{"id":7487,"date":"2019-12-15T13:43:38","date_gmt":"2019-12-15T18:43:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pixarplanet.com\/blog\/?p=7487"},"modified":"2019-12-15T13:43:38","modified_gmt":"2019-12-15T18:43:38","slug":"float-a-magical-story-of-acceptance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pixarplanet.com\/blog\/float-a-magical-story-of-acceptance\/","title":{"rendered":"Float: a magical story of acceptance"},"content":{"rendered":"

Please don\u2019t ask if I have a favorite SparkShort. I just can\u2019t choose. (Maybe it\u2019s \u201cKitbull.\u201d But again, don\u2019t ask)! But if you asked me which one is the most special to me, I\u2019d have to choose \u201cFloat.\u201d That\u2019s the one I was lucky enough to watch in Pixar\u2019s beautiful theater, where the ceiling glitters with gold stars. In fact, I was so excited about the prospect of seeing any one of the SparkShorts on a big screen that I gasped aloud when it was announced. And I was sitting in the front row, so Chris Wiggum, our <\/span>host that night, heard and immediately singled me out. One of my finer moments, to be sure! <\/span>
\nThe SparkShorts series came at a pivotal moment in Pixar\u2019s history. At a time when Hollywood at large has reckoned with abuses of power, Pixar has had to do the same. This short film program aims to level the playing field by giving opportunities to diverse voices behind the camera. \u201cFloat\u201d was the first to premiere on Disney+ a few weeks ago, and it was also the first thing I watched when I downloaded the app. Nothing could replace the experience of seeing it in Pixar\u2019s theater, but I just had to watch it over and over, and be enveloped by all the emotions it stirred in me. <\/span>
\n\u201cFloat\u201d is story artist Bobby Rubio\u2019s first directorial effort. He\u2019s Filipino, as are the characters in the short. In fact, it\u2019s a deeply personal project inspired by Rubio\u2019s relationship with his son. \u201cFloat\u201d opens on a warm and golden afternoon. A father and his son enjoy the beautiful day, with the little boy taking a few wobbly steps. As the father blows on a dandelion, the delighted boy breaks into a smile and floats in the air. It\u2019s a moment of innocent magic, and by that point, I was already in love. I just expected to be smiling contentedly for the rest of it, soaking up the warmth. <\/span>\"\"<\/a>
\nBut then two parents pass by with their daughter, and their reaction to the boy in the air is one of confusion and alarm. That was the moment that my warm and fuzzy bubble burst. <\/span>Uh, what\u2019s the matter with these people?<\/i><\/span> I thought. <\/span>This boy can fly! <\/i><\/span>The father did not share my feelings. He grabs his son from the air and holds onto him, retreats into their house, away from the neighbors\u2019 stares. <\/span>
\nThe interior of the house is gray and drab, the golden haze gone. The years have passed and the little boy is a bit older now, drawing on the ceiling since he can float up there. His father is grim faced with lanky long hair and a beard. It\u2019s clear that he hasn\u2019t shaved or gotten a haircut in quite a while. He\u2019s also frustrated by his son\u2019s unique ability. He grabs him out of the air and places a backpack loaded with rocks onto him so he\u2019ll remain on the ground. That’s his way of achieving some sort of “normalcy.” <\/span>
\nBut his son doesn\u2019t stay earthbound for very long. Despite his father\u2019s best efforts, he still continues to soar. <\/span>
\nI had suspected that \u201cFloat\u201d was a metaphor for autism. Bobby Rubio confirmed it for us during a panel with the SparkShorts filmmakers, and hearing him describe his experiences raising his son, struggling to accept his differences, made me choke up just as much as I did watching the short. \u201cFloat\u201d may be about a father learning to accept his son, but I found another meaning in it. Autism is so misunderstood, and \u201cFloat\u201d doesn\u2019t shy away from that reality. But it also presents it as something magical like flying. Isn\u2019t that amazing? This thing that makes you different, that other people find weird, is actually wonderful. It could be autism or anything else, and that\u2019s also what makes \u201cFloat\u201d so significant.<\/span>\"\"<\/a>
\nThere\u2019s just one line of dialogue spoken, and it\u2019s devastating; I\u2019d rank it up there with some of the most heart wrenching moments in Pixar\u2019s full length films. That\u2019s one of the things I love about these SparkShorts: they tell a lot of story in such a brief amount of time, and none of the poignancy is lost. <\/span>
\nBe sure to watch the The Making of Float, <\/strong>also on Disney+. There’s some beautiful concept art and more background on the short.
\n\"\"<\/a>
\n 
\nClick the banner below for all of our SparkShorts reviews.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Please don\u2019t ask if I have a favorite SparkShort. I just can\u2019t choose. (Maybe it\u2019s \u201cKitbull.\u201d But again, don\u2019t ask)! But if you asked me which one is the most special to me, I\u2019d have to choose \u201cFloat.\u201d That\u2019s the one I was lucky enough to watch in Pixar\u2019s beautiful theater, where the ceiling glitters …<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7494,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[384,381,385,352],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nFloat: a magical story of acceptance - Upcoming Pixar<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pixarplanet.com\/blog\/float-a-magical-story-of-acceptance\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Float: a magical story of acceptance - Upcoming Pixar\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Please don\u2019t ask if I have a favorite SparkShort. 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