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''Maggie Simpson in "The Longest Daycare"'' or simply ''The Longest Daycare'', is a 2012 American animated 3D
comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...
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 ...
based on the animated television series ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...
''. In the film,
Maggie Simpson Margaret Evelyn Lenny "Maggie" Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series ''The Simpsons'' and a part of the Simpson family, notably the youngest member. She first appeared on television in the '' Tracey Ullman Show'' sh ...
is enrolled at a new daycare facility where she squares off with the foul-tempered
Baby Gerald The American animated television series ''The Simpsons'' contains a wide range of minor and supporting characters like co-workers, teachers, students, family friends, extended relatives, townspeople, local celebrities, and even animals. The writ ...
when she befriends a caterpillar. The short originated with ''Simpsons'' producer
James L. Brooks James Lawrence Brooks (born May 9, 1940) is an American director, producer, screenwriter and co-founder of Gracie Films. His television and film work includes ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'', ''Taxi'', ''The Simpsons'', '' Broadcast News'', ''As G ...
, who enlisted long-time veteran of the series David Silverman to direct the film. The picture was written by producers Brooks,
Al Jean Alfred Ernest Jean III (born January 9, 1961) is an American screenwriter and producer. Jean is well known for his work on ''The Simpsons''. He was raised near Detroit, Michigan, and graduated from Harvard University in 1981. Jean began his wri ...
,
David Mirkin David Mirkin (born ) is an American feature film and television director, writer and producer. Mirkin grew up in Philadelphia and intended to become an electrical engineer, but abandoned this career path in favor of studying film at Loyola Mar ...
, writers Michael Price and
Joel H. Cohen Joel H. Cohen is a Canadian producer and screenwriter for ''Saturday Night Live'', ''Suddenly Susan'' and ''The Simpsons''. He is the younger brother of one-time ''Simpsons'' writer Robert Cohen, who penned the season three episode "Flaming Moe ...
, as well as the show's creator
Matt Groening Matthew Abram Groening ( ; born February 15, 1954) is an American cartoonist, writer, producer, and animator. He is the creator of the comic strip ''Life in Hell'' (1977–2012) and the television series ''The Simpsons'' (1989–present), ''Fut ...
, who also produced the short. The film premiered on July 13, 2012, where it was attached to screenings of the
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...
release '' Ice Age: Continental Drift''. The film is the second ''Simpsons'' theatrical release. The short was re-released on February 15, 2013 and played before the film ''
Life of Pi ''Life of Pi'' is a Canadian philosophical novel by Yann Martel published in 2001. The protagonist is Piscine Molitor "Pi" Patel, an Indian boy from Pondicherry, India who explores issues of spirituality and metaphysics from an early age. He s ...
'' in selected theaters in United States. Reception has been positive, praising the storytelling and animation. The film was nominated for an
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 ...
in
2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
, losing to ''
Paperman ''Paperman'' is a 2012 American black-and-white computer-cel animated romantic comedy short film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. Directed by John Kahrs, it blends traditional and computer animation, and features the voices of Kahrs ...
''.


Plot

Marge Simpson Marjorie Jacqueline "Marge" Simpson () is a character in the American animated sitcom ''The Simpsons'' and part of the Simpson family, eponymous family. Voiced by Julie Kavner, she first appeared on television in ''The Tracey Ullman Show'' shor ...
drops off
Maggie Maggie is a common short form of the name Magdalena, Magnolia, Margaret. Maggie may refer to: People Women * Maggie Adamson, Scottish musician * Maggie Aderin-Pocock (born 1968), British scientist * Maggie Alderson (born 1959), Aust ...
at the Ayn Rand School for Tots, where, after going through a security screening, she is classified as being of "average intelligence", by a machine manufactured by "Often-Wrong Technologies". A guard then carries her past the "Room for Gifted Babies" and puts her in the "Nothing Special" dreary corner. The playtime items are either taken away or eaten by the other babies. A butterfly then makes its way into the room as Maggie's nemesis,
Baby Gerald The American animated television series ''The Simpsons'' contains a wide range of minor and supporting characters like co-workers, teachers, students, family friends, extended relatives, townspeople, local celebrities, and even animals. The writ ...
, squashes and kills it on the wall with a mallet and draws a box around it with a
crayon A crayon (or wax pastel) is a stick of pigmented wax used for writing or drawing. Wax crayons differ from pastels, in which the pigment is mixed with a dry binder such as gum arabic, and from oil pastels, where the binder is a mixture of wax an ...
. A second butterfly also meets the same fate. Maggie finds a caterpillar and a
pop-up book The term pop-up book is often applied to any book with three-dimensional pages, although it is properly the umbrella term for movable book, pop-ups, tunnel books, transformations, volvelles, flaps, pull-tabs, pop-outs, pull-downs, and more, each ...
about the life cycle of the butterfly. Realizing that the caterpillar could also meet the fate of the first two butterflies, she tries to protect it from Gerald. The caterpillar later encases itself in a
chrysalis A pupa ( la, pupa, "doll"; plural: ''pupae'') is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation between immature and mature stages. Insects that go through a pupal stage are holometabolous: they go through four distinct stages in their ...
and starts to transform. Once the newly formed butterfly emerges, Maggie tries to help it fly out of the window, but Gerald seemingly kills it by shutting the blinds on it as it attempts to pass through. Maggie dramatically mourns as she falls to the floor. Marge then arrives to pick her up, when it is revealed Maggie's scene was only a
ruse Ruse may refer to: Places *Ruse, Bulgaria, a major city of Bulgaria **Ruse Municipality ** Ruse Province ** 19th MMC – Ruse, a constituency *Ruše, a town and municipality in north-eastern Slovenia * Ruše, Žalec, a small settlement in east-ce ...
to cover the truth: she had slipped her hair bow onto the windowsill and wore the butterfly on her forehead in its place. She then sets the butterfly free as Marge drives her home.


