A Grand Day Out
| Fandom | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Wallace & Gromit: A Grand Day Out |
| Abbreviation(s): | A Grand Day Out |
| Creator: | Aardman Animation and Nick Park |
| Date(s): | 1989 |
| Medium: | Animated short film |
| Country of Origin: | U.K. |
| External Links: | Aardman.com |
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Wallace & Gromit: A Grand Day Out is a 1989 stop-motion animated short film directed by Nick Park. It is the first film featuring the beloved characters Wallace and Gromit, and it marked the beginning of a successful series of adventures for the duo.
Plot Summary
In A Grand Day Out, Wallace, an eccentric inventor, and his loyal dog Gromit run out of cheese. Believing that the moon is made of cheese, Wallace decides to build a homemade rocket to travel there. Upon their arrival, they encounter a coin-operated robot who dreams of skiing on the lunar surface. The film is brimming with humor, charm, and the signature stop-motion animation style that Aardman Animations is known for.
Characters
- Wallace (voiced by Peter Sallis): is an inventor and cheese enthusiast whose dog Gromit is probably the brains of the pair. They live at 62 West Wallaby Street, Wigan, Lancashire, a house which is packed with strange machines. Their adventures are usually set in and around Wigan; the main exception is A Grand Day Out which visits the Moon. Wallace runs a succession of small businesses based on his inventions, most notably window cleaning (A Close Shave), pest control (The Curse of the Were-Rabbit), and a bakery (A Matter of Loaf and Death). He's absent-minded but has a kind heart, although he tends to take Gromit for granted most of the time; he falls in love several times in these films. At various times he has been framed for robbery, cursed, and targeted by a serial killer. He's an enthusiastic cheese eater, if not an addict, and his one attempt to stop eating it, for health reasons, goes disastrously wrong.
- Gromit: is a dog who happens to be an expert handyman, knits, reads advanced textbooks and newspapers, and understands English perfectly though he never speaks. He is occasionally blamed for the actions of others, and has a general air of long-suffering patience. He also likes cheese.
- The Cooker: A coin-operated robot on the moon who dreams of skiing.
Production
The film was created using Aardman Animations' signature stop-motion clay animation technique. It took over six years to complete, with Nick Park working on the project while also contributing to other Aardman projects. The film's success helped establish Aardman Animations as a leading studio in the world of animation.
Awards and Recognition
A Grand Day Out (1989) was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 1990. It received critical acclaim for its creativity, humor, and technical achievements. The film's success paved the way for future Wallace and Gromit adventures, including *The Wrong Trousers* and *A Close Shave*.
Cultural Impact
The film introduced audiences to the endearing characters of Wallace and Gromit, who have since become iconic figures in animation. *A Grand Day Out* showcased Aardman Animations' talent for storytelling and animation, and it remains a beloved classic among fans of all ages.