History WesternAnimation / ACloseShave

** Shaun, who was also used and menaced by Preston multiple times throughout the short, [[spoiler:does the final kicker on Preston in the end, decking him into his own mincing machine with an anvil.]]

* TheDogBitesBack: With actual dogs, no less. Gromit is first bullied by Preston while he's hanging from his bungee, then he's framed as the sheep rustler and imprisoned. Gromit gets his own back by firing globs of porridge at Preston, hitting him numerous times and then causing him to be sucked into his own machine and shaved. [[spoiler:Due to being a robot, however, Preston is able to break out of the machine.]]

Released in 1995, it won the 1995 UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for Animated Short Film.

* BehindTheBlack: Gromit somehow doesn't manage to notice that his 5000-piece jigsaw puzzle [[spoiler: has a message telling he's going to be rescued that night]] until putting in the ''5000th piece'' and the camera pans down to it. This could be explained by Gromit having the ability to fit the puzzle pieces together without even looking at them properly, in a possible subtle CallBack to the lightning speed with which he was able to fit together toy train-tracks in ''WesternAnimation/TheWrongTrousers''. That said, he was also in too deep a state of depression at the time to even notice until he completed the puzzle.

* EveryoneHasStandards: [[spoiler: Even after everything, Gromit looks a bit sympathetic about the sorry state Preston has been rebuilt as.]]

* RobotDog: [[spoiler:Preston]]

* {{Melodrama}}: The romance between Wallace and Wendolene plays out like a soap opera, especially when she comes to his house and tells him to stay away from her "silly, silly windows" while the music swells and [[UnusuallyUninterestingSight a flock of sheep munch on everything in the background]].

* NoMouth: Gromit

** And later we see [[spoiler:Preston's Mutton-o-Matic]]

* WhamLine
** [[spoiler: "He's malfunctioning!"]]

* DoppelgangerDating: Wendolene looks remarkably like Wallace in a dress and a wig, shares many of his mannerisms, and has a faithful canine companion. She's not an inventor herself, but her father, who abiding by accounts and a photo, was even ''more'' like Wallace, if more competent.

* DoubleTake: Gromit has one in his cell when he finishes putting together the sheep puzzle, then he looks back at the puzzle and sees [[spoiler:a message in the pieces that tells him he's going to be rescued]].

* DoppelgangerDating: Wendolene looks remarkably like Wallace in a dress and a wig, shares many of his mannerisms, and has a faithful canine companion. She's not an inventor herself, but her father, who abiding by accounts and a photo, was even ''more'' like Wallace, if more competent.
* DoubleTake: Preston has a few, notably when he spots Gromit chasing his truck on a sidecar-turned-airplane in the rear-view mirror.
* DragonAscendant: [[spoiler:Wendolene is ''nominally'' in charge of the sheep rustling operation, but Preston is almost literally straining at his leash the entire time, and eventually he decides [[YouHaveOutLivedYourUsefulness he can do the job just fine without her.]]]]

* FaceHeelTurn: According to Wendolene, Preston was once a sweet dog, but he recently turned in a murderous schemer.