Production

In 2011, ''The Simpsons'' executive producer
James L. Brooks James Lawrence Brooks (born May 9, 1940) is an American director, producer, screenwriter and co-founder of Gracie Films. His television and film work includes ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'', ''Taxi'', ''The Simpsons'', '' Broadcast News'', ''As G ...
proposed the idea of making a short film and releasing it in cinemas in front of a feature film, similar to how animation film studio
Pixar 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, Californi ...
creates shorts to play before their feature films. "He didn’t say anything about doing it in 3D,
per se Per se may refer to: * ''per se'', a Latin phrase meaning "by itself" or "in itself". * Illegal ''per se'', the legal usage in criminal and antitrust law * Negligence ''per se'', legal use in tort law *Per Se (restaurant) Per Se is a New Ameri ...
, but that was sort of the idea…that we would be doing it in 3D." He wanted the short to be a fun gift for the fans of ''The Simpsons'', and according to the series'
showrunner A showrunner (or colloquially a helmer) is the top-level executive producer of a television series production who has creative and management authority through combining the responsibilities of employer and, in comedy or dramas, typically also th ...
Al Jean Alfred Ernest Jean III (born January 9, 1961) is an American screenwriter and producer. Jean is well known for his work on ''The Simpsons''. He was raised near Detroit, Michigan, and graduated from Harvard University in 1981. Jean began his wri ...
, "We he staffjust wanted to do this as a way of saying, 'We appreciate how much people have stayed with the show and watched it for 25 years.'" Brooks picked David Silverman, long-time veteran of the series and director of ''
The Simpsons Movie ''The Simpsons Movie'' is a 2007 American Animation, animated comedy film based on the long-running animated sitcom ''The Simpsons''. The film was directed by the show's supervising director David Silverman (animator), David Silverman and star ...
'' (2007) to oversee the film. Silverman gave credit to
Richard Sakai Richard Sakai (born January 28, 1954) is an American television and film producer. He is best known for his work on the animated sitcom ''The Simpsons'', for which he is one of the original producers. In 1997, Sakai was nominated for an Academy ...
for the idea to produce the film in stereoscopic 3-D. He considered the reasoning for employing 3-D "hard to describe," noting that was largely an experiment and its genesis was born out of "having fun." The group first gathered in March 2011—consisting of Brooks, Silverman, Al Jean,
David Mirkin David Mirkin (born ) is an American feature film and television director, writer and producer. Mirkin grew up in Philadelphia and intended to become an electrical engineer, but abandoned this career path in favor of studying film at Loyola Mar ...
, writers Joel Cohen and Michael Price, and ''Simpsons'' creator
Matt Groening Matthew Abram Groening ( ; born February 15, 1954) is an American cartoonist, writer, producer, and animator. He is the creator of the comic strip ''Life in Hell'' (1977–2012) and the television series ''The Simpsons'' (1989–present), ''Fut ...
via phone—to pitch ideas for a short. Early on, it was decided to keep it entirely silent and employ Maggie as the lead character, and the setting of a daycare was decided upon. Jean wrote the treatment for the film, and Silverman completed an
animatic A storyboard is a graphic organizer that consists of illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of pre-visualizing a motion picture, animation, motion graphic or interactive media sequence. The storyboarding process, in the ...
of early story reels in June 2011. By the following February, the team regrouped to structure the story and formulate more ideas. With the help of Brad Ableson, Erick Tran and Ben Lane, the storyboards and animatic for the short were approved and the film entered production. Silverman himself animated two shots present in the final film. Silverman and his crew began animation work on the short in March 2012, completing in May after just under ten weeks of production. He considered his crew "very experienced", noting that he worked with stereographer Eric Kurland for the 3-D shots. It was animated with ''The Simpsons'' usual production pipeline, which involved sending shots to
AKOM AKOM Production, Ltd. (Animation KOrea Movie 애이콤 프로덕션) is a South Korean animation studio in Songpa-gu, Seoul that has provided much work since its conception in 1985 by Nelson Shin. Its biggest claim to fame is the overseas animati ...
in
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
, but with an amplified focus on the 3-D. The team would attempt to complete ten scenes to send to AKOM per week, which would be returned in a cleaned-up form after two weeks. Shots were then composited together at Film Roman out of necessity as the backgrounds relied on the 3-D. Most stereo elements for 3-D were picked out after shots were cleaned up, while others were manipulated in post-production with After Effects. The short was more costly than the average episode of the television show.


