Cast and Crew: Nick Park (Writer/Director/Animator)

What It’s About:  Wallace (Peter Sallis), a mild-mannered Englishman with a penchant for Rube Goldberg style inventions (and cheese) finds he must take in a lodger to make ends meet.  A penguin answers his ad, and slowly but surely pushes out Wallace’s loyal (and intelligent) dog Gromit.  When Wallace is implicated in a series of robberies, will Gromit be able to clear his name?

Why Watch it Today?:  It’s National Inventor’s Day, a holiday first declared by Ronald Reagan in 1983.  Wallace is one of film’s most whimsical inventors, appearing in award-winning animated shorts (and eventually a feature film), including today’s selection.

Other Choices:  We’ve previously featured Wallace and Gromit in A Grand Day Out, A Close Shave, and The Curse of the Wererabbit.  Other previous Movies of the Day featuring inventors include The Goonies, Gremlins, Real Genius, and arguably every James Bond movie that features Q!