This short deservedly won an Oscar in the Live-Action Short category. It's by turns heartbreakingly sad, horrific and very funny. Because I want to touch on some of the details, this is a spoiler warning:
For a good number of people (and a rabbit), this is probably the worst day of their lives. Though there are a few incidental characters, this short focuses primarily on four people-a middle-aged man who has just left the hospital after being told his wife has died, a couple who have just lost their infant son and and a chatty, rather obnoxious kid with a mouth on him and who fancies himself a wit. This last rapidly gets on just about everyones last nerve and very nearly comes to blows with the husband over his language and general demeanor. Slowly, everyone comes to learn of the twin sadnesses and the older fellow comes to start listening to the kid, at least a little.
While the two older men are out getting tea and smoking, the kid starts to pester the woman and, as she tries to leave, she stumbles, or she's tripped, and the photo she carries of her son is torn badly. Tragedy rears its ponderous head and the train is stopped (ultimately) and two of the quartet of characters exit, stage left, with just the older man and the kid left. The kid and the man talk a bit more (actually, the kid mostly talks and the man mostly listens) until the train stops and the older fellow starts to get off, only to see a few things, put some pieces together, including one off-hand remark by a doctor that morning at the hospital and realizes what's about to happen. When the dust has settled, the older man is alone, center stage, so to speak, and leaves the train-with a memento (to the lasting misfortune of his pet rabbit). The final line is particularly funny if your taste in humor runs towards the macabre.
This short is available on a DVD compilation of most of the ten shorts nominated for the two shorts categories given annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (two of the five animated shorts aren't included for various reasons, though all five live-action shorts are included and two very good animated shorts are an added bonus, presumably to round out the disc. Both this short and the DVD as a whole are highly recommended.
For a good number of people (and a rabbit), this is probably the worst day of their lives. Though there are a few incidental characters, this short focuses primarily on four people-a middle-aged man who has just left the hospital after being told his wife has died, a couple who have just lost their infant son and and a chatty, rather obnoxious kid with a mouth on him and who fancies himself a wit. This last rapidly gets on just about everyones last nerve and very nearly comes to blows with the husband over his language and general demeanor. Slowly, everyone comes to learn of the twin sadnesses and the older fellow comes to start listening to the kid, at least a little.
While the two older men are out getting tea and smoking, the kid starts to pester the woman and, as she tries to leave, she stumbles, or she's tripped, and the photo she carries of her son is torn badly. Tragedy rears its ponderous head and the train is stopped (ultimately) and two of the quartet of characters exit, stage left, with just the older man and the kid left. The kid and the man talk a bit more (actually, the kid mostly talks and the man mostly listens) until the train stops and the older fellow starts to get off, only to see a few things, put some pieces together, including one off-hand remark by a doctor that morning at the hospital and realizes what's about to happen. When the dust has settled, the older man is alone, center stage, so to speak, and leaves the train-with a memento (to the lasting misfortune of his pet rabbit). The final line is particularly funny if your taste in humor runs towards the macabre.
This short is available on a DVD compilation of most of the ten shorts nominated for the two shorts categories given annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (two of the five animated shorts aren't included for various reasons, though all five live-action shorts are included and two very good animated shorts are an added bonus, presumably to round out the disc. Both this short and the DVD as a whole are highly recommended.