Release

''The Longest Daycare'' was first announced to the public in a title card at the end of the series' twenty-third-season finale "
Lisa Goes Gaga "Lisa Goes Gaga" is the twenty-second and final episode of the twenty-third season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 20, 2012. In the episode, American ...
" that aired on May 20, 2012. It was revealed that the short would be shown in theaters in the United States prior to screenings of the film '' Ice Age: Continental Drift'', starting on July 13, 2012. Like ''The Simpsons'', ''Ice Age: Continental Drift'' was produced by
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...
. A teaser trailer for ''The Longest Daycare'', lasting approximately five seconds, was released on July 3, 2012. This was the second time that characters from ''The Simpsons'' appeared on the big screen, as ''
The Simpsons Movie ''The Simpsons Movie'' is a 2007 American Animation, animated comedy film based on the long-running animated sitcom ''The Simpsons''. The film was directed by the show's supervising director David Silverman (animator), David Silverman and star ...
'' was released in 2007. Coincidentally, the trailer for that film was first attached to screenings of the ''Continental Drift'' predecessor '' Ice Age: The Meltdown''. A 2D version of the short was displayed by the producers of ''The Simpsons'' at the series' panel at
San Diego Comic-Con International San Diego Comic-Con International is a comic book convention and nonprofit multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California since 1970. The name, as given on its website, is Comic-Con International: San Diego; but it is co ...
on July 14, 2012. It had its world television premiere on
Network Ten Network 10 (commonly known as Ten Network, Channel 10 or simply 10) is an Australian commercial television network owned by Ten Network Holdings, a division of the Paramount Networks UK & Australia subsidiary of Paramount Global. One of five ...
in Australia on February 17, 2013 at 6:25pm, 5 hours before it premiered on
Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...
in the USA but 16 hours later in real time due to time zone differences, right after ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...
'' episode "
Hardly Kirk-ing "Hardly Kirk-ing" is the thirteenth episode of the twenty-fourth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons'', and the 521st episode overall. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 17, 2013. ...
". It was also aired in the UK on the same day on Sky 1 at 9:55am, 12 noon and 7:30pm and on Channel 4 at 1:30pm
GMT Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is the mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London, counted from midnight. At different times in the past, it has been calculated in different ways, including being calculated from noon; as a cons ...
. It also premiered on the same day, at 7:55pm on Prima COOL, in the Czech Republic and on FOX Brasil at 8:30pm. After being nominated for an
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
, ''The Longest Daycare'' was released along with all the other 15 Oscar-nominated short films in theaters by ShortsHD. The short became available on
Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and deligh ...
on May 29, 2020.


