A Close Shave

"A cracking wacky adventure."

1996 0h 30m EN

🙌

7.6

BANGER

★7.6TMDB · 978

FamilyAnimationComedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Wallace's whirlwind romance with the proprietor of the local wool shop puts his head in a spin, and Gromit is framed for sheep-rustling in a fiendish criminal plot.

“A cracking wacky adventure.”

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Cast

Peter Sallis
Wallace (voice)
Anne Reid
Wendolene (voice)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Nick Park
Writers: Bob Baker, Nick Park, Michael Salter
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 30-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

30 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Wallace & Gromit Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Nick Park, shot by Dave Alex Riddett. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Julian Nott. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Helen Garrard shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Peter Sallis and Anne Reid carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "A cracking wacky adventure.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Nick Park directs. Dave Alex Riddett behind the camera. Julian Nott scores. Helen Garrard cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 30-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
230 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Part of the "Wallace & Gromit Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Nick Park, shot by Dave Alex Riddett. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Julian Nott. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Helen Garrard shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Peter Sallis and Anne Reid carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "A cracking wacky adventure.".
9IMDB entry: tt0112691 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 21 themes, including "prison", "sheep", "inventor", "loyalty".
11Released under 23 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Dave Alex Riddett
Original score: Julian Nott
Editing: Helen Garrard
Runtime: 30 min · 0h 30m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $4,638
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: A Close Shave (1996)

Awards

BAFTA Award for Best Short Animation
Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Part of

Wallace & Gromit Collection

An award-winning, British, stop-motion animated, series of short films following the comedic adventures of the eccentric, absent-minded, inventor Wallace and his loyal, anthropomorphic dog Gromit.

Also by

Nick Park

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Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2023-12-27
★ 7/10
"Wallace" and "Gromit" are making a few extra quid running a window-cleaning business, and are summoned to "Wendolene's Wools" by the eponymous owner and guess what - "Wallace" is lovestruck! That's despite the fact that she has a menacing dog ("Preston")! Now all of this happens amidst a sheep rustling epidemic and when this involves "Gromit" in a frame-up it's soon clear that two and two suspiciously make four - but can our intrepid duo save themselves as well as one's new love from the nemesis of the other? It's great fun this - right from the start with the misfiring porridge machine, we have gadgets galore mechanising everything in sight before a punchy denouement straight out of "Temple of Doom" (1984). The animation is detailed and characterful delivering a simple but engaging story that whizzes by for half an hour. Who knew sheep liked Wensleydale?
feathermcgrawlover2024-11-29
Peak Wallace and Gromit

Production companies