Retirement Plan
Directed by John Kelly
Written by John Kelly and Tara Lawall
Starring Domhnall Gleeson
Runtime 7 minutes
Premiered March 8 at SXSW

by Heidi Krull, Staff Writer

Achieving an emotionally impactful story is often difficult in any type of film. However, despite only being about 7 minutes long, Retirement Plan took me on a poignant and sentimental journey. Director John Kelly showcases his expertise in animating, and tells a beautiful story about life and the passage of time.

Starring Domhnall Gleeson (Harry Potter and Star Wars), Retirement Plan is about new retiree Ray, who is listing out everything he wants to do and see before he grows old. He names all sorts of activities, from mundane tasks such as clearing out his email, to more adventurous ones like paragliding. As the minutes go by, Ray is reminiscing on how much time he has left in the world, and seems to be anxious not to waste the rest of his life. Though it was short, this film moved me in ways some full feature-length films could not.

Retirement Plan is successful because of its beautiful simplicity, and this is shown in a number of ways. The animation itself was simplistic, but also incredibly expressive. This style of animation further highlights that Ray has lived a rather simple life up to this point, probably just working and doing daily tasks. The things Ray wants to accomplish are not far-fetched; he mainly desires to have a more organized and fruitful existence outside of the workplace. Gleeson’s amazing voice acting effectively shows all of Ray’s mixed emotions about aging. I loved how realistic he was with his goals, as he would often say he would do something (like see a musical) and then slightly backtrack. Just from his voice he sounded sweet and caring, and he also had a sense of humor. I was impressed with the way this film made me feel grief, anxiety, love, and joy all at once, and I thought that everything flowed together perfectly.

This film was not only an emotional experience, but it also symbolized much about how society views growing old and working. Ray’s story is like so many. He had to spend most of his life working, and once he has the “time,” he feels pressured to do everything he never had time for before. But, despite the slight melancholy, his tale is mostly bittersweet and hopeful. Though he is older than he once was and may not check everything off his list, he knows he will still be fulfilled either way. This message is relatable on a large scale, and reminds viewers that life can be monotonous, but you can still find joy in the small things.

Retirement Plan is a glowing testament to the integrity and beauty of animated short films. John Kelly and Tara Lawall’s storytelling is deeply powerful in this film, and the simple design moved the story forward in a delightful way. I have not watched many short films so far, but Retirement Plan was a great place to start.

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