If you think The Lego Movie was the biggest snub in the animated film department, or even if you think Boyhood is the anthem for the common man, you haven’t seen this film.
The brainchild of animator–director–producer Don Hertzfeldt, It’s Such a Beautiful Day throws life, death and the vulnerability of the human psyche into a pot and stirs. And if you’re thinking that the last thing you need is a meaning–of–life tale, then you’re with the filmmaker on that one.
As self–aware as it is earnest, as fond of simplicity as it is philosophy, the film follows the journey of Bill, an everyman whose life is fraught with family troubles and failed relationships—and a quest to repair his disintegrating mind. But the narration (provided by Hertzfeldt himself) is droll and child-like, anything but the philosopher imposing a “this is what life is about” agenda onto the film. And as you follow Bill, whose loss of mental stability allows him to see everything with the curiosity and enthusiasm of a child, you follow a man less concerned with the meaning of life and more concerned with the meaning behind the things in his life. A good bowl of ice cream, the word “’sup,” telling children stories: these are the quiet, mundane, sometimes idiosyncratic textures of the day in the life that the film focuses on. You’re left to your own appreciation of late night ice cream and casual Locust Walk "sups" as something special.
No computers were used in the animation process. A pastiche of hand-drawn images and lush cinematography, the film looks just like the story of an everyman would look – a little haphazard, a little organic, a little beautiful.
It’s just an hour long, comprised of what was a three part series . And if you don’t think you have an hour to spare to ruminate on the meaning of life, at least tune into 37:37 on the timeline. It’s the beginning of the last short, and it’s worth the watch, especially in the Philadelphia cold when all you really want is such a beautiful day.
