Director(s): Peter Sohn
Date Released: 2009
Theatrically Released Alongside: Up
“Sweet” is the one-word descriptor I’d use to describe this short.
Partly Cloudy takes a concept popularized by Walt Disney’s Dumbo—stork’s delivering babies—and expands upon the idea: if babies come from storks, then where do storks get the babies? The short’s answer (which is as equally fantastical as the stork legend) is from the clouds, who here are sentient beings with magical, life-giving powers.
The short follows one particularly grey cloud named Gus (an unacceptable Pixar name, as it—per short custom—should clearly have been Cloudy or Grey), tasked with creating life’s more dangerous babies, such as crocodiles, rams and porcupines. Gus’ assigned stork Peck (now that’s more like it) gets a daily dose of slapstick beatings from these dangerous deliveries, yet persists through the pain—a caring Gus trying to make the job as least painful as possible (though his efforts hardly help). Despite such perseverance, Peck seems to finally experience a nervous breakdown when Gus presents him with a baby shark—fleeing to a cuddly baby-creating cloud above. Dismayed and frustrated by his partner’s desertion, Gus literally begins storming, before breaking into a downpour of tears (the scene’s effectiveness is somewhat diminished by how over-theatrical Gus acts). Yet to Gus’ surprise Peck returns, sporting some fancy new football gear as protection (having asked the upper cloud to make them for him). Now properly protected, Peck cheerfully indicates his readiness to deliver, with an exuberant Gus creating the next baby…an electric eel.
Partly Cloudy is a simple, yet effective tale of friendship, even if it gets a bit over-theatrical in execution. Peck’s dogged persistence and glass half full attitude to such a rough job is a highly admirable feature, while Gus’ caring and compassion towards Peck is touching. The dangerous baby animals are also given very innocent, cute personalities (smiling and giggling with cheerful energy)—a subtle, yet sweet reminder on not judging a book by its cover. The short fails, however, to address a further created question: if babies come from the clouds, then where do the clouds come from!? Do I sense a Partly Cloudy 2!???...ehh probably not.