Syd's Shorts
For The Birds
Review by Syd
“For The Birds'' is a Pixar Animation Studios short computer animated film made in 2000, and written and directed by Ralph Eggleston. This film is one I remember from so long ago in my childhood and is still one of my favorites especially now since I have a dog.
The film starts with several cute and small, but fat and irritable blue birds all gathering onto a power line. As one bird after another perches on the line, one stretches too much into another one's personal space, then another bumps into a third bird, that bird also bumps another, and more and more birds still come. In the heat of the squeaky quarrel, the small birds hear a loud honk and the face of “What fresh Hell?!” sets in. Standing on the powerpole beside the argument is a big, lanky, Dollar Store version of Sesame Street’s Big Bird coming to join in on the powerline sitting despite being made fun of.
As the smaller birds start squeaking at the big bird, he joins in with his own noise, unaware that it's even an argument, gets pecked, and flips over. As he hangs there the birds on each side of him start pecking at his toes. By the time the birds have one toe left, one sees how close to the ground the big bird actually weighed down the power line. They all realize what’s about to happen and up they go, only their feathers remain. The big bird sits on his head? There should be a yoga pose named after this bird, little feathers flutter down around him as he flips back over to play with them. Suddenly, a naked, rotisserie chicken of a bird falls, then another, and another, until a whole clan of birdy nudists stands there. Better than any episode of “Naked and Afraid”, these birds had it coming as they ran for cover behind the big bird.
This Pixar short is one that will never get old in my opinion. It’s a short that highlights bullying and the consequences of bullying in a light hearted way. Rejecting the big bird affects the other smaller birds. Short films, like the ones produced by Pixar Animation Studios, always contain some sort of life lesson embedded within the silly entertainment for viewers young and old. For the Birds entertains film lovers while sneaking in the importance of not discriminating and bullying others. There may not be anything really special other than the lesson taught and the nostalgia that hits every time I watch it, but the countless times I have seen it being shown in classes supports that this Pixar short is timeless, humorous, and full of life.