The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse is a 2022 animated short film directed by Peter Baynton and Charlie Mackesy and written by Jon Croker and Mackesy. It is based on Mackesy's 2019 picture book of the same name. It features the voices of Jude Coward Nicoll, Tom Hollander, Idris Elba and Gabriel Byrne as the four titular characters who form an unlikely friendship as they travel together in search of the Boy's home.
In early 2020, as the book became a bestseller, several producers attempted to acquire the rights of the novel for a potential screen adaptation. These rights were later acquired by Cara Speller, who collaborated with Matthew Freud in producing the film under their NoneMore Productions banner in their first production. J. J. Abrams also produced the film under the Bad Robot Productions banner. The animation was done remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 120 people from over 20 countries working on the film. Since the illustrated book had a loose and unfinished quality of styling, Baynton and his animation team wanted to match this by using pencil ink for the characters, which had an intricate detailing, and watercolour-inspired texture in the background.
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse was released in the United Kingdom through BBC One and BBC iPlayer on 24 December 2022 and in other countries on Apple TV+ on 25 December 2022. It was acclaimed by critics and won Best Animated Short Film at the 95th Academy Awards and Best Short Animation at the 76th British Academy Film Awards.
== Plot ==
The Boy is lost in the winter wilderness, where he meets the friendly Mole, who offers to help him find his way. The Boy is searching for a home, which he has never had before. While exploring the wilderness, they encounter a river, and decide to follow it until they find a village. They are then hunted by a hungry Fox, but are able to hide in a tree until the Fox leaves. After hearing it in distress, however, they search and find the Fox tied to a trap. The Fox threatens the Mole, but despite his fear, the Mole kindheartedly rescues the Fox, who departs in shame. The next morning, the two head back to the river, but the Mole accidentally falls into it and is swept away. The Fox chases after the Mole, and though the Boy fears for his life, the Fox saves the Mole instead. The Boy and the Mole continue on the journey, with the Fox following them at a distance.
Eventually, they encounter the Horse, who is an outcast from the rest of his kind. The group all become friends and explore the themes of humanity, empathy, and kindness. The Boy later sees village lights, and hopes that he is close to finding a home, but he loses sight of the village in the daytime. The Horse reveals that he is actually a pegasus, which incited envy from the other horses, but his friends accept him for who he is. The group fly together on the Horse's back until they can relocate the village. The group say their goodbyes to the Boy, but he decides to not go to the village, declaring that home is wherever loved ones are. The friends stick together and look up at the stars.
== Voice cast ==
== Release ==
In October 2022, it was announced that Apple Studios would distribute The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse as an Apple Original Film internationally, with the exception of the United Kingdom, where it was released by BBC instead. It was promoted with two trailers being released on 9 December and 12 December 2022, and a two-minute clip was debuted exclusively on Collider on December 21. The short film premiered first on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on 24 December 2022, and streamed worldwide on the following day through Apple TV+.
== Reception ==
===Critical response===
 
Emily Bernard of Collider gave four-and-a-half stars out of five, and said, "Fans of Mackesy's book will be utterly delighted to see that the hand-drawn illustrations translate beautifully to the screen without losing any of its neat-yet-messy aesthetic. Because the lines are literally pulled from the pages of the detailed original work, the movie feels less like a short film with a progressing story and more like a moving book. It doesn't have the same pacing or plot propulsion that a typical short would, but that just adds to the charm of it." Megan Graye of The Independent wrote, "The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse is a wake-up call for adults, and a world of wisdom for kids. This 30-minute story will leave you feeling hopeful and probably a little teary. Emerging from it unaffected is just about impossible."
Anita Singh of The Daily Telegraph wrote, "The great thing about this, though, is the look of it. The animation (which owes a debt to Winnie-the-Pooh and The Little Prince) is gorgeous, bringing Mackesy's ink and watercolour drawings to life. Tuning in does allow you to switch off from the world for half an hour. And if watching it feels like drowning in a vat of golden syrup – well, don't we all overdose on sweet things at Christmas?" In a negative review, James Walton of The Spectator said, "Mackesy's film is clearly hoping to join The Snowman as a tear-jerking Christmas classic. The trouble is that this hope is so nakedly, even desperately apparent on screen – with the programme practically begging us to find it both charming and touching."
===Accolades===
Award 	Date of ceremony	Category 	Recipient(s) 	Result	
British Academy Film Awards	19 February 2023	Best British Short Animation 	Peter Baynton, Charlie Mackesy, Cara Speller, Hannah Minghella	 	
Annie Awards 	25 February 2023	Best Animated Special Production 	The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse 	 	
Annie Awards 	25 February 2023	Outstanding Achievement for Animated Effects in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production 	Peter Baynton, Raymond Pang, Martial Coulon 	 	
Annie Awards 	25 February 2023	Outstanding Achievement for Character Animation in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production	Tim Watts 	 	
Annie Awards 	25 February 2023	Outstanding Achievement for Directing in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production 	Peter Baynton, Charlie Mackesy 	 	
Annie Awards 	25 February 2023	Outstanding Achievement for Editorial in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production 	Daniel Budin 	 	
Annie Awards 	25 February 2023	Outstanding Achievement for Music in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production 	Isobel Waller-Bridge, Charlie Mackesy 	 	
Annie Awards 	25 February 2023	Outstanding Achievement for Production Design in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production 	Mike McCain 	 	
Academy Awards 	12 March 2023 	Best Animated Short Film 	Charlie Mackesy and Matthew Freud 	 	'The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse' Wins Best Animated Short Film | 95th Oscars (2023)2023|Oscars.org
Golden Trailer Awards 	29 June 2023 	Best Animation/Family 	"Together" (MOTIVE) 	 	
Golden Trailer Awards 	29 June 2023 	Best Original Score 	"Together" (MOTIVE) 	 	
Golden Trailer Awards 	29 June 2023 	Best Animation / Family TV Spot (for a Feature Film) 	"Brave" (MOTIVE) 	 	
== External links ==
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== References ==
Category:Short films
Category:2022 films
Category:Apple TV+ original films
Category:Animated Films
Category:Adventure films
Category:2022 animated short films
Category:2020s American animated films
Category:2020s British animated films
Category:2020s English-language films
Category:Animated featurettes
Category:Animated films about children
Category:Animated films about foxes
Category:Animated films about friendship
Category:Animated films about horses
Category:Animated films about talking animals
Category:Animated films based on children's books
Category:Animated films impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic
Category:Annie Award-winning films
Category:Apple TV+ original films
Category:Bad Robot Productions films
Category:BAFTA winners (films)
Category:BBC One original programming
Category:Best Animated Short Academy Award winners
Category:British animated short films
Category:Films about mental health
Category:Films based on British novels
Category:Films produced by J. J. Abrams
Category:Films scored by Isobel Waller-Bridge