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The Country Bears

The Country Bears

They’re legends. Bearly.

200288 minGMidcredits score: 13th percentile of all films
Director
Peter Hastings
Starring
Haley Joel Osment, James Gammon, Christopher Walken, Diedrich Bader

For Beary Barrington, The Country Bears' young #1 fan, fitting in with his all-too-human family is proving im-paws-ible. When he runs away to find Country Bear Hall and his heroes, he discovers the venue that made them famous is near foreclosure. Beary hightails it over the river and through the woods to get the Bears in the Band back together for an all-out reunion concert to save Country Bear Hall.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Country Bears?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Country Bears streaming on Disney+ and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The Country Bears?

The Country Bears earns 5 badges, led by Overhyped and Box Office Flop.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is The Country Bears worth watching?

The Country Bears' Midcredits score is the 13th percentile of all films, from 25K ratings across 6 sources. 25% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

13th percentile

Better received than 13% of films

12th percentile among Comedy13th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)14th
Approval (how many liked it)15th

48 /100

14th percentile of all films

13th percentile among Comedy14th percentile among 2000s

Critics 37 · Audience 49

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

Ratings scatter across the whole scale — one of the most divisive reactions in the catalog.

25% liked it

15th percentile of all films

14th percentile among Comedy14th percentile among 2000s
25% rated it 7–1075% rated it 1–6

Critics 29% · Audience 35%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 4 noms overall

89th percentile

25K ratings across platforms

89th percentile among Comedy83rd percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 43% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$35M
Opening weekend$5.3M
Domestic gross$17M
Worldwide gross$18M

Returned 0.5× its budget — 81st percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

It is a silly, low-stakes family comedy about talking bears reuniting a band to save a concert hall, with a simple predictable story.

Fans praised

  • Christopher Walken's theatrical scenery-chewing as the villain
  • Catchy country-rock soundtrack with star cameos (Elton John, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt)
  • Fun, silly family humor with heartwarming found-family message

Detractors panned

  • Uncanny, lifeless bear animatronics that are creepy rather than charming
  • Weak, predictable, and derivative plot (Blues Brothers/Muppets retread)
  • Lame jokes and slapstick that bore both kids and adults

What stands out

Sound and musicDivisive70

Catchy soundtrack with talented cameo performances

ActingDivisive55

Walken is broadly entertaining; others are wasted or forgettable

CharactersDivisive40

Bears are one-note stereotypes; side humans are moronic

Effects and spectacleDivisive35

Creepy animatronics that fail to be convincing

HumorDivisive35

Armpit farts and silly gags land for some, fall flat for most

DialogueDivisive30

Corny one-liners and weak puns

Plot and storyDivisive25

Rushed, formulaic road trip with no surprises

Originality20

Blues Brothers/Spinal Tap retread with bears

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 3 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 1 point apart
  • Critics vs users 4 points apart
  • US vs non-US 2 points apart

Watch experience

What is The Country Bears like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Feel-good: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something warm that leaves you smiling.

It is gentle and funny and leaves you feeling good. Skip it when you want something with weight.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Very little.

What it feels like

Feel-good.

Moods
JoyfulHopefulWarm
Heaviest: throughout
Warm humor
Register
WarmPlayful
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its premise of anthropomorphic bears and human co-existence straight, with a warm-hearted tone.
The rideConsistently light, upbeat, and heartwarming, with no sustained dark or tense passages.
StructureThe story follows Beary's journey in a conventional beginning-middle-end structure.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Feeling good.

The answer rests on this: Feel-goodHopeful
Why it leaves you this wayThe happy reunion and successful concert leave the viewer feeling uplifted and reassured about family and belonging.
How it ends · evidence
Happy ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).QuestMission
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10% (this title): Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% (this title) · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Quest: A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles. · Mission: Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).

10% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeBeary Barrington runs away from home and sets out to reunite his favourite band, the Country Bears, in order to save their concert hall from demolition.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfFamilybonds
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% (this title) · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% (this title) · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Family bondsCommunity · 14% of films: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Purpose · 9% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Single lead
How it treats its themeBeary searches for where he truly belongs, discovering that family is defined by love rather than biology, and that helping others find their place gives him purpose.
StanceThe film warmly affirms that family is about love, and that community bonds can be renewed through music and togetherness.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanSuburbanIn transitStylized realism
Orchestral classicalRockForeground music · hybrid · Christopher Young
Settinga small American town where bears live and work alongside humans
MusicFeatures original country rock songs performed by the bear band, with orchestral accompaniment.

Content guide

Is The Country Bears okay for kids?

G

The Country Bears is rated G. As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (20/100), sexual content at mild (31/100), language at minimal (0/100), drug and alcohol content at minimal (0/100) and frightening material at mild (29/100). Its language and drug and alcohol content have too few votes to rank. Overall it is heavier than 27% of G-rated films.

Ratings in 4 other countries
  • UKU
  • Germany0
  • JapanG
  • Netherlands6
Overall
Mild · all five categories
Heavier than 4% of all filmsHeavier than 27% of G-rated films
Violence & Gore
Mild
light for a G-rated film
heavier than 20%
Sex & Nudity
Mild
heavy for a G-rated film
heavier than 82%
Profanity
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (4 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (4 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Mild
typical for a G-rated film
heavier than 27%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is sexual content, heavier than 82% of G-rated films.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does The Country Bears have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Country Bears?

Cast

1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Haley Joel Osment
as Beary Barrington
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
James Gammon
as Big Al
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Christopher Walken
as Reed Thimple
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Diedrich Bader
as Officer Cheets
Brad Garrett
as Fred Bedderhead
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Stephen Tobolowsky
as Norbert Barrington
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Toby Huss
as Tennessee O'Neal
Kevin Michael Richardson
as Henry Dixon Taylor
Stephen Root
as Zeb Zoober
Candy Ford
as Trixie St. Claire
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.

Crew

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What are movies like The Country Bears?

Movies like The Country Bears include Camp (2003), Oliver & Company (1988) and Annie (1982). Of the 12 closest matches, half are family adventures, and half are films about purpose.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

All 12 share its feel: musical. Those cards say what else they share.

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