(Released July 24, 2008)
Robert is not the same as Ruth or Mark. Robert builds model airplanes and doesn't read well. Ruth has no mom and has to raise her baby brother George. Mark takes and develops his own pictures. What does this mean? It means that today's Short is Each Child is Different, a short film for teachers to let them know that, well, each child is different. Because people need this explained to them.
Things here are surprisingly darker than you would expect—even after the previously mentioned dead mother. Honestly, this is one of the darkest short films I have ever seen. No one shakes hands with danger and there aren't any mutant monkeys being flattened with steamrollers, so it's not dark in that way. Instead, we've got a dad who thinks his younger son is a failure, a girl with a dead mom, and a girl who has abusive parents. Educational!
The riffs in this release cut right through that darkness, and we also get the famous "Give George some more beans" line. The whole second half of this one leaves me rolling each time I watch it.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go give George some more beans.
Each Child is Different is a PB&A Essential and gets five giving George beans out of five.
