A Close Shave
1995 stop motion animated short film directed by Nick Park
Wallace & Gromit: A Close Shave is a 1995 British stop-motion animated short film directed by Nick Park at Aardman Animations. It is the third film featuring the eccentric inventor Wallace and his dog Gromit, following A Grand Day Out (1989) and The Wrong Trousers (1993). In the short film, Wallace and Gromit uncover a plot to rustle sheep by a sinister dog named Preston. Like Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers, it won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.
- Directed by Nick Park. Produced by Carla Shelley and Michael Rose. Written by Bob Baker and Nick Park.
Dialogue
edit- [First lines]
- Wallace: Porridge today, Gromit! Tuesday!
- Wallace: Mice, do you think? [Gromit is suspecting something] I think I'll make my own porridge. [Gromit begins to look around; picks up the box of porridge, but finds the bottom is bitten, causing the porridge mix fall out] Well, I'll be. [sees the cheese eaten] Have you been peckish during the night? Only someone's been at me cheese.
- Wallace: Well, I don't know, there's something very fishy going on. [Gromit sniffs; sees the bitten hole of the newspaper] Huh? Do you think we should get the pest control people in? [telephone ringing; picks up the reciever] Hello, Wallace & Gromit's Wash'n'Go Window Cleaning Service. May we be of assistance?
- Woman: [on the phone] Hello. Yes, my windows could do with a jolly good clean. The wool shop in the high street. Soon as you can.
- Wallace: On our way, madam!
- Wallace: Need wool, don't you, lad?
- [Bell rings]
- Wendolene: Thank you for coming so quickly.
- Wallace: [picks a ball of yarn, but the rest fall off] Oh, dear!
- Wendolene: Oh, allow me, please.
- Wallace: Oh, I'm sorry. Oh! I'll soon have these cleared up. There's no trouble. How embarrassing.
- Wendolene: This is Preston, my dog.
- Wallace: All right, pooch. [they began to pick up balls of yarn] Won't take a minute.
- Both: [accidentally touched their hands together] Oh.
- Wallace: [blushing] Well, I-I..
- Wendelone: What was it you wanted?
- Wendolene: Ramsbottom, Wendolene Ramsbottom.
- Wallace: Oh, charming. I'm Wallace...the windows. Is this place yours?
- Wendolene: Mm-hmm. My father left it to me, along with his debts, and a few other things. He was an inventor.
- Wallace: Never! Well, I do a bit of that meself.
- Wendolene: Oh!
- Wallace: I see they still haven't caught those sheep rustlers yet. Still, you've got plenty of wool, eh?
- Wendolene: [stands up] Your dog's waiting.
- Wallace: Aye. I'd better see to him. The bounce has gone from his bungee. [gives her the rest of the yarn balls]
- Wendolene: Oh, they're spanking. You've done a grand job.
- Wallace: Windows are our specialty. [accidentally slams onto the window door]
- Wallace: Let's get that kettle on. [sees the whole house a mess] Good grief! What's all this?! Burglars? Thieves? Oh, what a mess! [Gromit goes to the kitchen, but finds the sheep Shaun knawing on the bone, covered up in splattered food] I've never seen anything like it. [sees Shaun] Heavens above, Gromit! Look at this! The little chap must be really hungry. Oh, come over here, lad. No need to be sheepish. [laughs] We'll have to get you cleaned up.
- Wallace: [putting Shaun in his Knit-o-Matic] There. Nothing to fret over. Just a quick shampoo. We've tested this on Gromit. Haven't we, lad?
- [Gromit briefly breaks the fourth wall, nodding wearily]
- [Shaun gets sucked up to be dry]
- Wallace: [worried] Oh, do something, Gromit! [then Shaun is put inside the knitting machine] Oh, it's too late now! [clippers buzzing] Turn it off, Gromit! Oh, oh, oh! Oh! Oh! Oh, dear! [the machine collects Shaun's wool to create yarn and creates the sweater, and the other machine puts the small sweater on his head] Brilliant, Gromit! Oh, smashing, this. A bit tight here and there. [then Shaun comes out of the machine, alive and shaved; takes off the sweater] Ah! Looks okay to me. We'll call him Shaun, eh? Come on, Shaun.
