MovieChat Forums > Pete's Dragon (2016) Discussion > Time period?

Time period?

posted 8 years ago by vinidici
12 replies | jump to latest

When is PETE'S DRAGON set? I didn't notice any props like late model cars, cell phones, etc., nor anything else to make it clear that the story takes place any later than the early 1980's.

[–] mj7796-386-393455 8 years ago

Lol. The 80's is a time period.

[–] vinidici 8 years ago

Who said it WASN'T?

[–] jedi-jones 8 years ago

Perhaps they did this so they can do a sequel in present time with a grown-up Pete. Otherwise a flash-forward sequel would need to be set in the future, which would be an unnecessary pain in the butt to film.

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[–] staceychurch-1 8 years ago

I assumed it was the 1970's

[–] vinidici 8 years ago

I guessed 1980's because of Pete's backpack; school kids didn't use backpacks that much until the 80's and up.

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[–] danlinjer 8 years ago

Well, the family crashed in a late 70s Ford wagon and 6 years later, we see a lot of early 80s cars including a Chevy Citation so I'm guessing that it takes place around '83 or '84.

[–] vinidici 8 years ago

I assumed it was the 1970's

Or 1980-83-ish.

But there wouldn't have been any harm done, would there, with inserting a title or two, or at least a throwaway line of dialogue, to inform the viewer as to just what year it was when Pete became orphaned due to the car wreck?

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[–] gowland85 8 years ago

I wonder if Disney got cold feet over the time period and tried to downplay the fact it was set in the early 80s. Perhaps they thought kids would want to see something set now rather than 30+ years ago. I don't suppose kids care less - it didn't bother me, aged 7, that the original was set c.1900, but studies can sometimes worry about these things and start meddling.

[–] tinkerbell_jonna 8 years ago

Also there was a turntable, something not to common today... Maybe it was set in the 70s during the time of the original movie.

[–] carpediemalready 8 years ago

Looked about 1982-83 to me based on the cars, the clothes the kids on the bus were wearing, the dress of the nurses at the hospital, etc...

see?

http://www.thebraggingmommy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/PetesDragon578eb20c220af-1100x733.jpg

http://cdn3-www.comingsoon.net/assets/uploads/gallery/petes-dragon/pete0005.jpg

very early 80s.... https://media.giphy.com/media/xT1XGKra1qav1l7Hna/giphy.gif

her jacket and hat are very early 80s
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k2BW3BDUdd8/V7QTbcPZpiI/AAAAAAAAQDA/wqlQd6z88Oc040H1XTWJHUq1YOH5jUi6wCLcB/s1600/PD_BDHoward_02.jpg

very early 80s clothes on these kids...
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[–] furdragon 8 years ago

Yup, it's mainly set around 1982, except for the very beginning which we are told takes place six years earlier.

[–] moundshroud 8 years ago

I also noticed a Rubik's Cube on a shelf in the girl's room. They first hit the US market in 1980, and by 1982 they were everywhere.