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==Plot==
==Plot==
A married couple plays a game of [[Scrabble]] that has stalemated as the husband is unable to come up with a word. The two go their separate ways; he watches his favourite TV show, "Sawing for Teens," while his wife works on cleaning the house. While the husband dozes off, "Sawing for Teens" is interrupted by the [[emergency population warning|emergency warning]]: a severe worldwide [[nuclear war]] has broken out, and the cat severs the TV's electrical cord. As the husband awakens, he looks out the window to see that the streets have descended into chaos, and he returns to the game board, unaware of the global cataclysm, and sneaking a peek at his wife's letters. The wife, finished with her cleaning and also oblivious, catches him in the act, which he denies. And then, the two begin arguing over every petty flaw each one has, up to the point where the wife runs away in tears.
A married couple sit in their front room playing a game of [[Scrabble]]. The husband is stumped in his next move, and the wife gets up to vacuum while he tries to think of a word. He switches on the TV for his favourite TV show, ''Sawing for Teens'', and dozes off. ''Sawing for Teens'' is interrupted by an [[emergency population warning|emergency broadcast]] in which it is announced that a worldwide [[nuclear war]] has broken out. The cat chews on the TV's electrical cord and knocks out the TV before the husband can see the announcement. When he awakens, he looks out the window to see chaos in the streets, without any idea what it means. He sneaks a peek at his wife's letters. The wife, also unaware of the news, returns to the game, notices her letters have been moved, and accuses her husband of cheating. They argue and the wife runs out of the room in tears.


The husband spots an old photo of him and his wife at "Expo 1957" (a spoof of the real-life [[Expo 67]]), prompting memories of the couple in happier times. Unable to console his wife, he begins playing the [[concertina]] (poorly), which softens his wife enough for both of them to reconcile. As the cat claws to be let outside, the husband obliges and reaches for the doorknob. At that moment, following a cutaway of a rapidly zooming-in [[bird's-eye view]] of their house, a white glow emanates from the keyhole and the husband is vapourized, implying that a nuclear bomb has hit the house and that everyone has been instantly killed.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/thebigsnit_201705 Internet Archive]</ref>
The husband, feeling sorry for arguing, spots an old photo of him and his wife at a fair, prompting memories of themselves in happier times. He approaches her with a concertina and begins playing on it. She softens up and the two embrace. The cat sits by the door to be let outside, and the husband reaches for the doorknob. At that moment, a white glow emanates from the keyhole and the husband is vapourized.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/thebigsnit_201705 Internet Archive]</ref> He opens the door and the scene of chaos has been replaced by the sight of angels, clouds, and other heavenly objects.<ref>[https://www.vulture.com/article/most-influential-best-scenes-animation-history.html The 100 Most Influential Sequences in Animation History - Vulture]</ref> The couple, unaware of the cataclysm that has taken place, marvel at the beauty of the scene and decide to return to their Scrabble game.<ref name="north">{{cite book | title=North of everything: English-Canadian cinema since 1980 | year=2002 | author=Beard, William | publisher=[[University of Alberta Press]] | pages=[https://archive.org/details/northofeverythin00bear/page/77 77] | isbn=0-88864-390-X | url =https://archive.org/details/northofeverythin00bear| url-access=registration | quote=The Big Snit. }}</ref>

The door then opens and, instead of chaos, a vision of [[Heaven]] is seen outside.<ref>[https://www.vulture.com/article/most-influential-best-scenes-animation-history.html The 100 Most Influential Sequences in Animation History - Vulture]</ref> The couple, unaware of their apparent deaths, marvels at the beauty of the scene and decides to return to their Scrabble game.<ref name="north">{{cite book | title=North of everything: English-Canadian cinema since 1980 | year=2002 | author=Beard, William | publisher=[[University of Alberta Press]] | pages=[https://archive.org/details/northofeverythin00bear/page/77 77] | isbn=0-88864-390-X | url =https://archive.org/details/northofeverythin00bear| url-access=registration | quote=The Big Snit. }}</ref>


==Voice cast==
==Voice cast==

Latest revision as of 19:55, 10 April 2025

The Big Snit
Directed byRichard Condie
Written byRichard Condie
Produced by
Starring
Music byPatrick Godfrey
Distributed byNational Film Board of Canada
Release date
  • August 1985 (1985-08)
Running time
10 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

The Big Snit is a 1985 animated short film written and directed by Richard Condie and produced by the National Film Board of Canada.

