The King and the Mockingbird (1980): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1980, The King and the Mockingbird is a fantasy, family and animation film directed by Paul Grimault, running about 83 minutes.

What it’s about. The kingdom of Takicardie quakes under the rule of the tyrannical King Charles V-et-III-font-VIII-et-VIII-font-XVI, whose favourite pastime is shooting birds. His archenemy is a cheeky mockingbird, whose favourite pastime is thwarting the king’s attempts to shoot birds. One night, a portrait of the king comes to life and disposes of the real king, taking his place. The portrait king falls in love with a young shepherdess in another painting and intends to marry her. But, alas, the shepherdess has fallen in love with a chimneysweep and together they elope from the king’s palace. Enraged, the king sends his police to capture them and once they are within his power he forces the shepherdess to marry him. The mockingbird must use all his guile and courage to once more thwart the king and bring his evil reign to an end.

Who’s in it. The King and the Mockingbird stars Jean Martin as L’oiseau (voice), Pascal Mazzotti as Le roi (voice), Raymond Bussières as Le chef de la police (voice) and Agnès Viala as La bergère (voice), among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 7.8/10, The King and the Mockingbird has been warmly received by audiences.

Where to watch. In CA you can rent or buy it from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube and Amazon Video. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The King and the Mockingbird page.

If you liked it. Fans of The King and the Mockingbird tend to enjoy The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The Green Mile, Spirited Away and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.