| The Big Snit | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Richard Condie |
| Written by | Richard Condie Michael J.F. Scott |
| Music by | Patrick Godfrey |
| Distributed by | National Film Board of Canada |
| Release date(s) | 1985 |
| Running time | 10 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
The Big Snit is a 10-minute short-subject animated cartoon written and directed by Richard Condie and produced by the National Film Board of Canada. It was released in 1985.
Contents |
It is the story of a married couple who get into an argument while playing Scrabble. Their cat has just chewed through the power cable for their television, so that they don't notice that a nuclear war has begun.
The husband complains about his wife's habit of shaking her eyes, while she points out he has the bad habit of sawing the furniture from watching the TV show "Sawing for Teens" (the show is interrupted so that the warning can be given). They barely notice that there is panic in the streets.
In the end, they reconcile after the husband plays their love song on a concertina, a smaller version of the accordion. Afterwards, just as they start to open the door, they are vaporized by a nuclear bomb and instantly arrive in heaven. Still unaware of what has happened, they comment on what a beautiful day it is and return to finish their Scrabble game.[1]
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.[2][3] It was also nominated for an Academy Award for Animated Short Film at the 58th Academy Awards.[1] In 1994 it was voted #25 of the 50 Greatest Cartoons of all time by members of the animation field. It was also included in the Animation Show of Shows.
The Big Snit inspired a Scrabble scene in the second episode of The Simpsons' first season, "Bart the Genius".[4]