Cockaboody (1974) User Reviews

The greatest film about childhood language ever made

[michael400 · 10/10 · 11 August 2005]

Master animators Faith and John Hubley recorded and edited the conversation between their children, and then made an animated film to fit the dialog. Usinging the analogue, hand- drawn style the Hubleys made famous, they blend the real and imaginary world of their children. What emerged is a stunning love poem to the strange, magical language children create when they are playing. The Hubley kids worked and grew up around the studio, and this is the ultimate tribute to their childhood.

Warning: this film is so powerful, it should not be watched by parents of single children unless you are willing to have more kids. The imaginary worlds and words created by siblings who play for years together are captured in all their beauty. This film convinced me to want, and have a second child. It may be the most powerful film in the world.

Untainted Childhood in a Glass

[kunfyooshun · 10/10 · 15 May 2006]

I love this cartoon. My sister and I used to watch it over and over on HBO in the early 80's. I was 5, she was 10 and, neither of us could believe that someone made a cartoon of our relationship. "They're just like us!" we'd say. It was nothing like other childfare of the time where the children were all well spoken and sophisticated like little adults. It was real. My sister would play know it all like the older sister because she could and, I, like Georgia, would believe everything she said because, nobody does hero worship like a younger sibling! Just like Georgia, I would get frustrated and lash out buy growling, hitting and screaming nonsense words because, I could not yet find the real words to express myself. To take the real audio (I'm assuming hidden) of children at play and just being themselves was beautiful, simplistic and, brilliant! What a wonderful keepsake for the Hubley children!

" There's a COCKABOODY on your nose ! "

[pparkerson · 10/10 · 18 July 2007]

I first saw this presented in between movies on HBO, and it became an instant favorite. I am no aficionado of every piece of animation ever made, however I would rank this as one of the best short subjects I've seen. Whether you enjoy observing the play habits of children or not, COCKABOODY offers pure pleasure, and it's a film that can be enjoyed by parents and their own kids...my youngest daughter and I watch it every other month or so, and we often repeat dialogue on a regular basis.

The premise is so simple: the conversations & play of Emily & Georgia Hubley were recorded, and then animated by their parents. They talk, sing, argue, make up stories, and drink LOUDLY from the same cup ! No one knows how they really appeared while engaged in these activities ( except, maybe, their parents ), but the Hubley's present their actions with both realism & fantasy.

I purchased the Hubley collection volume 2, solely for this cartoon, and it is arguably the best short on the DVD. I've tried to watch the others, and while they are ambitious and well crafted, they don't come close to the joy I get from watching COCKABOODY. Animation fans and all others would be well rewarded to seek this out.

Good animation, but the concept is tedious and grating here

[llltdesq · 5/10 · 13 March 2002]

The Hubleys used a technique a number of times where the simply recorded their children at play and then constructed the animation around whatever they did and said. Often, this worked out fairly well, Moonbird and Windy Day, for example. Here it did not work. The short is well animated, but the dialogue here becomes tedious and grating after a bit. Perhaps if it had been shorter, it would have worked better. Not one of their best. The more you like the Hubleys, the greater latitude you give them in cases like this. Still moderately interesting. Worth watching for the animation.

Precious Film, Unforgettable!!! - Now on DVD

[fourkatherines · 10/10 · 10 July 2006]

I watched this film several times (with my family) as a kid when it used to run on HBO many years back. My entire family fell in LOVE with the characters and the dialogue between the 2 children. The animation is wonderful and enhances the real life dialogue beautifully. There are lots of silly, memorable moments in this short film and you (like my family) may end up quoting some of the funny audio for years to come! As an inside joke, we still say "Cockaboody in da' toilet!" from time to time and of course most people haven't a CLUE what were talking about! ~ This film is for all the Sillyhearts out there. John and faith Hubley are truly brilliant. If you like Cockaboody, you'll probably also like "Moonbird" and "Windy Day" too. You can find DVD collections by the Hubleys under "The Hubley Collection" on Amazon.com