I interrupt my travel posting to come back to the present for a moment. I've documented this experience three times, but I know we've repeated our Dinner and the Oscars "date night" many more than that. In a tradition that started in Boston, we visit a downtown restaurant for dinner then take in the Oscar nominated animated short films at a local theater. These tend to be the only nominated movies I actually end up seeing before the Oscar winners are announced, and it's also a fun way to watch short films, something we don't otherwise think to do.
But boy oh boy, this year was rough. First of all we were pressed for time so started the night with takeout instead of a leisurely dinner downtown. But the five nominated films were all ridiculously sad - real tear jerkers.
Pixar's contribution, Kitbull, featured a cute-as-button kitten who made an unlikely friend in a pit bull abused by its owner. I mean c'mon, how was I not supposed to lose it? Sister told the story of a Chinese boy growing up with his sister, except the sister never existed due to China's one-child law. Based on a book, Hair Love is a beautifully rendered story of a dad who struggles to do his daughter's natural hair, a task her mother usually takes on, but can't from her hospital bed where she is dealing with cancer. Believe it or not, it got sadder from there with Daughter, an absolute visual masterpiece about a father and daughter reflecting on their fractured relationship. It was stunning animation and came in as Simon's favorite. My number one pick had me doing everything I could to stop myself from totally breaking down in the theater. From France, Memorable is about an aging artist starting to lose his mind while his wife deals the reality of their lives. The artist's paint was a huge part of the animation, slowly getting more and more fantastical as his mind left him. Devastating but so beautifully done.
Pixar's contribution, Kitbull, featured a cute-as-button kitten who made an unlikely friend in a pit bull abused by its owner. I mean c'mon, how was I not supposed to lose it? Sister told the story of a Chinese boy growing up with his sister, except the sister never existed due to China's one-child law. Based on a book, Hair Love is a beautifully rendered story of a dad who struggles to do his daughter's natural hair, a task her mother usually takes on, but can't from her hospital bed where she is dealing with cancer. Believe it or not, it got sadder from there with Daughter, an absolute visual masterpiece about a father and daughter reflecting on their fractured relationship. It was stunning animation and came in as Simon's favorite. My number one pick had me doing everything I could to stop myself from totally breaking down in the theater. From France, Memorable is about an aging artist starting to lose his mind while his wife deals the reality of their lives. The artist's paint was a huge part of the animation, slowly getting more and more fantastical as his mind left him. Devastating but so beautifully done.
It certainly wasn't an uplifting night, but perhaps speaks to an overarching global melancholy. Or maybe not, but I think I'll go back to posting pictures of gangly giraffes and baby rhinos now.
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