THE POINT (ULTIMATE EDITION) (1971) / CERT: U / DIRECTOR: FRED WOLF / SCREENPLAY: NORM LENZER / STARRING: RINGO STARR, PAUL FREES, LENNIE WEINRIB / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW (US ONLY)
In the Land of the Point, everything is pointed: the houses, the cars, the trees, and the people. Everything that is, except for Oblio, a little boy who has to wear a pointed hat to disguise the fact he was born with a suspiciously round head. But, when he defeats the evil count’s son in an innocent game of triangle toss, Oblio and his pointy dog Arrow are banished from the Land of Point and exiled to the uncharted realms of the Pointless Forest. Except that everything in the Pointless Forest still has a point, including the freakishly pointed man, the giant bees, the fat dancing sisters, and the walking tree, all of whom directly or unwittingly help Oblio and Arrow find the point to their journey. Because, if Oblio can ever find his way back to the Land of Point, he’ll be returning with a knowledge that will change the kingdom forever: everyone has a point, even if, sometimes, you’ve got to look harder to find it.
The Point is based on a story and songs written by Harry Nilsson, probably best known to modern audiences for droning “I can’t live, if living is without you” on the Bridget Jones soundtrack while Renee Zellwegger pounds the air drums (even though that was one of his biggest hits, he didn’t write it). But, if that’s all people know about Nilsson, it’s kind of sad. He was a prolific musician who worked with (and wrote for) some of the biggest musical stars of the ‘60s and ‘70s, and even starred in a pretty appalling little movie called Son of Dracula alongside Ringo Starr. The Point is lifted almost directly from Nilsson’s 1970 album The Point! and both album and movie are pretty freaking groovy.
Not surprisingly for a film that was produced as the hippie era of peace and love was beginning to wane, The Point is also endearingly trippy. It’s nowhere near as anarchic and vibrantly in-your-face as The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine (which is undoubtedly The Point’s closest comparison), probably because it was designed for the non-confrontational family-friendliness of prime time US TV. But you can still easily see where Nilsson’s inspiration for The Point came from, when an acid trip made him look at the world in a very different way. It’s surreal, good-hearted, and – despite a little flagging somewhere near the middle – still makes for thoughtful, toe-tapping animated entertainment. Ringo Starr, as the narrator, is surprisingly good, although it would have been nice to hear the original televised narration that was provided by Nilsson’s good friend, Dustin Hoffman. Unfortunately, Hoffman’s contract meant that his narration could only be used one time only, and Starr was only one of three more narrators whose vocals were enlisted for subsequent transmissions. For a disc that’s packed with a lot of fabulous extras, it’s a shame that none of the alternative narrations could be included. Still, The Point is a little-known animated classic that will hopefully become much more popular thanks to this stonkingly enjoyable Region 1 release. Don’t hold your breath waiting for a UK-friendly version, if you’ve got a multi-region player and a hankering for some great tunes and a cool little cartoon story with a great message at its core, put The Point on your shopping list today.
