''Out'' is a 2020 American computer-animated

short film A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...

directed and written by Steven Hunter, produced by Max Sachar, and distributed by

Pixar Animation Studios Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californ ...

and

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, formerly known as Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Inc. until 2007, is an American film distribution studio within the Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. It ha ...

. The plot features a young gay man who has not yet come out to his parents, who unexpectedly has his mind magically swapped with his dog's. The seventh short film in the ''

SparkShorts ''SparkShorts'' is a series of American independent animated short films produced by Pixar Animation Studios. It consists of a program in which Pixar's employees are given six months and limited budgets to develop animated short films that were or ...

'' series, it is both Disney's and Pixar's first short to feature a

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...

main character and storyline, including an on-screen same-sex kiss. The short was released on

Disney+ Disney+ is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned and operated by the Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. The service primarily distributes films and television se ...

on May 22, 2020. The short was shortlisted for the

Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film The Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film is an award given by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) as part of the annual Academy Awards, or Oscars, since the 5th Academy Awards (with different names), covering the year 1 ...

at the

93rd Academy Awards The 93rd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored films released from January 1, 2020, to February 28, 2021, at Union Station in Los Angeles. The ceremony was held on April 25, 202 ...

Plot

A magical cat and dog appear outside Greg's townhouse, as he and his boyfriend Manuel are packing his belongings to move. The cat imbues the collar of Greg's dog Jim with magic. Inside, reminiscing about a photo of them together, Manuel encourages Greg to come out to his parents, who unexpectedly show up to help. Greg hastily hides the photo and Manuel quietly exits by the back door. Holding Jim's collar, Greg casually wishes aloud that he would became a dog, and the minds of Greg and Jim magically switch bodies. "Greg" runs outside to play in the yard, where his stoic father is lighting the grill. "Jim" tries to get to him, while also frantically trying to prevent his eagerly helpful mother from finding the photo. Frustrated by the dog's misbehavior, she sits and talks aloud of her sadness about her son moving away, as "Jim" listens. Imagining a conversation with Greg, she hopes that he finds someone who loves him, and "that he makes you happy". "Jim" suddenly realizes that she not only already knows that he is gay, but she also accepts it. He briefly comforts her, then chases down "Greg", and successfully switches their minds back. That evening, Greg introduces Manuel to his parents; Greg's father spontaneously hugs Manuel. The magical cat and dog see their mission accomplished, and leap away on a rainbow.

Cast

* Caleb Cabrera as Manuel * Matthew Martin as Gigi the Cat * Kyle McDaniel as Greg * Bernadette Sullivan as Mom

Production

''Out'' is the seventh film in Pixar's "

" program. It was directed and written by Steven Clay Hunter, known for animation work on '' Finding Nemo'' and ''

WALL-E ''WALL-E'' (stylized with an interpunct as ''WALL·E'') is a 2008 American computer-animated science fiction film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It was directed and co-written by Andrew Stanton, pro ...

'', and produced by Max Sachar, known for his work on '' Coco'' and ''

Toy Story 3 ''Toy Story 3'' is a 2010 American computer-animated comedy-drama film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. It is the third installment in the ''Toy Story'' series and the sequel to '' Toy Story 2'' (1999). It wa ...

''.

Music

Jake Monaco composed the music for ''Out''. The score was released on July 3, 2020.

Track listing

Release

''Out'' was released on

on May 22, 2020, and on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

in June 2021 as part of the year's

Pride Month LGBT Pride Month is a month, typically in June, dedicated to celebration and commemoration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) pride. Pride Month began after the Stonewall riots, a series of gay liberation protests in 1969, and ha ...

celebrations.

Reception

Critical response

Kshitij Rawat of ''

The Indian Express ''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932. It is published in Mumbai by the Indian Express Group. In 1999, eight years after the group's founder Ramnath Goenka's death in 1991, the group was split be ...

'' stated ''Out'' explores the apprehensions felt by members of the LGBTQ community during the coming out, found the story emotional across its running time, and called the animation unique and fresh through its style. Jennifer Green of ''

Common Sense Media Common Sense Media (CSM) is an organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children.

'' rated the short film 5 out of 5 stars, praised the educational value, stating the short film promotes acceptance, and applauded the depiction of positive messages and role models, citing familial and romantic love.

Accolades

References

External links

* *
''Out''
on

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