In Pixar’s short “Float,” the father puts rocks in his son’s backpack to weigh him down.
The boy, Alex, can mysteriously float, and his father initially tries to conceal this unusual ability from the neighbors. During a walk, he keeps Alex attached to a lead and adds rocks to the backpack so that the child will stay on the ground.
“Float” is a 2019 Pixar SparkShort written and directed by Bobby Rubio. Its fantasy premise functions as a metaphor for autism and the fear that a child who seems different will be judged by society. Rubio has said the film was inspired by his autistic son and by his own experience as a parent.
A common mix-up is remembering the backpack as containing another heavy material, such as books or sand. The film specifically shows rocks. Its emotional turning point comes when the father stops trying to suppress Alex’s difference and encourages him to float freely.