This is Ian's and my eleventh year following the Oscar-nominated animated shorts. Between work travel and projects, a month of sickness, and the added complication of needing a babysitter, Ian and I once again were unable to make it to the Coolidge before the awards show. We're bummed to miss out on the highly commended shorts (Wishing Box and Tweet Tweet both look really good), but we're thankful we were able to catch all the nominees, courtesy iTunes and our personal Pixar collection.
This year is an impressive lineup, which makes breaking our current losing streak a challenge (our prediction record is now 3 for 8, counting just the years we've seen all the animated shorts).
Bao – A Chinese mom with an empty nest gets a new start at motherhood when one of her dumplings comes to life. But her dumpling grows up quickly, and they both must learn to navigate a changing relationship and clashing cultural expectations. Pixar continues to set a high bar with scrumptious animation and impeccable storytelling, and I so appreciate that this shares the perspective of an immigrant family as told by an Asian woman.
Late Afternoon – Emily, an elderly woman suffering from dementia, is constantly drawn into fragmented memories of her past but struggles to fit them together with her present. The animation was simple, beautiful, and effective. I felt the weight of what memory means to the human experience, the tragedy of what it means to lose it, and strength of love in the face of a heartbreaking illness. I wept, and this is our pick to bring home the Oscar.
Animal Behaviour – A weekly group therapy session with Dr. Clement, a canine psychotherapist, helps patients deal with their natural instincts. From a preying mantis who can't seem to keep a boyfriend to a pig with a compulsive eating disorder, they are making steady progress. But a new patient may prove to be too big of a challenge. This short's animation was a perfect complement to it's delightful comedy, and the ending does not disappoint.
Weekends – A young boy must navigate his parents divorce, traveling between two homes and two very different relationships. I was amazed at how much the short was able to convey through a very simple storytelling method, and the hand animation was both gritty and ethereal.
One Small Step – Luna, a young Chinese American girl, dreams of becoming an astronaut, and her father, a simple cobbler, provides unwavering support and encouragement as she works to make that dream a reality. This is a poignant story that beautifully illustrates the love and sacrifice of parenthood as well as what it means to face adversity and move forward.
As always, we appreciated all of the shorts, and highly recommend catching them if you have the opportunity. Have fun watching the Oscars, and may the best films win!
*update: We predicted Late Afternoon, but Bao took home the Oscar.
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*update: We predicted Late Afternoon, but Bao took home the Oscar.
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