A Doonesbury Special

This is one of the best pieces of animation I own. I don't necessarily mean in the quality of the art (though it is perfect; fans of the comic strip will be pleased). The script, the themes, everything is excellent. Characters are true to their life, and a central theme runs throughout - namely, the onset of the 1970s and the end of the 60s.

I've said before that this short film makes me nostalgic for a time and a place I never was. Indeed, I was born in 1972 and it is with some amusement that I realize that the young children at the day care center are *my* generation and demographic; when this movie was released I, myself, was in nursery school.

Although I come from a family seemingly untouched by the 60s, the era, for reasons I fail to completely understand, placed an indelible mark on my psyche; in a sense I carry a chip on my shoulder for being born 20 years too late. Feels like I should have been there. But who knows what it was *really* like. I wish I knew more people who were active participants in the era. I want to understand how we get from then, to now. I'm 30 now, and have so many questions about this, an era that has been reduced to absurdity and image. I know there was more to it. Where has everybody gone?

However, this movie makes me wonder what it would have been like to have been there when the whole era came to an end. The movie starts with Zonker suggesting that the commune be dissolved. It proceeds with reminiscing about "the good old days" of activism, protest, and rebellion, and tries to reconcile the past with the present, the onset of adulthood, and more mundane concerns.

Like the excellent comic strip, this movie is humorous with serious underlying themes. I've always admired the ability of people like Trudeau to be able to walk that line, and this film does so admirably. There's much excess in the 60s to ridicule (the football scene in the film, with Zonker stoned on the field, is hilarious), but there's also something precious and valuable about it, and while the film has fun with it, it's never outright mocked. I appreciated that.

Frankly, I wouldn't change a thing. It is worth tracking down. I wonder if we'll ever have an option to buy this on DVD. It truly is one of my favorite things, ever.

Fans of the cool Jimmy Thudpucker soundtrack will be happy to know that the songs featured in the film are available for download legally as mp3s from doonesbury.com

Do yourself a favor and make a little extra effort to locate this one. It's really been a long time since anyone endeavored to do something of this quality and substance in animation.

Summoned from the pool for his dinner, "Zonker" watches a bit of "Thudpucker" on the television before settling down to a dinner prepared by "Mike" that might just be lasagne. It's an extension of this quizzicality that starts to evaluate the changes in society that have occurred since their earlier lives sharing just about everything. Is that era truly finished? Is that even their concern any more? What is worth fighting for nowadays? Steeping in more reminiscences accompanied by some sort of Bob Dylan-esque folky ballads, we take a trip (literally, I think) into their tear-gassed past; play some American football and listen to an increasingly meandering, anodyne and frankly quite annoying tirade of dialogue that I found just a bit too contrived and not at all funny. Spaced out or timed out? I didn't really care after ten minutes of this overlong depiction of things "totally incoherent". It might well resonate better with US audiences, but not being one of those I found it all a bit facile. Sorry, but my heart and mind was elsewhere, especially when it went into philosophical crêche mode followed but the worst parody of a nativity play I've ever experienced. As ever with Hubley animations, there is a quality of animated continuity that cleverly reflects the narrative - there's just way too much of that chat.

I'm quite a fan of John and Faith Hubley, whose animated films have an air of free-wheeling improvisation. 'The Hole (1962)' and 'Windy Day (1968)' are essentially casual conversations, captured on tape and brought to life through the artists' simple and dreamy visuals. 'A Doonesbury Special (1977)' has a more solid narrative grounding, having been adapted from what I gather to be a popular American political comic strip, "Doonesbury." The creator of the comic strip, Garry Trudeau, is also credited as director (and John Hubley passed away while the film was still in its storyboarding stage).

The film opens in the 1970s, as the hippie-era was dying a slow death. The residents of a commune, having become accustomed to a lazy, hollow lifestyle, are surprised when scruffy free-thinker Zonker suddenly declares their way of life "passé" and recommends that they disband. This proclamation leads the group to reminisce about old times – including a concert featuring musical hero Jimmy Thudpucker (clearly modelled on Bob Dylan) which accidentally deteriorates into violence, and a college football game repeatedly interrupted by the team members' penchant for marijuana and existentialist philosophy. The characters in the film must learn to accept that their era has come to a close, and that they must make way for future generations.

On November 27, 1977, as the Thanksgiving weekend was winding down, "A Doonesbury Special" premiered on the NBC TV network. The special was based on the Garry Trudeau comic strip "Doonesbury". Trudeau wrote and directed the special, alongside John and Faith Hubley. This was also the last thing John Hubley worked on as he died during the storyboard stages.

The special, and the comic strip that it is based on, is about a group of people living together under the same roof from various backgrounds and ideals. The characters live in a commune together. They are led by a man named Mike, whose surname is the title of the strip. The people living under the roof with Mike were a part of the counter-culture that took place during the late 1960's to the early 1970's. Like the strip, the special pointed out that the times were changing and that some of the roomates' beliefs and ideals were slowly becoming passe, including commune living, as Zonker, one of the most popular characters in the strip, pointed out in his speech at the dinner table. After that, the people reflect on the times of their youth and all of the activity that they participated in and the pride they showed while doing so, alongside the music that they enjoyed. This showed the importance that these events had on the impact of US history and the impact that they had on the changing times.

Each and every aspect of this special was totally with the times when it was initially shown, and also, still remains as relevant today as it was back then as the times continue to change. The special, like the strip it's based on, is very realistic while also entertaining and never getting stale nor dull. It also shows that when personalities clash, anything can happen. The special happens to be well written and both the animation and the voice acting is top notch. Trudeau works wonders as both writer and director of the special and it really shows it very positively. The special is a winner hands down. It never gets stale nor dull and also, as stated, remains as relevant today as it was back in 1977 when it was initially shown on the NBC TV network. The film picked up an award at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for an Acedemy Award.

This special, as far as I know, was only shown once on TV, and never was repeated. I watched this when it premiered on NBC. I was seven years old at the time when I watched this. At the time, at that age, I really couldn't understand much of the subject matter of this special, although I later understood it when I got older and revisited it. I managed to buy a used VHS of this at a video store for only 99 cents when I first got a VCR and it was wonderful to revisit this special after a little over a decade. I even had a friend burn it to DVD so I can enjoy this again and again. I still enjoy watching this and again, it still entertains without it ever getting stale or boring. Again, it also still remains relevant.

I highly recommend this special as essential viewing regardless of the time and year that is lived in. Give it a look of you can find it anywhere as it is a wonderful, entertaining and well made special.

This short was deservedly nominated for an Academy Award and is an excellent effort. The Hubleys teamed up well with Gary Trudeau. They were able to take the comic strip characters and animate them while still making a cartoon that was recognizably a Hubley cartoon. This was the last thing John Hubley finished before his death. Trudeau and the Hubleys meshed together quite well and it is unfortunate that they didn't get an opportunity to do more as a team. Worth the effort to locate. Most Highly Recommended.