Reception

''The Longest Daycare'' has received critical acclaim. Many film critics have said that the short was better than ''Ice Age: Continental Drift''. Claudia Puig of ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'' argued that "the brief tale is far more clever and whimsical than any sequence in ''Ice Age''." Similarly, ''
Sun Herald The ''Sun Herald'' is a U.S. newspaper based in Biloxi, Mississippi, that serves readers along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The paper's current executive editor and general manager is Blake Kaplan and its headquarters is in the city of Gulfport ...
'' critic Leigh Paatsch said the short "displays all the wit and creativity missing from ''Continental Drift''." ''
San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. de ...
'' writer Amy Biancolli commented that the short is "only a few minutes long, but those few minutes boast more imagination, pathos and suspense than the entire film that follows." Joe Williams of the ''
St. Louis Post-Dispatch The ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch'' is a major regional newspaper based in St. Louis, Missouri, serving the St. Louis metropolitan area. It is the largest daily newspaper in the metropolitan area by circulation, surpassing the ''Belleville News-Dem ...
'' wrote that while the short takes place in a daycare, it ironically features more "artistic maturity" than ''Continental Drift''. ''The Longest Daycare'' has been praised for being both humorous and emotional. Puig and Biancolli described the short as "hilarious". Bill Goodykoontz of ''
The Arizona Republic ''The Arizona Republic'' is an American daily newspaper published in Phoenix. Circulated throughout Arizona, it is the state's largest newspaper. Since 2000, it has been owned by the Gannett newspaper chain. Copies are sold at $2 daily or at $3 ...
'' stated that the film is "terrific—sweet, sad, funny, surprising," and Kristian Lin of ''
Fort Worth Weekly ''Fort Worth Weekly'' is an alternative weekly newspaper that serves the Greater Fort Worth area (all of Tarrant County and some of Denton County). The newspaper has an approximate circulation of 35,000. It is published every Wednesday and featur ...
'' said it is "clever" and "surprisingly moving". Writing for ''
Pioneer Press The Pioneer Press publishes 32 local newspapers in the Chicago area. It is a division of Tribune Publishing, and is based in Chicago. The community newspapers are the main source of local news in Illinois communities such as Winnetka, Highland ...
'', Chris Hewitt noted that Maggie's interaction with Gerald "is hilarious and, ultimately, poignant in an animated film that covers more territory, all without dialogue, than most full-length movies." He went on to call the short a "triumph of storytelling, pacing and big-hearted humor."
A. O. Scott Anthony Oliver Scott (born July 10, 1966) is an American journalist and cultural critic. He has been chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' since 2004, a title he shares with Manohla Dargis. Early life Scott was born on July 10, 1966 in ...
of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' called the short a "charming 3-D cartoon" that is "witty and touching and marvelously concise". He added that it "cleverly blends the bright-colored flatness of the television show with the gimmickry of 3-D. It also upholds (more than the TV series itself) one of the golden rules of animation: no talking." Tim Martain of ''
The Mercury Mercury most commonly refers to: * Mercury (planet), the nearest planet to the Sun * Mercury (element), a metallic chemical element with the symbol Hg * Mercury (mythology), a Roman god Mercury or The Mercury may also refer to: Companies * M ...
'' has also described the short as "touching". ''
The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
''s Tom Russo thought the short was "a welcome throwback to the days when ''The Simpsons'' had more sentiment at its core, and wasn’t so much about the latest batch of newbie
Ivy League The Ivy League is an American collegiate athletic conference comprising eight private research universities in the Northeastern United States. The term ''Ivy League'' is typically used beyond the sports context to refer to the eight schools ...
writers taking their cues from ''
Family Guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show centers around the Griffin family, Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter Griff ...
''." In a joint review of the episode "
Hardly Kirk-ing "Hardly Kirk-ing" is the thirteenth episode of the twenty-fourth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons'', and the 521st episode overall. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 17, 2013. ...
", Teresa Lopez of TV fanatic said "''The Longest Daycare'' was a beautiful piece of animation showcasing a tender story of hope in an otherwise bleak environment. I feel like the only time ''The Simpsons'' can really exercise some creativity and depth is in these shorts and during the show's opening sequence."


Spiritual sequels

Subsequent episodes involving Maggie as a protagonist have been produced including 2015's "
Puffless "Puffless" is the third episode of the twenty-seventh season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons'', and the 577th episode of the series overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on October 11, 2015. Plot Homer, Bart, L ...
" and 2020's "
The Incredible Lightness of Being a Baby "The Incredible Lightness of Being a Baby" is the 18th episode of the thirty-first season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons'', and the 680th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on April 19, 2020. The epis ...
." On March 6, 2020, a new short film with Maggie Simpson called ''
Playdate with Destiny ''Maggie Simpson in "Playdate with Destiny"'' is a 2020 American animated short film based on the animated television series ''The Simpsons''. The film features Maggie Simpson. It is the first Simpsons short film released after the Disney acquis ...
'' premiered with the release of '' Onward'' from
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
and
Pixar 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, Californi ...
, with a further short featuring Maggie Simpson titled ''
The Force Awakens from Its Nap ''Maggie Simpson in "The Force Awakens from Its Nap"'' is an animated short film based on the television series ''The Simpsons''. The short was released on May 4, 2021, on Disney+ in celebration of ''Star Wars'' Day. It is the third short film ...
'' released on
Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and deligh ...
on May 4, 2021, ''Star Wars'' day. It is the first of a series of shorts featuring ''The Simpsons'', crossing over with other franchises on Disney+, throughout 2021.


References


External links

* *
Trailer for the film
{{DEFAULTSORT:Longest Daycare, The 2012 films 2012 3D films 2012 animated films American 3D films American comedy films American animated short films 2012 computer-animated films Films based on television series Animated films based on animated series Animated films without speech Films set in the United States 20th Century Fox animated films Film spin-offs The Simpsons short films Films directed by David Silverman 20th Century Fox Animation films Film Roman films Gracie Films films Films scored by Hans Zimmer 2010s American animated films 20th Century Fox short films 3D animated short films Films produced by James L. Brooks Films with screenplays by James L. Brooks Films produced by Matt Groening Films with screenplays by Matt Groening