Like most genres there are a ton of animated films that are released all the time with most getting lost in the shuffle. One of the more interesting I had never heard of until it was nominated for an Academy Award called My Life as a Zucchini featuring the voice talents of Will Forte, Nick Offerman, Ellen Page, Amy Sedaris, and Erick Abbate, but does it offer up something special that warranted the nomination or will it fail to get recognized?

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My Life as a Zucchini follows a young boy named Courgette also known as Zucchini who is unexpectedly left alone in the world. After his mother's disappearance, Courgette is befriended by a police officer Raymond, who accompanies him to his new foster home filled with other orphans his age. At first he struggles to find his place in this strange, at times, hostile environment. Yet with Raymond's help and his new-found friends, Courgette eventually learns to trust and might find true love. I love finding movies like this that I know little to know nothing about and it end up being so great. First off the character design and stop motion animation is awesome. It is such a bizarre looking film, but works to add more character to the film and in turn makes you fall in love with these unique characters. The story is way deeper than I expected and deals with real life issues. There is some real dark and sad moments here that make this more of an older viewer film, but not in an inappropriate way. It actually tells some good life lessons and a redeeming heart felt message of love and acceptance that should be seen by all.

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The sheer visual treat of this film is enough of a reason to see it, but the great story that is both heart breaking and heartwarming makes it all the better. In addition to this film there are some great bonus features including a short feature called “The Genie in the Tin of Ravioli” that is a real treat itself. Check out My Life As A Zucchini available now from Universal Home Entertainment.