It’s been almost two years since Jessica Biel’s Hole in the Paper Sky short hit film festivals around the country and I’ve been eager to cry my eyes out check it out for myself. The 30-minute film tells the heartbreaking story of a man whose life becomes changed after meeting a dog involved in laboratory animal testing. Said Biel on her blog, “I hope that animal lovers will be moved by this film as well because it has an animal rights element to it, which I’m a huge advocate for.”

While the soundtrack debuted on iTunes almost a year ago the film has finally appeared as well through their new “Shorts International” section. It’s available for the bargain price of $1.99.

And you really should see it. I downloaded the film last night and thoroughly enjoyed it tears included. The acting is top-notch with the lead actor Jason Clarke convincingly playing an introverted PhD student with very little time for anything but his third doctoral thesis. That is, until a wandering lab dog makes an appearance in his  basement work-study office and changes everything. It’s beautiful and my only gripe with the film is that I felt like the 33 minutes or so it goes on for was too short. The main character and his story are so intriguing, that I feel Paper Sky could almost be adapted into a feature length movie. When the ending does come, it feels a bit rushed almost as if the time restrictions associated with a “short film” weighed against it. But honestly, it’s a beautiful film and well worth the $1.99 admission. Just be sure to invite your dog up on the couch too.