Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey
Categories: Christmas Reviews, Featured, TV Reviews
Written By: Eric Jensen
Rating: 
Here’s how I imagine the creative process that led to Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey.
“Hey, remember that Rudolph thing? People love it! We should do that but with, I don’t know, a donkey.”
“A red-nosed donkey?”
“That’s a little on the nose, don’t you think?”
“Haw haw!”
“No, we need something else, something like…”
“Long ears?”
“Perfect!”
“But how does that help Santa? I guess if he flapped his ears he could help with the flying sleigh.”
“No, no, no good. Santa’s sleigh isn’t pulled by donkeys, people won’t stand for it. We need someone Christmasey who could use a donkey.”
“…Jesus?”
“Beautiful! I think somebody’s earned himself Chinese takeout for lunch.”
Yes, this 1977 Rankin-Bass special is another story of a cute little animal with a physical deformity, in this case long ears. And I mean comically long. Long enough for Nestor, at one point, to ski down a hill on them. Because nobody wants to use this long-eared weirdo to do the usual donkey stuff, all of the other donkeys laugh and call him names. His human owner laughs at him, too. At every turn, Nestor is thoroughly shat upon.
Of course, I imagine everything around him is thoroughly shat upon, too. He does live in a barn.
Eventually his cruel human master gets tired of Nestor being good-for-nothing and throws him out into the snowy night. His mother follows to keep him safe, and in sheltering him from the storm with her body, ends up dead and buried under a pile of snow.
Now that’s what I call Christmas cheer!
Nestor wanders alone until he meets up with a Cherub, who explains to him that his mother’s brave sacrifice was for a reason, so he should keep his chin up and head toward—get ready—Bethlehem. There’ll be important work for him on the road to Bethlehem, so off he goes.
Eventually, circumstances are such that Nestor is claimed by a young couple heading into Bethlehem for a census (remember this?). The wife is heavy with child and needs a donkey to ride the rest of the way to Bethelehem. Nestor is happy to oblige.
LOOK OUT FOR THE SANDSTORM! Oh no, guys, a huge wind kicks up and blows sand everywhere, blocking everyone’s vision so they can no longers see the star that guides them into Bethlehem. It seems they’ll be lost forever in the desert. If only there were some sensory organ other than eyes that someone in their party might use!
Did you guess it? Nestor’s super ears, “as sensitive as they are long,” are able to hear the voices of a choir of angels guiding them the rest of the way into Bethlehem. They reach town safely—and when they find the inns full, it’s Nestor’s bright idea that they stay in a stable—and Mary and Joseph keep their appointment with religious destiny. Huzzah for the donkey!
Sure, it all seems a little familiar, but it’s cute and fun (except for, you know, the part where Nestor’s mom freezes to death). Roger “King of the Road” Miller narrates and sings almost constant songs, so if you like Roger Miller—and lordy, do I ever—you’ll probably like this.
The stop motion animation is smoother and more refined than in the earlier, 1960s specials and all the animal characters are cute as a bug’s ear. Plus the whole thing just flies by. The cartoon’s barely started and before you know it it’s done (though even at 25 minutes, it’s still padded out with some snippets of reused footage from The Year Without a Santa Claus and Rudolph’s Shiny New Year).
I’m fairly sure this special gets an annual showing on one cable channel or another. I recommend it as a fun enough way to spend half an hour.
NOTE: I think it’s important to point out that I made it through this entire review without once succumbing to the temptation to use the term “donkey show.”
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