Review of The Small One

This Christmas short is criminally overlooked. It belongs on equal footing with the classics of Grinch, Charlie Brown and Rudolph.

The set-up is quite simple, a boy has a small donkey that is his best friend. The father says they can no longer afford to keep the donkey and he must be sold. The boy then goes on a quest to find a good home for his donkey friend.

All the beats are there. The film establishes our main characters. There is real feel for the friendship between the boy and his donkey. They establish the conflict and set the plot into motion. From there, the two leads go through the ringer. One hardship to another. But the film is clever not to shy away from the low points. They let the dark times sink in, which helps the audience appreciate the triumphs even more.

There are some points where the film feels like it is doing some filler, but it helps us understand the protagonists' struggles. I try not to spoil this film, because most still have not seen it. But the ending is an absolute thing of beauty.

Someone still needs you to brighten their day, there's a place for each small one God planned it that way.