My Dog Tulip
Metascore
80 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 19 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 19
  3. Negative: 0 out of 19
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  1. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    Jan 15, 2011
    100
    It is told from and by an adult sensibility that understands loneliness, gratitude and the intense curiosity we feel for other lives, man and beast.
  2. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Michael Phillips
    Jan 15, 2011
    100
    Extremely moving, exceedingly droll, flawlessly voice-acted.
  3. Movieline
    Reviewed by: Stephanie Zacharek
    Jan 15, 2011
    95
    An adaptation that wholly and faithfully captures the spirit and mood of the book it's based on, and an example of computer animation - the 2-D sort - that shows the human touch in every frame.
  4. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Stephen Holden
    Jan 15, 2011
    90
    One of the most sophisticated dog movies ever created.
  5. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Melissa Anderson
    Jan 15, 2011
    90
    His gift-and the film's-is to transform the seemingly banal relationship between pet and owner into something singular, inimitable, sacred.
  6. St. Louis Post-Dispatch
    Reviewed by: Joe Williams
    Feb 3, 2011
    88
    You might expect a cartoon about a man and his dog to be strictly for kids, but My Dog Tulip, based on a memoir by J.R. Ackerley, has a psychological richness and anatomical explicitness that is very grown-up.
  7. Philadelphia Inquirer
    Reviewed by: Steven Rea
    Jan 15, 2011
    88
    OK, first off, anyone who shares his or her life with a dog, or has done so in the past, go see My Dog Tulip.
  8. Empire
    Reviewed by: Kim Newman
    May 2, 2011
    80
    A delightful animation for adults, its lack of sentiment makes it an anti-Marley.
  9. Time Out New York
    Reviewed by: Lisa Rosmon
    Jan 15, 2011
    80
    Never saccharine, My Dog Tulip does justice to the rare experience of heartfelt, mutual love in any form
  10. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Kenneth Turan
    Jan 15, 2011
    80
    My Dog Tulip is as disconcerting and unusual a piece of animation as the 1956 memoir that inspired it, and that is saying a lot.
  11. Wall Street Journal
    Reviewed by: Joe Morgenstern
    Jan 15, 2011
    80
    Words of wisdom keep popping up in My Dog Tulip with gratifying regularity. They're more likely to gratify dog lovers than anyone else, but that's a large group to which I belong.
  12. Miami Herald
    Reviewed by: Rene Rodriguez
    Feb 5, 2011
    75
    A beautifully illustrated love letter to dogs and the people who own them.
  13. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Lou Lumenick
    Jan 15, 2011
    75
    Dryly funny, adult-oriented animation -- hand-drawn on computers in a simple but captivating style by the husband-and-wife team.
  14. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Wesley Morris
    Jan 15, 2011
    75
    Many of the backgrounds look like watercolors that are either drying or dying.
  15. Orlando Sentinel
    Reviewed by: Roger Moore
    Jan 15, 2011
    75
    A wonderful movie anyone who's ever experienced dog ownership at its most glorious, and most embarrassing.
  16. Variety
    Reviewed by: Justin Chang
    Jan 15, 2011
    70
    Charming if not especially kid-friendly toon.
  17. New Orleans Times-Picayune
    Reviewed by: Mike Scott
    Mar 11, 2011
    63
    This is a film custom-made for dog lovers.
  18. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Michael O'Sullivan
    Jan 15, 2011
    50
    It's hard not to feel a certain affection for a tale that is so unapologetic about just that: affection.
  19. Boxoffice Magazine
    Reviewed by: Barbara Goslawski
    Jan 15, 2011
    40
    It's a simple story that gets the gentle nudge it needs to reveal its greater purpose. Probably too subtle for most tastes, the novel's reputation and its unique idea should draw people to cinemas.

User Reviews

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User Score
6.7 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 14 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 3
  3. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. RobinsNest
    5
    This film gets my "U" (unratable) rating which I translate to a 5 here. It would make a good audio book with the wonderful narration by Mr Plummer; the prose would conjure up images as I listened. The animation is not meant to compete with the current CG technology, it supposed to be well, like a book, as you listen and turn the pages. It seems well-written, but more so then for the average reader (like me). About half-way through there was nothing to be seen, just a "nice" story. So I stopped it and maybe I'll listen if the audio book comes out.… Full Review »
  2. gamerscorhunta
    10
    It was late at night. The only light was from the TV and the reflection of our eyes; mine and Izzy, my two-year old female German shepherd. I watched "My Dog Tulip" for the entire night, and after the credits rolled, I was emotionally stricken by the movie. I just cuddled up next to my dog, turned off the Tv, and went to bed. This is how a dog movie should be like, striking every emotional note right where a man and his dog begin an unforgettable bond together. This is not only the most accomplished man's best friend movie in our generation, this is one of the most accomplished animated movies in the history of film making.… Full Review »
  3. plastichumour
    8
    It displays a story, which every dog lover should be able to relate too. It tells the story of how an old and lonely man's search for a true and idealised friend could be found in the ever present loyalty and love of a dog.… Full Review »
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