recording sessions were a riot-like life imitating art-we would take a break and get a half-hour of incredible story time with Billy. It was just hilarious. Connolly may have been a good match for Fergus, but the actor/comedian still found the role challenging. ``It was great fun to do the voice of Fergus, he says, ``yet in some ways it was the most difficult thing I've ever been asked to do. The king is a good warrior-he's a good shot with a bow and arrow. He's a massive fellow, like a mountain, but he's actually quite soft and warm underneath. I appreciate that about him. But it's the family story that most appeals to Connolly. ``I find the most attractive bit about the film is that there are great family truths at its heart. Although they're royal, they're still going through this mother, father, daughter thing, and they're people from different generations seeing things in different ways. It's very much like my own relationship with my daughters. Dads and daughters tend to get on just dandy, but there's a great blindness that comes over fathers when they deal with daughters. THE LORDS: The three lords of the kingdom-Dingwall, Macintosh and MacGuffin-are the unruly, overzealous leaders of their respective clans. Though once warring factions, they have been united under the sword of King Fergus and held together by the diplomacy and political savvy of Queen Elinor. The clans are summoned to Castle DunBroch to compete in the Highland Games, but the lords are soon outraged when Merida defies a sacred tradition. The clans fall back to their history of fervent feuding, which threatens the fragile peace of the entire kingdom. LORD MACGUFFIN AND YOUNG MACGUFFIN Strapping Lord MacGuffin is full of brawn and dignity. Though a man of few words, his deep voice resounds across the land, demanding respect and contributing to his reputation as the most even-handed and reasonable lord in the kingdom. Even so, like his fellow lords, MacGuffin isn't opposed to a first-rate brawl or full-throated belly laugh. Speaking an uncommon Scottish dialect that is incomprehensible to most, Young MacGuffin is a shy lad of large proportions. Being the center of attention is not his strong suit, but he will not hesitate to leap into a fight alongside his father and clan when the occasion arises. ``I play two characters in the movie-Lord MacGuffin and Young MacGuffin, says actor Kevin McKidd. ``Lord MacGuffin is a barrel of a guy with a big beard and bushy eyebrows, a bit like mine. He's a fair and honest man, but he really wants his son to win Merida's hand. Young MacGuffin is the most innocent of the three suitors and he has an accent that nobody understands. I grew up in that area of Scotland near Inverness, way up in the Highlands, where they have a dialect that my grandfather spoke, and some people still speak it today. It's called Doric and it's quite impossible to understand. The directors went with it-I feel very proud that my home dialect is going to be broadcast all over the world. As a father himself, McKidd instantly understood the film's core theme. ``I have a daughter and a son-I have things that I would like for them, but at the end of the day, they have to make their own decisions and carve their own paths. They have to make their own mistakes. We can help, but I think as soon as parents try to get in the driving seat, things tend to go wrong. I think that's why the theme of this story is really relatable for most families. ``For me, being brave means going your own way and not following the crowd, continues McKidd, ``even when you know it might not be the easiest route. If you feel passionately enough about something, having the courage to follow that path is real bravery. LORD DINGWALL AND WEE DINGWALL Grumpy and quick-tempered, the scrappy Lord Dingwall doesn't let being height-challenged get in the way of solving his problems with fisticuffs. Never one to shy away from an old-fashioned fracas or high-spirited kerfuffle, he has no qualms taking on even the burliest adversary to assert his own position in the kingdom. ``Dingwall [is] the shortest, oldest and most haggard of the lords, but he was fearsome in his time, says Andrews. ``He's like that cantankerous old guy who sits on his porch and yells at the neighborhood kids, 'Get off my lawn!' That's Dingwall. Wee Dingwall is his guileless and awkward son. Gangly and often lost in his own head, Wee Dingwall displays an eagerness that outweighs his inherited small size, though his father will proudly employ his only son as an attack dog when the moment is right. Robbie Coltrane, best known to ``Harry Potter fans for his role as Hagrid in the blockbuster movie series, is heard as the voice of Lord Dingwall. ``The clan chiefs are terribly funny because they're ill-natured, grumpy old men, says Coltrane. ``Lord Dingwall thinks his son should be the great one who wins the hand of Merida. He's a scrawny and strange-looking wee boy, but he's proud of him just the same. Lord Dingwall imagines in his mind's eye that he sired a wonderful warrior, but when you see him, he's a skinny wee thing. It's very funny. Coltrane finds the film's title thought-provoking. ``To me, being brave means overcoming your fears. A very famous soldier once said that a man