Introducing Ray and Retirement Plan
Meet Ray, the anxious, wry everyman at the centre of Retirement Plan, an animated short film portraying a middle-aged Dubliner who lists all the things he intends to do when he retires, only to discover how easily life’s plans can be deferred.
Over the course of seven minutes, Ray vows to get a dog, master juggling, and bring order to his files, wardrobe, and cupboards.
What he did not anticipate was that he might also need to make room for a collection of film awards.
Voiced by Domhnall Gleeson and directed by John Kelly, the film is nominated for Best Animated Short Film at the 98th Academy Awards, which will be held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Sunday.
Following a remarkable run at more than 70 festivals and a series of awards, Ray and Retirement Plan are now contenders for the most prestigious prize in film.
Concept and Creation
Described as a touching, comedic short that unfolds like a meditative stream of possibilities—each one something Ray yearns to experience as he confronts the reality of his own mortality—Retirement Plan is closely connected to its creator, John Kelly, who said the initial idea was one he "just couldn't shake off."
"It wouldn't let go of me," Kelly said.
"I put it in a little video presentation…just to try and make sense of it with some music and references. And then I sent that to my friend Tara [Lawall], who's a writer, and said: 'Do you think about any of these things?'
"And she said: 'I think about these things every moment of every day'. And so she was the perfect kind of person to collaborate with."
Kelly began drawing comics as a teenager and had an early break when Hollywood producer Bruce Gilbert, known for his work with Jane Fonda, discovered his work online and acquired the rights to a comic he had created with his brother about a crime-fighting leprechaun.
Although that project never advanced, it convinced Kelly that a career in the arts was possible.
"It was encouraging, the idea that you put your work out there and then someone will connect to it, no matter how weird it is," he said of the experience.
He subsequently worked in graphic design before transitioning to animation, completing a master's degree at the Royal College of Art in London.
Kelly has since built a career making short films alongside commercial, music-video, and freelance animation work.
The film received support from Screen Ireland and RTÉ.
Production and Collaboration
Kelly said that backing from Screen Ireland and RTÉ gave the project a real sense of "legitimacy"—enough to encourage him to approach actor Domhnall Gleeson, known for his roles in the Harry Potter and Star Wars franchises.
He had heard Gleeson mention on a podcast that he was interested in taking on lighter roles, a moment Kelly decided to seize.
"Domhnall obviously brings so much to it and really helped us get the film out there as well, not just his stature but his performance as well, [he's] so good in it… I just saw my moment and swooped," Kelly said.
The production of Retirement Plan progressed rapidly, according to Kelly, taking about nine months from green light to delivery, with roughly four months dedicated to animation work by Marah Curran and Eamonn O'Neill.
That pace is unusually fast for animation, Kelly noted, as much of his previous work involved stop-motion and puppetry, techniques that require larger teams and more time.
With animation offering limitless possibilities, Kelly felt it was important to resist the temptation to add flourishes, instead opting for a stripped-back visual style focusing on subtle movements and lighting.
"I felt like the film would have a little bit more relatability and feel a bit more real if we just kept things grounded… There's no crazy moves," he explained.
"It's lots of little, quiet, introspective moments. There's a bit where we had one line, which is, 'I will cry more and I will cry less'.
"I thought, what if he is at the funeral of maybe his 10th friend that's died because he's getting really old and he's become deadened… emotionally numb.
"We were coming to animate that, it's literally just an open casket and he's standing beside it and…so does he lift his hand up and put his hand on the casket?
"In the end we decide, no, he's just going to stand completely still, and he's just standing there looking at it."
Setting and Authenticity
The decision to set the film in Dublin stemmed from the same instinct and helped provide authenticity, according to Kelly.
Initially, Kelly considered situating the story in the United States, drawing on American films he admires, but quickly realised he could not justify it.
"He goes to the Forty Foot, he goes to a coffee shop I go to, he lives in a kind of standard suburban house and goes to standard pubs," he said.
"If you didn't know it, it might not scream in your face, 'Dublin', but I think if you do, if you are familiar with Ireland, you recognise things… there's just certain little touches that make it connect on a subconscious level."
Festival Success and Oscar Nomination
After premiering in Galway, the film won the Grand Jury Award and Audience Award for Animated Short at SXSW, followed by Best of the Festival at Palm Springs Shortfest and Best Animated Short at the Bali International Film Festival—momentum that has carried it to this weekend's Oscars.
"It's very surreal," Kelly said of the nomination. "The whole thing's a bit mad… but I'm enjoying it."
As the film has travelled, Ray has travelled with it—at least in spirit. Kelly has been "sending" the character to festivals through tongue-in-cheek postcards and social-media posts.
"If the film goes to Nashville and I can't, I'll just send him instead," Kelly said.
Ray himself is less impressed by the attention.
"Sometimes he wasn't having the best time… He's a bit socially awkward and doesn't handle the heat well. If you look closely, he's not exactly having the time of his life.
"And he's getting older, that's the other thing."
