A Close Shave is a 1995 animated film directed by Nick Park featuring his characters Wallace and Gromit. It was his third half-hour short featuring the eccentric inventor Wallace and his quiet but smart dog Gromit.
This film was aired in the UK on December 24, 1995.
A Close Shave won the 1996 Academy Award for an Animated Short Film.
Plot
Wallace and Gromit are running a window-cleaning business, and their work brings Wallace into contact with wool shop owner Wendolene. Wallace falls in love with Wendolene, but also gets them involved in a sheep-rustling scheme run by Wendolene's sinister robot dog Preston. Jealous of Gromit, Preston frames him for the thefts and has him sent to jail for life. Wendolene becomes upset and orders Preston to stop the sheep thefts. Instead, he locks her up with the intention of turning her (and the other sheep) into dog meat. Wallace, with the help of a flock of sheep (including a small shy one named Shaun, who accidentally got sheared by Wallace's machine while he and Gromit were bathing him), help Gromit break out of jail and they set off to rescue Wendolene and the sheep.
In the end, Gromit and Shaun knock Preston into the dog food processor with the anvil, which breaks him up into little pieces and then packaged into the cans. At the end of the film, Wendolene reveals that Preston was rebuilt with completely normal dog behavior. She visits Wallace, however he learns with much dismay that she can't stand cheese as it causes her to break out in a rash. A distraught Wallace decides to console himself with some edam only to find Shaun eating it. A great movie!
Characters
Trivia
- This film has the same title as a Season 2 episode of the Children's British television show Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends.
- Stock footage from The Wrong Trousers is used.
- When Wallace receives a call for window-cleaning service, his method of getting to his motorbike and out onto the road is very similar from the 60's show Thunderbirds. The same method used by Virgil Tracy to enter Thunderbird 2 and take off.
- This film reveals that Wallace & Gromit's telephone number is 2143.
- Nick Park met Anne Reid after the film was finished.
- The first Wallace and Gromit film where Wallace's isn't the only voice.
- Preston, the evil villian dog, is the name of the town where Nick Park was born.
- There is a large billboard with a painting of Baker Bob and the slogan, "Buy Bob's Buns".
Goofs / Errors
- The picture on top shows Gromit missing his tail and toes on his back legs.
- Wallace loses his green vest from beneath his overalls when he lands on his motorbike.
- When Gromit climbs up the ladder during the moterbike chase, he places the base in the sidecar. When he grabs the cables, Wallace grabs the base of the ladder as it rises; after they finish the spin, Wallace places the foot of the ladder in front of him.
- For the split second you see the reverse side of the first door Gromit flies through, the circle to be cut out by his propeller is clearly visible.
- After Wallace gives Wendolene balls of wool, the balls change positions between shots.
- The porridge gun shoots at Wallace, and some of it lands on the wall. In the next shot, the porridge is gone.
Quotes
Wendolene: Yer dog's waiting
Wallace: Aye I'd better see to him. The bounce has gone from his bungee.
Wallace: Why don't you come in? We were just about to have some cheese.
Wendolene: Oh no, not cheese. Sorry. Brings me out a rash. Can't stand the stuff.
Wallace: (gulp) Not even Wenslydale?
(last lines)
Wallace: What's wrong with Wenslydale? Talking of which, all the more for us and not a sheep to worry us.
(Lifts the cover tray to discover Shaun eating the cheese)
Wallace: Get off me cheese! Get off!!! Get o... Gromit? Gromit! Go for 'im! Oh!
(to Gromit after he escapes from the jail with the help of Wallace and the sheep)
Wallace: I suppose you'll have to skip the country now. A fugitive ay? You'll be hunted down like... well, a dog.
Wendolene: I'm sorry about this.
Wallace: For what?
Wendolene: Nothing. Just stay away from me, from my shop, and my silly, silly windows.
Wendolene: He's malfunctioning
Wallace: Mal what?
Wendolene: Malfunctioning. Preston is a cyber dog.
Wallace: Cyber what?
Wendolene: A Robot. (Preston's robotic arm punches through the machine and opens a door) Daddy created him for good but, he's turned out evil.
Wallace: Have you been peckish during the night? Only someone has been at me cheese.
Wallace: Is this place yours?
Wendolene: Mm-hmm. My father left it to me. Along with his debuts, and a few other things.
Wendolene: Oh, I want no more of this rustling. It wasn't so bad when it was just the wool, but... this is evil! Daddy didn't create you for this. You're suppose to protect me!
(Preston locks her away with Shaun on the back of the truck)
Wendolene: Let me out! You're not going to turn me into dog meat!
(the sheep climbed on top of Wallace in order to help Gromit escape from prison)
Wallace: (as they pull Gromit to safety) Oh, brillant teamwork, lads!
Wallace: (he slips on a bar of soap randomly lying on the pavement and all the sheep come crashing down) Oh!
Wallace: (seeing Preston operate a replica of Wallace's Wash-O-Matic) Where'd you get that from? That's MY machine! I've gotten patent pending on that!
Credits
- Director: Nick Park
- Producers: David H. DePatie, Tom Ruegger
- Executive Producers: Peter Lord, David Sproxton
- Executive Producer for BBC: David H. DePatie
- Written by: David H. DePatie, Nick Park
- Music: Joe Raposo, Julian Nott
- Voices: Peter Sallis, Anne Reid
- Film Editor: Helen Garrard
- Key Character Animator: Steve Box
- Character Animators: Loyd Price, Peter Peake, Gary Cureton, Nick Park
- Assistant Animators: Sergio Delfino, Ian Whitlock