A Close Shave
Wallace & Gromit: A Close Shave is a 1995 British stop-motion animated short film directed by Nick Park at Aardman Animations. It is the third film featuring the eccentric inventor Wallace and his dog Gromit, following A Grand Day Out (1989) and The Wrong Trousers (1993). In the short film, Wallace and Gromit uncover a plot to rustle sheep by a sinister dog named Preston. Like Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers, it won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.
- Directed by Nick Park. Produced by Carla Shelley and Michael Rose. Written by Bob Baker and Nick Park.
Dialogue
[edit]- [first lines]
- Wallace: Porridge today, Gromit! Tuesday!
- Wallace: Mice, do you think?
- Wallace: I think I'll make my own porridge.
- Wallace: Well, I'll be.
- Wallace: Have you been peckish during the night? Only someone's been at me cheese.
- Wallace: Well, I don't know, there's something very fishy going on.
- [Gromit sniffs]
- Wallace: Huh? Do you think we should get the pest control people in?
- [Telephone ringing]
- Wallace: Hello, Wallace & Gromit's Wash'n'Go Window Cleaning Service. May we be of assistance?
- Woman: Hello. Yes, my windows could do with a jolly good clean, the wool shop in the high street. Soon as you can.
- Wallace: On our way, madam.
- Wallace: Need wool, don't you, lad?
- [Bell rings]
- Wendolene Ramsbottom: Thank you for coming so quickly.
- Wallace: Oh, dear!
- Wendolene Ramsbottom: Oh, allow me, please.
- Wallace: Oh, I'm sorry. Oh! I'll soon have these cleared up. There's no trouble. How embarrassing.
- Wendolene Ramsbottom: This is Preston, my dog.
- Wallace: All right, pooch. Won't take a minute.
- Both: Oh.
- Wallace: Well, I-I..
- Wendelone Ramsbottom: What was it you wanted?
- Wendolene Ramsbottom: Ramsbottom, Wendolene Ramsbottom.
- Wallace: Oh, charming. I'm Wallace... the windows. Is this place yours?
- Wendolene Ramsbottom: Mm-hmm. My father left it to me, along with his debts, and a few other things. He was an inventor.
- Wallace: Never! Well, I do a bit of that meself.
- Wendolene Ramsbottom: Oh!
- Wallace: I see they still haven't caught those sheep rustlers yet. Still, you've got plenty of wool, eh?
- Wendolene Ramsbottom: Your dog's waiting.
- Wallace: Aye, I'd better see to him. The bounce has gone from his bungee.
- Wendolene Ramsbottom: Oh, they're spanking. You've done a grand job.
- Wallace: Windows are our specialty.
- Wallace: Let's get that kettle on. Good grief! What's on this? Burglars? Thieves? Oh, what a mess.
- Wallace: I've never seen anything like it. Heavens above, Gromit! Look at this! The little chap must be really hungry. Oh, come over here, Lad. No need to be sheepish. [laughs] We'll have to get you cleaned up.
- Wallace: [putting Shaun in his Knit-o-Matic] There. Nothing to fret over. Just a quick shampoo. We've tested this on Gromit. Haven't we, lad?
- [Gromit nods wearily]
- Wallace: Oh, do something, Gromit!
- Wallace: Oh, it's too late now.
- [clippers buzzing]
- Wallace: Turn it off, Gromit! Oh, oh, oh! Oh! Oh! Oh, dear!
- Wallace: Brilliant, Gromit! Oh, smashing, this. A bit tight here and there.
- Wallace: Ah! Looks OK to me. We'll call him Shaun, eh? Come on, Shaun.
- Wallace: Back in a thick, Gromit, won't be long.
- Wendolene: Tell me about windows.
- Wallace: It's only temporary, you understand.
- Wendolene: Oh, really?
- Wallace: Oh, yes, I'm inventing mostly. Only...
- Wendolene: Oh, what sort of inventions?
- Wallace: Well, sort of...
- Wendolene: Daddy would loved to have met you. Poor daddy.
- Wallace: Of all the women I've met... Not that there have been many, you understand...
- Wallace: ...So you see, what I'm trying to say, in a manner of speaking, is...
- Wallace: Of all the ladies I've met... Whoa! Ow! Ow! Same time next week?
- Wallace: Caught bang to rights, you were. You've really let us down this time, lad.
- Wendolene: I'm sorry about this.
- Wallace: For what?
- Wendolene: Nothing. Just stay away from me, from my shop, and my silly, silly windows.
- Wallace: I...well, I...
- Wendolene: Forget me. I'm no good for you. I'm so sorry about Gromit.
- [The sheep have climbed on top of Wallace in order to help Gromit escape from prison]
- Wallace: [as they pull Gromit to safety] Oh, brilliant teamwork, lads!
- [Wallace slips on a bar of soap randomly lying about on the pavement]
- Wallace: Whoah!
- [The sheep scream as they all come crashing down]
- [to Gromit, after he escapes from jail with the help of Wallace and the sheep]
- Wallace: I suppose you'll have to skip the country now. A fugitive, eh? You'll be hunted down, like...well, a dog.
- Wendolene Ramsbottom: Stop it. Stop it, Preston! Oh, I want no more of this rustling. It wasn't so bad when it was just the wool, but this is evil! Daddy didn't create you for this. You're supposed to protect me!
- [Preston locks her away along with Shaun and the rest of the sheep in the back of the truck]
- Wendolene Ramsbottom: Let me out! You're not going to turn me into dog meat!
- Wallace: Dog meat?
- Wallace: Ooh! We're at maximum speed!
- Wallace: She won't go any faster!
- Wallace: That a boy, Gromit!
- Wallace: Well done, Gromit! That'll teach him!
- Wendolene Ramsbottom: He's malfunctioning.
- Wallace: Mal-what?
- Wendolene Ramsbottom: Malfunctioning. Preston is a cyberdog.
- Wallace: Cyber-what?
- Wendolene Ramsbottom: A robot!
- [Preston's robotic arm emerges from the machine]
- Wendolene Ramsbottom: Daddy created him for good, but...he's turned out evil.
- Wallace: Huh? Ah! It's a sheep-mincing thing! Now, that's clever.
- Gromit: [loud whistle]
- Wallace: Huh?
- Wallace: By heck! I thought we were all for the can then.
- Wendolene: I couldn't pass by without saying thank you. He's just like he used to be.
- Wallace: Oh, don't mention it. Thanks, pooch. Give me a shout if he goes wrong again.
- Wendolene: You're very kind.
- Wallace: Well, won't you come in? We were just about to have some cheese.
- Wendolene: Oh, no! Not cheese. Sorry, it brings me out in a rash. I can't stand the stuff.
- Wallace: [smile fades to a stunned look, then gulps] Not even Wensleydale?
- Wendolene: Got to be on our way. Come on, Preston. Good-bye... [door closes] Chuck.
- [last lines]
- Wallace: What's wrong with Wensleydale? Talking of which, all the more for us. And not a sheep to worry us.
- [Wallace lifts the cover of the cheese tray to discover Shaun eating the cheese]
- Wallace: Get off me cheese! Get off! Get off! Gromit? Gromit! Go for 'im! Gromit! Oh! Ahhh! Get off with ya! Oh! Shoosh off!
Taglines
[edit]- From the Oscar-winning creator of A Grand Day Out and The Wrong Trousers.
- Academy Award Winner!
- From the makers of Chicken Run.
Cast
[edit]- Peter Sallis as Wallace
- Peter Hawkins as Gromit
- Anne Reid as Wendolene Ramsbottom
- Justin Fletcher as Shaun
