You Can Now Watch Pixar's Bittersweet 'Bao' Short Online Now

Are you ready to cry? And if you've already seen Pixar's heartwarming story of parental connection, are you ready to cry again? Bao, Pixar's acclaimed animated short that made history for being directed by the studio's first female shorts director, is now available watch online — for one week only. So if you're craving a good cry, or maybe just want to appreciate your parents more, watch Bao now.

Though less than eight minutes long, Bao manages to be a tender, funny, and realistic depiction of mothers suffering from empty-nest syndrome. But most importantly, it gives a peek into the cultural divide between Asian parents and their American-born children.

Directed by Domee Shi, Bao follows a lonely empty-nester mom as she discovers one of her dumplings has come to life. Excited at her adorable creation, the mom eagerly raises the dumpling as her son, only for him to slowly distance himself from her before finally attempting to leave the house — until she eats him. The short was met with reactions of both confusion and praise, most of the confusion predictably coming from white audiences.

To be honest, I've forgotten much of Incredibles 2, but the Bao remains seared onto my mind. The simple and universal story of an aging mom who yearns for the same connection with her son that they shared when he was a child, is heartbreaking. Not to mention the depiction of a cultural division in the Asian-American diaspora — the son who wants to fit in, while the mom wants him to remember his roots.

Here's the official synopsis for Bao:

In "Bao," an aging Chinese mom suffering from empty nest syndrome gets another chance at motherhood when one of her dumplings springs to life as a lively, giggly dumpling boy. Mom excitedly welcomes this new bundle of joy into her life, but Dumpling starts growing up fast, and Mom must come to the bittersweet revelation that nothing stays cute and small forever. This short film from Pixar Animation Studios and director Domee Shi explores the ups and downs of the parent-child relationship through the colorful, rich, and tasty lens of the Chinese immigrant community in Canada.

Pixar released the short to celerate Bao being selected for the Best Animated Short shortlist at the 2019 Academy Awards. But beware: this short is only available online for one week only, until December 27, 2018. We won't know until January 22, 2019 if Bao will make the final cut for Best Animated Short at next year's Oscars, but considering how many tears were shed in response to this movie, I'd say they have a good chance.