Case Study No. 1403: Unnamed Male Librarian (Moonrise Kingdom)

'Moonrise Kingdom' Animated Shorts
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In Wes Anderson's indie mega-hit "Moonrise Kingdom," 12-year-old Suzy (Kara Hayward) packs an unusual set of items for her runaway adventure with her pen-pal boyfriend, Sam (Jared Gilman): A half-dozen (fictitious) storybooks she stole from the library, three of which she reads aloud over the course of the film. Anderson commissioned six artists to create the books' evocative jacket covers, but initially the director wanted to take the artistry even further. "At one point in the process, when she's reading these passages from these books, I'd thought about going into animation," he says.

The animated shorts include: Shelly and the Secret Universe, The Francine Odysseys, The Girl from Jupiter, Disappearance of the 6th Grade, The Light of Seven Matchsticks, and The Return of Auntie Lorraine.
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Added: 2 years ago
From: TheMkanimation
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["Do you like to read?" appears on screen]
LIBRARIAN: [from off camera] Do you like to read?
[cut to an older male librarian (glasses, white beard stubble, green knit cap, white scarf, red smoking jacket, finger-less gloves) sitting in an armchair in front of a large bookcase, speaking directly to the camera]
LIBRARIAN: If not, feel free to turn this off and don't bother watching it. If yes, however ... this might be interesting for you. I'm the narrator of a new movie called "Moonrise Kingdom," and I'm also the librarian for the township of New Penzance, where the story takes place. The following brief animated film clips will give you just a glimpse into the suitcase carried by the heroine of the movie. Her name is Suzy Bishop, as she reads a short paragraph from each of her six favorite books.
[he reaches over to a nearby table, and takes the top book off of the pile sitting there]
LIBRARIAN: And we're gonna begin with the story of a young gymnast ...
[he holds the book up to the camera]
LIBRARIAN: And a powerful amulet.
[cut to a closeup of the book's cover ("Shelly and the Secret Universe" by Nan Chapin), then cut to pencil-animation of a young girl watching another girl go through her routine on the balance beams]
SUZY: [in voice over] "If there's one thing competition-level gymnasts know how to do, even if they're only eleven-and-a-half years old and they've been publicly betrayed by their entire extended families, and they've been grounded since February and now they're going to be forced to get braces for an overbite that isn't their fault ... it's jump."
[the girl turns to the camera, then jumps off screen]
SUZY: [in voice over] "Shelly did ... Our story begins as her toes leave the ground."
[cut back to the librarian, who holds up another book]
LIBRARIAN: The first of the next two books is about a strong-willed girl ... and a troubled lion.
[he puts the book down, then holds up another one]
LIBRARIAN: The next ... takes place on a foreign planet.
[cut to a closeup of the book's cover ("The Francine Odysseys" by Gertrude Price), then cut to an animated sequence featuring a lion wearing a crown walking towards a small lake]
SUZY: [in voice over] "His eyes downcast, his kingdom in ruins, Mynar pressed his heavy paw through the rippling surface of the cool shallows and down to its stone floor."
[cut to a closeup of the lion's face]
SUZY: [in voice over] "My people once were led by a great and noble beast, and I no longer see his face in this reflection."
[cut to a young girl sitting in the middle of a desert]
SUZY: [in voice over] "Meanwhile, on the plains of Tabitha, Francine rested. There would be another time for war."
[cut to a closeup of another book's cover ("The Girl from Jupiter" by Isaac Clarke), then cut to an animated sequence featuring a purple alien with several tentacles protuding from its large face]
SUZY: [in voice over] "'Why are you crying?' said the Hydra Goblin. 'Don't you know? Death is a process. In time, you must learn to choose to accept, in order to accept to choose to learn' ... "
[cut to a young blue-skinned girl standing in front of the creature]
SUZY: [in voice over] "Marney was sick of this gibberish. 'Just get me off this planet once and for all!' she said coldly. 'While I've still got a few friends alive' ... "
[cut back to the alien creature]
SUZY: [in voice over] "The Hyrdra Goblin stroked his brow with the end of a ropy tendril ... 'This girl,' he thought, 'Might just do.'"
[cut back to the librarian speaking directly to the camera]
LIBRARIAN: Alright, let's just go on straight to the next one.
[cut to a closeup of the book's cover ("Disappearance of the 6th Grade" by Burris Burris), then cut to type-written words appearing on a blank page]
SUZY: [in voice over] "The flashlight's beam drew a moon through the black across the attic and settled on a gap in the base-board. A mouse-hole, no bigger than a pocket-watch. Eric crouched on his flat feet and placed his hand in front of the tiny opening. 'It's windy,' he said. 'Like someone in there's blowing on my fingers.'"
[cut to white text on a black background]
SUZY: [in voice over] "Christy rolled her eyes and sighed a sigh. 'He's right again,' she thought. 'Little brothers drive people crazy.'"
[cut to a closeup of another book's cover ("The Light of Seven Matchsticks" by Virginia Tipton), then cut to an animated sequence of a boy and a girl climbing down a rope and onto a ledge]
SUZY: [in voice over] "'But I'm not going,' said Barnaby Jack. 'I'm running away tonight, for good. And this time, I won't get caught.' Annabel whispered, 'I'm coming with you.'"
[cut to a closeup of the girl's hairline]
SUZY: [in voice over] "Her yellow hair, now brown at the roots, caught up in the wind and danced."
[cut to a closeup of the boy reaching into his pocket and taking out a bullet, putting it in the girl's hand]
SUZY: [in voice over] "Barnaby Jack took Annabel's hand and pressed something in to it the size of a jellybean ... 'Hide this in your socks and be ready at midnight.'"
[cut back to the librarian, who holds up another book]
LIBRARIAN: And finally, one last one.
[cut to a closeup of the book's cover ("The Return of Auntie Lorraine" by Miriam Weaver), then cut to an animated sequence of a little girl surrounded by scientific equipment and bunsen burners]
SUZY: [in voice over] "I don't believe in magic. I used to, but once I started taking Introduction to Life Science with Mister Massey, I realized the logical explanation for practically every mystery in the world is even more interesting than a supernatural one ... Auntie Lorraine wouldn't agree. Of course, that's no surprise, because--"
[the girl drinks her concoction from a test tube, then the camera zooms in, as her orange hair turns black with white streaks]
SUZY: [in voice over] "She's a professional witch-hunter."
[cut back to the librarian speaking directly to the camera]
LIBRARIAN: Thanks for joining us, and I hope you enjoyed our little previews ... Our movie, by the way, is coming soon to a theater near you. It's called "Moonrise Kingdom."

