We have a lovely friend from Japan in her mid-30s. One Christmas, she came over to meet my Mum and Dad who were visting and we decided to show our favorite shorts and Holiday specials. We just about did the poor girl in. She loved the first 2 Wallace & Gromit shorts but when Gromit is made to feel unloved and packs his little doggie bindle and heads out for greener pastures .. oh my did she weep and weep! Happy ending or no, she said it was just too sad to bear.

The we showed her Rudolph the Reindeer and when all the other Reindeer were laughing at him.. she turned on the faucets again. By the time Rudolph and friends got to The Island of Misfit Toys.. she was sobbing uncontrollabley and wanting to know WHY Santa wouldn't rescue those poor unloved toys and WHY the other Reindeer were so mean. We had to stop the tape, calm her down and tell her it was all gonna come out alright in the end before she would consent to continue the story. Poor Gal. Good thing we didn't show her The Little Drummer Boy, huh?

Poor ole Gromit. I gotta admit, I cried too when he left home. My Alsatian reminds me a lot of Gromit.