It's Such a Beautiful Day

The short films of Don Hertzfeldt are NOT for everyone's taste. His stick figures and ultra-bizarre sensibilities make them among the strangest films you can find. I warn you about this before you decide to watch this film.

"It's Such a Beautiful Day" is the third film in Hertzfeldt's 'Bill Trilogy'--three films about the same protagonist which have been strung together into a film of the same name. In other words, there is a 23 minutes short called "It's Such a Beautiful Day" (which this review is for) and the 62 minute full-length film of the exact same name! Confusing? Well, yes, but so are these cartoons!!

The title is used throughout the film. Bill's madness caused by a brain tumor gets worse and he begins repeating himself, loses contact with who people are AND, inexplicably, becomes almost god- like (though you cannot help but assume this is a delusion). The artwork is nicer than in the previous two films--as he integrated many of Bill's scenes into the real world. Very strange but oddly enjoyable.

If you've seen all three of the amazing films in Don Hertzfeldt's trilogy centered around the every-man protagonist 'Bill', then you realize just how different each film is from one another. Everything Will Be OK, while still terrifying and tragic, was bloody hilarious. I Am So Proud of You was still really funny, but focused more on the tragedy than the jokes. Then here's It's Such a Beautiful Day, a movie that I maybe laughed once in. It's quite the progression, but it serves to show us where Hertzfeldt wants to go next.

I Am So Proud of You will always be my favorite of these films. It's a perfect balance of black comedy and utter sadness. It's probably one of my favorite movies ever. It's Such a Beautiful Day scarcely seems like a continuation of that plot thread, though. While it still rends at the heart like any good tear-jerker, it's just separate from this trilogy in terms of style. And that's why I really like this movie; it cements itself as standalone from the already present chronology, but it still gives Bill a proper ending(?) with philosophy and physics worked into the musings of an average everyday stick figure.

Great film, with great visuals, with great writing, great character, and just a great concept.

I have no idea why someone say its bad, yes Taste is subjective, but I don't think it's possible for this film to be rated that low.

This might be a bit of a biased rating, but I suggest you watch it live, I mean, When else can we get an animated film that is innovative, yet also danceable?

You know, cinematography probably doesn't need to be talked about here, because that criteria is almost non-existent here, I'll talk about the pacing, it's amazing, and I mean it.

This movie deserves a 5 rating, one of the best animated movies

The story begins with Billy waking up in the morning, then realizing that everything is strange.

I won't say the theme, but it's cool.

There's no disputing Don Hertzfeldt's genius, but the unrelenting drone of his deadpan narration flattens the charm of his humble stick-figure animations. More importantly, his misanthropic perspective on life is so relentlessly black that you'll need a dose of "Mary Poppins" afterwards to regain your equilibrium. Not a guy whom I would be eager to meet. More impressive is his ability to layer multiple images (both animated and otherwise) for hallucinatory effect. Some scenes have almost a Stan Brakhage-like appeal, as terminally ill protagonist Bill (his one distinguishing trait: a simple hat) free-associates about death and past traumas. The Flixster/Rotten Tomatoes pages for this film are somewhat confused -- there are two Hertzfeldt works with this title. One is a 23-minute short and one is an expanded feature that's three times longer.

Wow, what can I say about this short film? If you thought you knew where this was going based on the previous two episodes, you are probably dead wrong. Sure, there are more heartfelt and funny moments with Bill and you can expect his condition to get worse. However, this ends up going in a completely new direction that is just stunning and makes the entire series worth the watch.