Introduction

Abstract

In Spike Jonze’s short musical/romantic-comedy/tragedy, How They Get There (1997), a young woman and man catch each other’s gaze and proceed to flirt as they amble along opposite sides of a city street. The two seem destined for a happily ever after ending, at least until the unexpected occurs and the distracted young man steps into the path of a car. Then, in a sequence worthy of a high-budget action feature, he is struck and slams into the car’s windshield as his shoe sails high into the air and lands alone in the gutter, thus answering the title’s riddle, “how they get there.” It all takes place in just over two minutes. How They Get There is a testament to the pleasures of the live-action fiction short film, including its meticulous narrative compression, preference for intense endings, and knack for flouting feature film conventions.