The Old Man and the Sea

Taking home the 2001 Oscar for Best Animated Short, filmmaker Alexander Petrov's gorgeous animated adaptation--originally shown in IMAX theatres--of Ernest Hemingway's 1952 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, packs a powerful punch even on screens that are nowhere near eight stories high. Narrated by Marc Strange, with the voices of Gordon Pinsent as the aging Cuban fisherman Santiago, and Kevin Delaye as the boy who befriends and idolizes him, The Old Man and the Sea chronicles Santiago's battle with a giant marlin--a monumental struggle that begins as man vs. fish but gradually metamorphoses into man vs. nature. As viewers learn in the 4-minute "making of" after the film, Petrov spent over two years painting (he uses his fingers primarily, followed by brushes for detail work) the exquisitely drawn cels, which together form breathtakingly beautiful sequences--irrespective of whether we're seeing the old man engaged in a furious battle with hungry sharks or simply watching an oar moving through water. Luminous and touching, this painstakingly crafted masterwork is highly recommended. Editor's Choice. [Note: Also available at the same price is Petrov's 1997 Oscar-nominated animated film The Mermaid.] Aud: I, J, H, C, P. (R. Pitman)