Dear, Sweet Emma (2003)

Director:

John Cernak

Writer:

John Cernak (writer)

Release Date:

March 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Short

Plot:

On a sunny morning with breakfast cooking, an old woman sits weeping as she listens to the radio and reads the paper...

Plot Keywords:

Character Name In Title

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award.

Cast

  (Credited cast)

Gene Johnson

...

Radio Announcer / Emma (voice)

Runtime:

USA:5 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Company:

Out of Our Minds Images

Perhaps too dark for some tastes

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This is a very, very dark little animated film that was nominated for a BAFTA award (equivalent to the British version of an Oscar). In some ways, this is an odd choice for a nominee, as the film is only 4 minutes long, though I suspect it was the BAFTA nominee because it was so very dark--something that has been a trend with the award in recent years with morbid films such as THE PEARCE SISTERS, DAD'S DEAD and SZTUKA SPADANIA all being either nominated or winning awards. It seems that the BAFTA favors rather "sick" films.

Now whether this is sick but funny or sick and it just crosses over the line is something I still am unsure of myself. While the animation quality was cute, the film is all about a serial murdering old lady who takes delight in killing people and animals alike--and they show her doing some totally unfunny things to birds and her cat. That's really all the plot there is to the film and the idea isn't all that funny--but I did, I hate to admit, chuckle a bit. I am sure that most PETA members and the more sensitive folk out there will DEFINITELY be put off by this film.