The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore (2011)

After a hurricane levels his city, a young man wanders into a mysterious library where books literally come to life.

Directors:

William Joyce, Brandon Oldenburg

Writer:

William Joyce

Won 1 Oscar. Another 5 wins.

Storyline

Inspired, in equal measures, by Hurricane Katrina, Buster Keaton, The Wizard of Oz, and a love for books, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore is a poignant, humorous allegory about the curative powers of story. Using a variety of techniques (miniatures, computer animation, 2D animation) award winning author/ illustrator William Joyce and Co-director Brandon Oldenburg present a hybrid style of animation that harkens back to silent films and MGM Technicolor musicals. Morris Lessmore is old fashioned and cutting edge at the same time.

---

Plot Keywords:

book | hurricane | library | new orleans louisiana | book comes to life

---

Genres:

Animation | Short | Adventure | Drama | Family

---

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Release Date:

30 January 2011 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Moonbot Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

15 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Black and White Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film includes a mix of various animation and live action techniques, 3D computer characters, miniature sets and traditional 2D hand drawn animation. The miniature sets filled an entire motion picture sound stage. Production achieved a staggering number of camera set-ups in a very limited time-frame, doing 375 set-ups in just 5 days. The directors had the animation team relentlessly watch a number of classic Buster Keaton films as inspiration for the Morris Lessmore Character.

---

Connections

Featured in The 84th Annual Academy Awards (2012)

User Reviews

Lovely Animation, But Not Much Else

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore is visually appealing but not much else. The story could have been fleshed out a bit more, and for me, it didn't truly capture the joy that books bring. It did try, however, and A for Effort. It was a bit too expressionist and symbolic for me, but that aside the animation was gorgeous. I'll probably never watch this short again, however, unless it's randomly playing in a room I happen to be in. If beautiful, stunning visuals are all that you need, then you'll love The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore. But if you're more story-driven (like me) you will find that this short could use a bit of work.