It’s only been recently that LGBTQ themes have started to become prominent in children’s entertainment, so we’re currently as a society at a point where properties aimed at kids even acknowledging forms of love and relations that aren’t heteronormative is noteworthy. Rebecca Sugar’s hit Cartoon Network show Steven Universe has received considerable acclaim for, among other things, its refreshing portrayal of queer characters in a way that feels both nuanced and genuine, and Nickelodeon’s The Loud House recently outed rocker sibling Luna not too long ago when it was revealed she was crushing on another girl at school.
In A Heartbeat, a short animated film from Ringling College of Art and Design students Beth David and Estaban Bravo, adheres to a “keep it simple, stupid” formula while putting forth its message. There’s no dialogue and the characters, so far as I can tell, are nameless, but it’s so expressive and well directed that it nevertheless leaves an emotional impact. Hell, just the announcement of the film on Kickstarter created a significant amount of buzz, to the point where the creators had to go out of their way to prevent the full short being leaked before the premiere. That’s when you know you’ve got something people want to see- with the recent public push for LGBTQ rights, there’s certainly an appetite for something that affirms to children that there’s nothing wrong with them.
The story revolves around a redheaded boy at a private school who notices a cute dark-haired guy he obviously wants to talk to, but doesn’t have the courage to do so yet. Unfortunately, he’s also cursed with the fate of living in a wacky cartoon world, and his crush manifests itself as an anthropomorphic heart who chases after the other boy, which the redhead tries to grab before the other kid notices and he’s either outed, humiliated in front of the entire school, rejected or both.
The animation on every character is top notch, their expressions are drawn well enough to where the lack of any character speaking isn’t an issue. In fact, it practically works to the short’s advantage. No one needs to say anything to indicate how this boy obviously feels, which I feel is important in developing a truly great cartoon. Not to mention the art direction and use of color is great, with straightforward and adorable character designs, and the background brightening or darkening depending on the main character’s mood.
Maybe the story is too basic, but to be fair it is a student film, so it was probably wise to be succinct with the subject matter. It’s available for free online (and you can find it here), but overall In a Heartbeat is a beautifully crafted cartoon short that I think deserves to be shown in theaters before a major motion picture. It’s got great animation mixed with a sweet story, and a good message that will hopefully prevent a child from being bullied over how they feel about themselves and those around them. Strongly recommended!