Beautiful animation, complex adult emotions

A still/crop from Borrowed Time

A well-crafted animation short reminds us that the medium can produce much more than kiddie fare.

It's been awhile since we've featured an animation short on these pages. Oftentimes, the shorts in question are tied to software releases, as narrative demos of the software's features and capabilities. Sometimes, we feature animation just because it's, well, cool. Today, however, we're spotlighting a work not only because of its coolness, but also because it stands as a reminder of the wide-ranging possibilities of the medium.

Some deride animation at face as the stuff of children. Sure, most of the animation made, especially for mass audiences, is geared toward pre-teen audiences. Yet, in the right hands, animation can probe complex emotions and adult themes.

Borrowed Time, directed Andrew Coats and Lou Hamou-Lhadj, takes us on just such a journey. It reveals a weathered Western sheriff in spiritual crisis, reliving a terrible moment of childhood tragedy. Technically speaking, the short is superb, with style and execution befitting big budget animation features of today. Yet, the short's true triumph is in the creators' intent and follow-through on telling a moving story about difficult truths.

Check out the short and the behind-the-scenes videos below and let us know what you think about Borrowed Time and animation with adult emotional themes in the comments.