SummaryA boy and his brother don't get along well. In order to let their ill mother rest, they're separated and sent each one with their relatives.
Directed By:Lasse Hallström
Written By:Reidar Jönsson, Lasse Hallström, Brasse Brännström, Per Berglund
My Life as a Dog
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
82
User score
Universal Acclaim
8.3
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
93% Positive
14 Reviews
14 Reviews
7% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
100
The particular genius of My Life As a Dog is its ability to capture the joy, fear and fantasy that make pre-adolescence so beguiling. [18 Sept 1987, p.3D]
100
An exquisite look at childhood, based loosely on Reidar Jonsson's 1983 novel about a rural-provincial 12-year-old equivalent of J.D. Salinger's Holden Caulfield
User score
Universal Acclaim
100% Positive
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
0% Mixed
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
Aug 20, 2022
9
Based on a biographical book, it is a look at the changes from childhood to puberty, with all the difficulties, joys and bittersweet moments typical of the moment. As a curiosity, it is well worth the effort.
Apr 18, 2020
8
My Life as a Dog, a catchy title that obviously inspired the 2016 film, My Life as a Courgette, which is probably my favourite stop-motion animation film, and which also another film that deals with themes of adolescence, and offers a portrait of childhood with its pains and consolations. What makes My Life as a Dog stand out as a coming-of-age story is how its protagonist, Ingemar, ponders over his sorrows, and how he ignores that he is a child in the first place. He desperately tries to find consolation in convincing himself his misfortunes pale in comparison to others', but ends up blaming himself and his childhood naivety. Shorn of its childhood aspect, this is a story about giving in to one's whims; about wasting the best moments of our lives; about feeling regret and guilt; and about how grief can mature us. I admit that the plot is a bit disorganized, there are moments that feel others familiar, and the pacing is a bit clunky. But, besides Cinema Paradiso, I don't think there's any film I've seen so far that gave me such evocative feels. These kind of movies that make you wallow in nostalgia as you watch them, no matter the experiences their characters go through are familiar to you or not. (8.5/10)
90
Witty, touching and perceptive as he contrasts the rural village and its strange but generous-hearted eccentrics with the harsher realities of the city, Hallström makes it a seamless mix of tragedy and humour.
88
My Life as a Dog is sad. And sweet. And sublimely funny. It shouldn't be missed. [11 Feb 1987, p.D8]
75
It's an open, closely observed and nicely detailed film that attains an authenticity beyond the standard social worker formulas. [5 June 1987, p.B]
70
The film rarely strays from easy likability, with Hallstrom's spare, efficient styling creating a sense of chaste northern lyric (simultaneously warm and chilly: everyone wears coats in summer) familiar from early Bergman. More unassuming mongrel than pricey pedigree, but not a bad time in all.
60
The movie has some beautifully observed moments and a generous spirit, but in the end, it's undone by its own sweetness and charm....It's just not distinctive enough to sustain your interest. A lot of the movie is routine coming-of-age stuff.
Production Company:
- Svensk Filmindustri (SF)
- FilmTeknik
Release Date:May 1, 1987
Duration:1 h 41 m
Rating:TV-PG
Tagline:Det kunde ha varit värre. Jag har faktiskt haft tur. Om man jämför...
Awards
Academy Awards, USA
• 2 Nominations
Golden Globes, USA
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Young Artist Awards
• 3 Wins & 3 Nominations
