The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics (1965)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Directors:

Chuck Jones
Maurice Noble (co-director)

Writers:

Norton Juster (story)
Norton Juster (screenplay)

Release Date:

31 December 1965 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Short | Comedy | Family | Romance

Plot:

A simple line attempts to woo his true love, a dot, away from the unkempt squiggle she prefers. But...

Plot Keywords:

Line | Dot | Squiggle | Cupid | The End

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Robert Morley

...

Narrator (voice)

Also Known As:

The Dot and the Line (Australia)
The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics

Runtime:

10 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:G | USA:Approved

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

To give the squiggle an unkempt appearance, the animation drawings were inked on rice paper. The ink bled, creating a textured line that was then Xeroxed onto cel.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator: Once upon a time there was a sensible, straight line, who was hopelessly in love, with a dot.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Great Performances: Chuck Jones: Extremes and In-Betweens - A Life in Animation (#29.4)" (2000)

Really romance

When I first read the book version of the Dot and the Line, I had to supply the voice and "music" in my imagination, but I thought the book was wonderful. Just a few lines on a page and some words, but it really was romance. The justification for the characters' behavior was so real! I felt for the Line from the very beginning, and hated his rival. My feelings for the Dot were mixed. I just kept wishing she would come to her senses and see the Line for the great guy that he really was! When I was able to view the animated version a few years later, I was happy to see that my own interpretation was pretty much spot-on. I did enjoy the music, and I enjoyed seeing my characters come to "life" as it were. The movie was a faithful rendering of the book, which to me is still a classic! I lent my copy to a friend over ten years ago, and have not gotten it back yet...it is still making the rounds and I hope, making many other people smile.