The Wrong Trousers
From Wallace and Gromit Wiki
| The Wrong Trousers | |
|---|---|
| |
| Directed by | Nick Park |
| Produced by | Peter Lord David Sproxton |
| Written by | Nick Park Bob Baker |
| Distributed by | BBC Aardman Animations |
| Release date | December 31, 1993 December 31, 2005 (audio) |
| Running time | 30 min. (29 min. featurette edition) |
| Preceded by | A Grand Day Out (1989) |
| Followed by | A Close Shave (1995) |
The Wrong Trousers is a 1993 animated film directed by Nick Park at Aardman Animations, featuring the characters Wallace and Gromit. It was his second short featuring the eccentric inventor Wallace and his quiet but intelligent dog Gromit.
The film premiered in the UK on December 31, 1993 and won the 1993 Academy Award for Animated Short Film.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
The film begins at 62 West Wallaby Street on Gromit's birthday. After falling downstairs from his bed via a trapdoor in the ceiling (which also dresses him at the same time), Wallace is greeted with a large pile of bills. Meanwhile, Gromit subtly attempts to remind Wallace that it is his birthday. After surveying their depleted funds, Wallace lets slip that he has not forgotten Gromit's birthday after all and presents Gromit with a somewhat unwelcome gift of a dog collar, and a second present of a pair of ex-NASA robotic "Techno Trousers", designed to alleviate the burden of taking him for "walkies".
While Gromit is out on a "walk", Wallace decides that the only solution to their financial problems is to let the spare bedroom out. Thus, a lodger, a malevolent-looking penguin, comes to stay in the house, pushing Gromit out of his comfortable bedroom and winning Wallace's favour. Upset that the penguin has intruded on his relationship with his master, Gromit leaves home. Viewing his departure, the penguin goes to work on altering the Techno Trousers for his own nefarious means.
After sleeping rough, Gromit hunts for suitable lodgings, noticing a police poster depicting the penguin with a rubber glove on his head and the caption "Have you seen this chicken?". Meanwhile, Wallace's normal morning routine is interrupted by the replacement of his expected trousers with the modified Techno Trousers. Trapped inside the robotic garments, Wallace is sent on an extended test, driven by remote control, although he is unaware of the penguin's involvement. Gromit, seeing this spectacle, and having observed the penguin suspiciously measuring-up the exterior of the town museum, decides to sneak back into his old bedroom, uncovering the penguin's plans to steal a giant diamond from the museum using the trousers and Wallace as tools.
However, Gromit is too late to foil the plan and is forced to hide inside Wallace's bed, where he observes the penguin in his "chicken" disguise (a large red rubber glove on his head). Wallace, in a deep sleep after the day's misadventures, is unwittingly brought into the robbery by the penguin, and by nightfall breaks into the museum using the suction feet on the trousers to scale the wall and hang from the ceiling, avoiding the laser alarm system. Having successfully hooked the diamond, a loose ceiling tile puts the trousers off balance, causing the hook to set off the alarm. This wakes Wallace, who has no idea where he is. After escaping back to West Wallaby Street, the penguin reveals his identity to Wallace and locks him in a wardrobe.
Making for the door with the diamond, the penguin is confronted by Gromit with a rolling pin. The penguin then pulls out a pistol and forces Gromit into the wardrobe with Wallace, locking them inside. Being an expert with electronics, Gromit is able to override the Trousers' circuits and break open the doors. There then follows a fast chase aboard a trainset, as Gromit attempts to stop the penguin escaping with the diamond, aided unsuccessfully by Wallace.
After the penguin's train is abruptly stopped by the trousers, he is caught and handed in to the police station. In his final scene, he has returned home to the zoo and is clinging furiously to the prison-like window bars. For catching Feathers McGraw, the pair are given a substantial reward, which pays off their debts.
Meanwhile, the trousers, unceremoniously consigned to the dustbin, walk off by themselves into the sunset.
[edit] Characters
[edit] Credits
- Director: Nick Park
- Producer: Christopher Moll
- Executive Producers: Peter Lord, David Sproxton
- Executive Producers for BBC: Colin Rose, Peter Salmon
- Written by: Nick Park, Bob Baker, Brian Sibley
- Animation: Nick Park, Steve Box
- Additional Animation: Peter Lord, Tom Gasek, Peter Thornton, Arril Johnson
- Editor: Helen Gerrard
- Music: Julian Nott
[edit] Home Video
- "The Wrong Trousers" released on Tuesday Jan. 2, 1995 on VHS.
- "Wallace and Gromit: The Wrong Trousers: Featurette Edition" on DVD in Jan. 1, 2008.
[edit] Edited into
- The Incredible Adventures of Wallace and Gromit (2001) (V)
- Wallace and Gromit Train Chase w/new sound (2008) (Website)
- Train scene from "The Wrong Trousers".
