The Sparky Book

The Sparky Book is a 2006 animated/live-action short film by Newfoundland filmmaker Mary Lewis, about the near-death of a young girl who undergoes heart transplant surgery, and the death of her beloved pet dog, Sparky.[1]

This article is about the film. For the comics annual, see The Sparky Book (annual).
The Sparky Book
Directed byMary Lewis
Written byMary Lewis
Produced byAnnette Clarke
StarringMaggie Hickey
Joel Thomas Hynes
Leah Lewis
Gordon Pinsent
CinematographyEli M. Yonova
Edited byLawrence Jackman
Mary Lewis
Production
company
Release date
  • 2006 (2006)
Running time
14 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish
Budget$CAD274,000 (estimated)

The story is based on the experiences of the director's own sister, Leah, who had two kidney transplants as a child. Michael Winter wrote a short story The Sparky Book after their dog had died. Director Lewis then loosely based her film on the short story. The film is narrated by a goldfish, voiced by Gordon Pinsent, with voice of Sparky by Joel Thomas Hynes. Leah Lewis appears in the film as "Bridget," a character based upon herself.[2][3]

Produced by the National Film Board of Canada, the film received the Golden Sheaf Award for best experimental film and the Bill Boyle Award for Excellence in Screenwriting at Flicks: Saskatchewan International Youth Film Festival.[4] In 2008, The Sparky Book was the sole film from Newfoundland and Labrador to be selected for CBC TV's "Short Film Faceoff", a six-part series showcasing films from Atlantic Canada.[2][3]

References
  1. "The Sparky Book" (PDF). Teachers' guide. National Film Board of Canada. Retrieved 30 September 2010.
  2. Wicks, Heidi (15 May 2008). "Newfoundland filmmaker faces off". The Telegram. Retrieved 30 September 2010.
  3. "The Sparky Book a labour of love for Newfoundland filmmaker Mary Lewis". Western Star. 12 August 2009. Retrieved 30 September 2010.
  4. "The Sparky Book". Collection. National Film Board of Canada. Retrieved 30 September 2010.
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