“Retirement Plan,” directed by John Kelly and co-written by Kelly and Tara Lawall, rests on a straightforward structure—a man’s list of ambitions for life after he stops working. And yet, in the film’s seven minutes, that list, narrated by the actor Domhnall Gleeson, takes viewers on a journey, humorously illustrating necessary tasks, aspirational hobbies—hiking, bird-watching, yoga—and life-enriching activities for which he imagines he’ll finally have time. “It feels surreal that ‘Retirement Plan’ has found such momentum,” Kelly said. “Perhaps the most surprising thing has been the emotional responses, with many people telling us how watching made them reëvaluate their lives.”
In addition to The New Yorker’s nominated films, four additional films released by the magazine—“Extremist,” “Rovina’s Choice,” “Cashing Out, and “Last Days on Lake Trinity”—had been short-listed by the Academy for this year’s awards. The nominees hope to match the Oscar victory at last year’s ceremony by The New Yorker’s “I’m Not a Robot,” a dark comedy about technology that claimed the prize for Best Live Action Short. “Stutterer,” released by the magazine in 2016, won that year’s award for Best Live Action Short.
In total, twenty-one New Yorker films have now received Academy Award nominations, including the two that went on to win. You can watch the magazine’s full library of short films at newyorker.com/video, and on the magazine’s YouTube channel.
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