Geri's Game
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| Geri's Game | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Jan Pinkava |
| Produced by | Karen Dufilho John Lasseter Edwin Catmull (executive) |
| Written by | Jan Pinkava |
| Starring | Bob Peterson |
| Music by | Gus Viseur |
| Editing by | Jim Kallett |
| Distributed by | Pixar Animation Studios |
| Release date(s) | November 25, 1997 November 25, 1998 (with A Bug's Life) |
| Running time | 4 min |
| Country | United States |
| Followed by | For the Birds |
| IMDb profile | |
Geri's Game is a 5 minute long 1997 animated short film made by Pixar. It was written and directed by Jan Pinkava. It was the first Pixar Short created after the creation of Toy Story, the previous short being Knick Knack in 1989. The film won an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film.
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[edit] Plot
The film is set in an empty park during autumn. The title character, Geri (voiced by Bob Peterson), plays a game of chess against himself, 'becoming' each of the players in turn by moving to the other side of the chessboard and putting his glasses on and taking them off. As the game progresses, it seems as though there are two people playing (at one point they are both in frame). Geri (playing the black pieces) appears to be on the edge of victory, all his pieces still are on board, with Geri (playing the white pieces) having only his king left (in check). Geri outsmarts black-side Geri by distracting him by faking a heart attack and turning the board around when Non-Glasses Geri looks under the table where Geri fell, meaning that now Non-Glasses Geri has only his king left. Black-side Geri wins and gives the other Geri his false teeth. The camera pulls back and the audience sees there is, in actuality, only one Geri.
[edit] Development
The first Pixar production to have a human main character, Geri's Game was produced with the goal to "take human and cloth animation to new heights".[1][2][3]
The face of the character "Geri" resembles actor Jonathan Harris, who also provided the voice of Geri for his later appearance in Toy Story 2.
The film's director, Jan Pinkava, says the character is loosely based on himself and his elderly relatives, particularly his grandfather who played chess very often.[4]
[edit] Release
Geri's Game was attached to the theatrical release of A Bug's Life and was subsequently featured on that film's VHS and DVD releases. It can also be found on the Pixar Short Films Collection - Volume 1 DVD.
[edit] Awards
- 1998-Academy Awards, USA-Best Short Subject, Animated Films
- 1998-Anima Mundi Animation Festival-Best FIlm x2
- 1998-Annecy International Animated Film Festival-Jan Pinkava
- 1998-Annie Awards-Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Short Subject
- 1998-Florida Film Festival-Best Short
- 1998-World Animation Celebration-Best 3-D CGI by Professional Jan Pinkava
- 1998-Zagreb World Festival of Animated Films-Internet Favourite
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Pixar's home page for Geri's Game
- Geri's Game at the Internet Movie Database
| Preceded by Toy Story |
Pixar Animation Studios animated films 1997 |
Succeeded by A Bug's Life |
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