---

From cinemablend.com:

Wes Anderson's latest, the love story Moonrise Kingdom, is set in the whimsical world of New Penzance, where khaki scouts led by a dedicated math teacher/scout leader, a local sheriff, and a pair of apoplectic parents set out to find two adolescent lovers who have run away on a romantic adventure in the island's thick forests. In the mix of a heady ensemble that boasts Bill Murray, Bruce Willis, Frances McDormand and Tilda Swinton, it is heralded character actor Bob Balaban who serves as the story's quirky narrator, playing the New Penzance's local historian/weather authority.

His role has expanded into the film's web-based marketing, where he's guided fans through behind-the-scenes featurettes as well as the movie's lovely website. Now in the latest viral offering from Anderson - which he teased last week - we learn Balaban's character is also the local librarian, and so is the perfect person to introduce the film's supplementary animated short, which explores the pilfered library books that young Suzy Bishop brings along on her exploits.

Inspired by the covers of the books - created specifically for the film - and their accompanying captions, this short offers not only an expansion on the world of Moonrise Kingdom but also an added insight into the enigmatic Suzy, who is far more guarded than most movie tweens. Through these fantastical tales of young girls with thirsts for adventure and deep-seated powers, it is far easier to unfold what makes the oft-scowling Suzy tick. And surely it will serve as another tantalizing teaser for those still waiting for Moonrise Kingdom to reach theaters near them.