Plot

[edit]

A married couple sit in their front room playing a game of Scrabble. The husband is stumped in his next move, and the wife gets up to vacuum while he tries to think of a word. He switches on the TV for his favourite TV show, Sawing for Teens, and dozes off. Sawing for Teens is interrupted by an emergency broadcast in which it is announced that a worldwide nuclear war has broken out. The cat chews on the TV's electrical cord and knocks out the TV before the husband can see the announcement. When he awakens, he looks out the window to see chaos in the streets, without any idea what it means. He sneaks a peek at his wife's letters. The wife, also unaware of the news, returns to the game, notices her letters have been moved, and accuses her husband of cheating. They argue and the wife runs out of the room in tears.

The husband, feeling sorry for arguing, spots an old photo of him and his wife at a fair, prompting memories of themselves in happier times. He approaches her with a concertina and begins playing on it. She softens up and the two embrace. The cat sits by the door to be let outside, and the husband reaches for the doorknob. At that moment, a white glow emanates from the keyhole and the husband is vapourized.[1] He opens the door and the scene of chaos has been replaced by the sight of angels, clouds, and other heavenly objects.[2] The couple, unaware of the cataclysm that has taken place, marvel at the beauty of the scene and decide to return to their Scrabble game.[3]

Voice cast

[edit]
  • Jay Brazeau as the Husband
  • Ida Osler as the Wife
  • Randy Woods as the "Sawing for Teens" Host
  • Bill Guest as the Station Announcer

Reception and legacy

[edit]

The film received 17 awards including the Grand Prize at the Montreal World Film Festival, the Special Jury Award for Humour at the Zagreb World Festival of Animated Films, the Golden Space Needle for Best Short at the Seattle International Film Festival, Best Animated Film at the Tampere Film Festival, the Silver Plaque for Animation at the Chicago International Film Festival, the Hiroshima Prize at the Hiroshima International Animation Festival, the FIPRESCI International Film Critics' Prize at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival and a Genie Award for Best Animated Short.[4][5] It was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 58th Academy Awards.[3][6][7]

In 1994, it was voted #25 of the 50 Greatest Cartoons of all time by members of the animation field, and was the highest ranked cartoon in the list that was from the NFB. It was also included in the Animation Show of Shows.[8] Animation expert Charles Solomon cited it as one of the best animated films of the 1980s.[9]

[edit]

The Big Snit inspired a Scrabble scene in the second episode of The Simpsons' first season, "Bart the Genius".[10]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Internet Archive
  2. ^ The 100 Most Influential Sequences in Animation History - Vulture
  3. ^ a b Beard, William (2002). North of everything: English-Canadian cinema since 1980. University of Alberta Press. pp. 77. ISBN 0-88864-390-X. The Big Snit.
  4. ^ "The Big Snit". Canadian Film Encyclopedia. Toronto International Film Festival. Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 2011-02-16.
  5. ^ "The Big Snit". Collections page. National Film Board of Canada. Retrieved 2011-02-16.
  6. ^ "1986: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences". Oscars.org. 4 October 2014. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  7. ^ Jim Henson, Kermit and Scooter: 1986 Oscars on YouTube
  8. ^ The Big Snit, by Richard Condie-Animation Show of Shows
  9. ^ MOVIES OF THE '80s : ANIMATION : MICE DREAMS - Los Angeles Times
  10. ^ Groening, Matt (2001). The Simpsons The Complete First Season DVD commentary for the episode "Bart the Genius" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
[edit]
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