Snowy Short Film Review

    In class, we watched the short film Snowy. This was about a pet turtle and his pursuit of happiness. We were introduced to the family that owns this 24-year-old turtle and got to know who the owners are. In this, we learned that the turtle was adopted by one of the sons in the family, but through the years, became very important to the father in the family, Larry. The short film walks us through Larry's work to keep Snowy alive and provides Snowy with the attention no one else in the family seems to give him. You come to the conclusion that Larry cares a great deal about Snowy, but may be going about it in the wrong way. 

    Snowy is shown as very closed off and in his shell the majority of the time. He tries to eat a worm, which is mentioned that he loves, but throws it up because he can't eat it. Larry goes on a journey to take better care of Snowy and pursues other avenues to help Snowy. Through reaching out to a professional with turtles in England and taking Snowy to the vet, he comes to the conclusion that Snowy needs more than what he has been receiving. Larry then starts letting Snowy go outside more, he gives him a better cage with more room to move around, and so on. The film's overall goal is to tug at the audience's heartstrings and make us think on a deeper level about what happiness and fulfillment truly are. 

    Personally, I loved the short film! It made me realize that all animals need certain things to survive but also need other things to truly live. Larry was doing all the right things to keep Snowy alive but once Snowy went outside and had more space to roam around, he really "came out of his shell" I guess you could say! The cinematography in the scene where Snowy goes outside in the grass was my favorite. This is because of the color contrast from the beginning of the film to that scene. The sun shining down and the bright green coloring of the grass contrasting with the dark colors of Snowy's cage and the basement were very apparent. The camera angles in this scene made the audience see from Snowy's perspective how big the world seemed. Then, the camera is shot from Larry and his wife's perspective to see the reality of Snowy's atmosphere. People can start putting themselves in Snowy's position and see what humans truly need to take care of themselves. You can go through the motions of everyday life like Snowy but still be in your shell, or you can drink more water, exercise, and practice hobbies that make you happy. You can truly thrive as Snowy did at the end of the film by taking care of yourself better. Snowy was dependent on Larry to take care of him, but humans are dependent on their own selves. I definitely recommend this short film!