Canvas
Common Sense says
- G
- 2020
- 9 minutes
Parents say
Kids say
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Canvas is an animated short film, but its target audience isn't especially young kids. The lack of spoken lines could make it confusing or too slow-moving for very young kids, who could also be unsettled by the man's dark moods, the apparent recent death of his wife or partner, and the slight mysteriousness of the story. The man knocks an easel over, seemingly in anger. He also looks angry with his young granddaughter when he discovers she has entered a hidden room in his house. The theme of grief may be too emotionally intense for sensitive kids. In a touching scene that appears to be a fantasy, the man enters a canvas and sees the woman. They hug and kiss. Positive messages about family, finding hope, and healing.
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What's the story?
An elderly man in a wheelchair stares moodily at an empty easel stand and, later, knocks it over angrily in CANVAS. Inside his house there's a dark closet with women's clothes hanging. When his daughter and granddaughter visit, the girl creates a crayon drawing with a woman as an angel looking down on the man. The granddaughter finds a mysterious hidden room behind the closet and, in it, a painting of the woman. The man appears angry that his granddaughter is in the room. The girl and the painting she has discovered will help the man in ways as yet undetected.
Is it any good?
The short film Canvas packs plenty of emotion into 9 minutes (actually, 8 minutes plus a minute for credits). Dialogue-free, the film relies on a combination of animation styles and a melodramatic, strings-heavy musical score, harp included, to convey sensations. The story unfolds through those visual and auditory clues, with the blue tint of the grandfather's house matching his mood and contrasting with the golden yellow outdoors. The lovely story features an elderly man in a wheelchair longing for his apparently dead female spouse or partner. The emotional support of two younger females, presumably his daughter and granddaughter, and the wisdom of the latter, will help him find his inspiration again. It's a beautiful, emotionally intense film that may inspire discussion about grief and healing.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about the clues that inform viewers of what's happening in Canvas, in the absence of dialogue. For example, when did you figure out what the clothes in the closet represented?
Do you think the man was imagining the reunion with his wife, or was that some kind of out-of-body experience? Why do you think so?
What are the opportunities and shortcomings of the short film format?
Movie details
- On DVD or streaming: December 11, 2020
- Director: Frank E Abney III
- Studio: Netflix
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Arts and Dance
- Run time: 9 minutes
- MPAA rating: G
- Last updated: December 12, 2020
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