If you have had access to the internet in the last week, you likely have heard at least in passing of the new animated short, “In A Heartbeat.” Created by Ringling College of Art and Design students Beth David and Esteban Bravo, the film features two boys, one of which is struggling to hide his feelings for the other boy from his judging classmates.
The short-film is only slightly over four minutes, but it has taken the internet by storm. Here are seven reasons why we love the film and its message.
1. It shows that love comes at any age.
It may not be developed love, and it may come first in the form of a crush, but it exists at any point in a person’s life. Just because you’re young, it doesn’t mean that you can’t feel it yet.
2. It breaks barriers.
The film is the first effort to portray “a topic never previously explored by animated film.” It’s safe to say that someone should have explored it a long time ago, but if it took so long for an honest portrayal, then it was well-worth the wait.
3. It depicts prejudice.
The film easily could have shown all of the children in the school accepting the protagonist’s feelings when they were revealed. However, it is realistic, and even though younger people may be more accepting, they still grow up around parents who are prejudiced and are open about their views. Any kind of strongly expressed view is bound to rub off on one’s child.
4. It also shows kindness.
When the object of the protagonist’s affection realizes what has happened, he doesn’t run away or act disgusted like their other classmates. He seeks out the first boy, who is brokenhearted, and mends the piece of his heart that he unknowingly took.
5. It has a happy ending.
So many times, we see LGBTQ portrayals where everything goes wrong and there’s no resolution. Like any form of love, it is not always the case, and it’s lovely to see a resolution that shows both boys benefiting from the one’s brave heart.
6. It doesn’t sexualize LGBTQ youth.
The film could have taken an incredibly different direction. They could have focuses on teenagers and made the attraction purely physical. Instead, it showed younger boys simply liking one another for who they were as individuals, as well as appearance-wise.
7. The timing is perfect.
Even though milestones — including same-sex marriage and adoption being legalized across the world — continue to happen for the LGBTQ community, there are recent setbacks. The film isn’t the answer to these political issues, but it might help change the social perspective of people who view the community unfavorably.
