Bob's Birthday (1993) User Reviews

Quite possibly the most unfortunately-timed mid-life crisis ever!

[llltdesq · 10/10 · 18 December 2001]

This short justly won the Academy Award and is probably one of the two short produced by the National Film Board of Canada (the other is The Cat Came Back) that most people would have seen than any other work done under their umbrella. Excellent and hilariously funny, particularly Bob's semi-meltdown under circumstances that his wife Margaret would just as soon forget. Beware of surprises. Available from the NFBC, relatively easily for Canadian citizens, a bit more complex for non-Canadians, but worth it either way. Most joyously recommended by a somewhat less neurotic, just-turned-42 Robert!

Good little movie

[Horst_In_Translation · 6/10 · 26 September 2015]

"Bob's Birthday" is a 12-minute movie from 12 years ago by the National Film Board of Canada. David Fine and Alison Snowden wrote and directed this Oscar-winning little movie and they are mostly known for their work on "Shaun the Sheep" (the series, not the new movie). Anyway, this one here has some dark humor, but also some truth to it. A woman invites all her and her husband's friends to surprise him on his birthday. Unfortunately, the husband does not have his best day, walks around with no pants and calls all their friends boring while they hear it still being hidden to surprise him. Lots of awkwardness in this movie and some pretty funny moments I thought. Decent watch and I recommend it. The animation is very simple, but I liked it too.

A short with lots of teeth!

[LeRoyMarko · 8/10 · 29 December 2004]

Funny animated short film that gave birth to the series, which I must admit, I haven't really followed. In this short, Bob turns 40. Margaret organize a surprise party, but she'll get a few surprises of her own! While she's preparing kebabs and the dogs are choking on the same ball, Bob is hit by middle-age crisis. His fear is to "wrinkle up like a piece of fruit". Maybe it's time to have children. Maybe Margaret doesn't find him sexy anymore. Maybe he should fall to temptation and have an affair with his younger secretary. Maybe ophtalmology is really his destiny! Lots of question and lots of laughs in this one.

Seen at home, in Toronto, on December 29th, 2004.

79/100 (***)

I guess that my generation's going to be reaching middle age soon

[lee_eisenberg · 10/10 · 14 November 2015]

The winner of Best Animated Short Film at the 67th Academy Awards is a look at middle age. I understand that "Bob's Birthday" became the inspiration for an animated series. I've never seen the series, so I can only focus on this story of a dentist's misgivings about reaching middle age while his wife invites their friends over for a birthday party.

I should note that this is a mature cartoon, but in my opinion that improves it. The cartoon doesn't sugar-coat or dumb anything down. It treats the characters with respect the whole time. It also brings to mind the fact that the millennials will start reaching middle age in a few years. That creates all the more incentive for us to check out "Bob's Birthday". I recommend it.

Amusing and touching – a very enjoyable animation

[bob the moo · 2 May 2005]

Margaret Fish is busy putting the finishing touches to a surprise 40th birthday party for her husband Bob. Meanwhile, still at work, dentist Bob is in the grips of a middle aged depression where he wonders where his life is going and if he should really be as bored and disaffected with his lot as he is. While the guests gather in his home, Bob takes his time coming home and, when he eventually does, Margaret finds that Bob is deep in the throws of a crisis and keeps the surprise a secret In what is now regarded a pilot for the animated series "Bob & Margaret", this short film is wonderfully amusing but with a real heart for the characters and emotions involved. It is a simple plot but it is consistently amusing, occasionally very funny and mostly quite moving. The script paints Bob and Margaret as convincing and real people whom the audience easily identify with and feel for; they are funny but never in a cruel or mocking way. The animation matches this, providing a fuzzy warm style that has plenty of amusing little touches around the edges – particularly the pair of dogs in the house! I have never seen more than an episode of the series but consider it to be good and continues the themes and characters established in this film. Overall this is a touching and funny little short about middle age – nothing of any great consequence but enjoyable and entertaining nonetheless.

Another glimpse into the secret lives of dentists!

[acmelita · 10/10 · 9 January 2008]

Next time I'm scheduled for a teeth cleaning (or worse) I'll pop this DVD in to give me something to think about while he starts drilling! Picturing my dentist doing "Bob's Elephant Routine" will be a distraction almost as good as novocain.

The surprise party Margaret plans for Bob goes wrong in a way that makes my party faux pas pale by comparison. But I really can relate to Bob's birthday anxieties, although, luckily I haven't reached the big four-oh, yet.

I'm glad this got expanded into a series but you really should see the short that started it all. For your own copy, go to www.Filmporium.com. For five dollars you can pick up this DVD, which also includes "Aria", a short, stop-motion puppet interpretation of "Madame Butterfly" and the risqué, fun "Girl's Night Out".

Sad and Depressing

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 22 October 2021]

This is one of those features where you want to leave your chair, jump on the screen, and put a stop to it. Bob is a dentist who leads a humdrum life with a boring wife and boring house. He is obviously loved but can't quite see it. Eventually, he gets something out of his birthday. His friends at the surprise party are horrible people (sort of like most people) with their pettiness and other foibles. This is really good but hard to endure.

Bob's Birthday

[CinemaSerf · 7/10 · 1 April 2024]

Maybe don't watch this if you've a phobia about dentists! The eponymous man is promised a birthday curry by his wife, but he's not so very keen. As "Margaret" sits at home carefully creating the kebabs, he is at work using his weapons of torture on his unwitting patient. There's a great poster on the wall saying "Just Say No!" - it's about not eating fruit but it could just easily work warning of the industrial scale flossing that ensues before the reluctant "Bob" heads home for his special treat. Rarely can an animation have picked a collection of subjects that trigger a grimace from me so effectively. From the imaginary smell of a dental drill to the perils of an ill-judged conversation when the house is full of... surprises. The last five minutes really do make your eyes water... This is great fun!

Purvey animated short ever.

[webb-kristieann · 1/10 · 24 August 2011]

This short disgust me. Totally sickening. I can't think of another cartoon that has a character imitating an elephant with his crotch. I bet the main reason why this short won an award is because of its sexual content. When I first seen this on Cartoon Network that one time, I was shocked and disgusted. Lately and recently, I never saw it again. Now, I have no love for elephants, no thanks to Bob. Trust me on this. This is not a cartoon for kids and well- minded adults, like myself. Man, I wished Cartoon Network never aired this crap (The time they've aired O Canada). In fact, I wish Adult Swim was separated from Cartoon Network.