- Wallace: Back in a thick, Gromit, won't be long.
- Wendolene: Tell me about windows.
- Wallace: It's only temporary, you understand.
- Wendolene: Oh, really?
- Wallace: Oh, yes, I'm inventing mostly. Only...
- Wendolene: Oh, what sort of inventions?
- Wallace: Well, sort of...
- Wendolene: Daddy would loved to have met you. Poor daddy.
- Wallace: Of all the women I've met...Not that there have been many, you understand...
- Wallace: ...So you see, what I'm trying to say, in a manner of speaking, is...
- Wallace: Of all the ladies I've met...Whoa! Ow! Ow! Same time next week?
- Wallace: Caught bang to rights, you were. You've really let us down this time, lad.
- Wendolene: I'm sorry about this.
- Wallace: For what?
- Wendolene: Nothing. Just stay away from me, from my shop, and my silly, silly windows.
- Wallace: I...well, I...
- Wendolene: Forget me. I'm no good for you. I'm so sorry about Gromit.
- [The sheep have climbed on top of Wallace in order to help Gromit escape from prison]
- Wallace: [as they pull Gromit to safety] Oh, brilliant teamwork, lads!
- [slips on a bar of soap randomly lying about on the pavement] Whoah! [the sheep scream as they all come crashing down on him] AAAHHHH!!!! [thud]
- [To Gromit, after he escapes from jail with the help of Wallace and the sheep]
- Wallace: I suppose you'll have to skip the country now. A fugitive, eh? You'll be hunted down, like...well, a dog.
- Wendolene: [whack's Preston's head with the crook] Stop it. Stop it, Preston! [but Preston grabs the crook] Oh, I want no more of this rustling! It wasn't so bad when it was just the wool, but this is evil! [Preston snaps the crook in half] Daddy didn't create you for this! [Preston pushes her inside the back of the truck] You're supposed to protect me! [Preston throws Shaun in as well, and locks them up] Let me out! You're not going to turn me into dog meat!
- Wallace: Dog meat?!
- Wallace: Ooh! We're at maximum speed! She won't go any faster!
- Wendolene: Wallace, help me!
- Wallace: Don't worry, Wendolene! Everything's under control!
- Wallace: Where'd you get that from? That's MY machine! I've got patent pending on that!
- Wallace: Well done, Gromit! That'll teach him!
- Wendolene: He's malfunctioning.
- Wallace: Mal-what?
- Wendolene: Malfunctioning. Preston is a cyberdog.
- Wallace: Cyber-what?
- Wendolene: A robot! [Preston's robotic arm emerges from the machine] Daddy created him for good, but...he's turned out evil.
- Wallace: Huh? Ah! It's a sheep-mincing thing! Now, that's clever. [Gromit whistles] Huh?
- Wallace: By heck! I thought we were all for the can then.
- Wendolene: I couldn't pass by without saying thank you. [pushes the buttons on the remote control, and the fixed-up and reformed Preston rolls by] He's just like he used to be.
- Wallace: Oh, don't mention it. [Preston gives him a newspaper] Thanks, pooch. Give me a shout if he goes wrong again.
- Wendolene: You're very kind.
- Wallace: Well, won't you come in? We were just about to have some cheese.
- Wendolene: Oh, no! Not cheese. Sorry, it brings me out in a rash. I can't stand the stuff.
- Wallace: [smile fades to a stunned look, then gulps] Not even Wensleydale?
- Wendolene: Got to be on our way. Come on, Preston. [a sad Wallace goes back inside; pets Preston] Good-bye...Chuck. [walks off]
- [Last lines]
- Wallace: What's wrong with Wensleydale? [Gromit shrugs] Talking of which, all the more for us. And not a sheep to worry us. [lifts the cover of the cheese tray to discover Shaun eating the cheese] Get off me cheese! Get off! Get off! Gromit? Gromit! Go for 'im! Gromit! Oh! Ahhh! Get off with ya! Oh! Shoosh off!
Taglines
edit- From the Oscar-winning creator of A Grand Day Out and The Wrong Trousers.
- Academy Award Winner!
- From the makers of Chicken Run.
Cast
edit- Peter Sallis as Wallace
- Anne Reid as Wendolene Ramsbottom