Set against the majestic natural splendor of the Great American Northwest, "Brother Bear" tells the story of a boy named Kenai, whose life takes an unexpected turn when the Great Spirits transform him into a bear - the creature he despises most.

Release Date: November 1, 2003
Released By: Walt Disney Pictures
Director: Aaron Blaise, Bob Walker
Producer: Chuck Williams
Writer: Tab Murphy, Steve Bencich, Ron J. Friedman
Music: Phill Collins, Mark Mancina
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Jeremy Suarez, Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas, D.B. Sweeney, Jason Raize, Joan Copeland, Michael Clarke-Duncan

This is the story of three brothers who lived long ago – when the great mammoths still roamed the magnificent, unspoiled American Northwest.

Kenai, the youngest of three brothers, is about to receive his totem – a symbol revealed by the Great Spirits to help guide him through life. When Tanana (the village Shaman) presents him with a carved bear – the symbol of love – he is deeply disappointed. He had been hoping for something a bit more important – like the eagle totem (representing guidance) received by his oldest brother Sitka, or the wolf totem (for wisdom) of his brother, Denahi. Sitka tries to comfort him, but Denahi teases him mercilessly.

Shortly after, Kenai discovers that a bear has stolen his basket of fish, and he impulsively charges after the animal. His brothers pick up his trail and race off to protect him. Trapped in a fierce confrontation, Sitka makes the ultimate sacrifice to save his siblings by breaking off a piece of glacier. The brave brother plunges to his death while the bear emerges unharmed from the waters below.

Ignoring Denahi’s advice and the village teachings of brotherhood, Kenai tracks down the bear he holds responsible for Sitka’s death. Against overwhelming odds, he ultimately battles and kills the bear. At that moment, the Great Spirits, in the form of the Northern Lights descend on Kenai and transform him into the very creature that he most despises. Meanwhile, Denahi, having discovered his younger brother has gone after the bear, comes upon the scene just after Kenai has changed. Seeing the bear standing over his brother’s torn clothes and broken spear, he assumes the worst – another brother has fallen to a bear. Forsaking his peaceful philosophy, Denahi is enraged and vows to track down the bear who killed his brother.

Kenai has trouble adjusting to his new bear body. Tanana, the Shaman woman of the tribe, appears and informs him that it was the spirit of Sitka who was responsible for the transformation and that Kenai can find him on the “mountain where the light touches the earth.” Kenai has no idea where to begin his search. Frustrated and afraid, his first encounter is with two dimwitted Canadian-accented moose – Rutt and Tuke. When Kenai tries to explain his predicament and asks them where to find the mountain, the moose siblings think he’s crazy and try to ignore him. Kenai’s fortune goes from bad to worse when he gets caught in a trap and finds himself dangling upside down from a tree. When a talkative bear cub named Koda comes along and offers assistance, Kenai’s pride gets in the way and he stubbornly refuses – the last thing he wants help from is a bear. Koda has been separated from his mother, and was told to meet her at the annual Salmon Run. He needs a big bear to take him to her. Kenai finally agrees to take Koda to the Salmon Run if he helps him get down from the tree. The two are soon “on their way” to adventure and discovery.

Denahi aggressively pursues the bear he thinks killed Kenai, not realizing that the animal and his brother are one and the same. Meanwhile, Koda and Kenai make their way across the northern country through glacial caverns, frosty tundras, a sulfurous geyser field, and treacherous gorges.

At the Salmon Run, Kenai finds a warm “welcome” from the bears who have gathered for the annual festival and begins to put aside his deep-seated hatred for bears. As a result of his journey, Kenai has come to question everything he knows and learns many important lessons about the true meaning of brotherhood. Ultimately, he comes to realize that his physical transformation is insignificant compared to the change that has occurred within himself. When Denahi arrives on the scene, the stage is set for a dramatic finale.