X
- 1987
- Unrated
- Skouras Pictures
- 1 h 41 m
- 1987
- Unrated
- Skouras Pictures
- 1 h 41 m
Summary A 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
- 1987
- Unrated
- Skouras Pictures
- 1 h 41 m
- 1987
- Unrated
- Skouras Pictures
- 1 h 41 m
My Life as a Dog
8.1
Where to Watch
Summary A 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
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 15 Critic Reviews
82
93% Positive
14 Reviews
14 Reviews
7% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 15 Critic Reviews
82
93% Positive
14 Reviews
14 Reviews
7% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
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]
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
Based on 8 User Ratings
8.1
100% Positive
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
0% Mixed
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 8 User Ratings
8.1
100% Positive
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
0% Mixed
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.
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.
My Life as a Dog is sad. And sweet. And sublimely funny. It shouldn't be missed. [11 Feb 1987, p.D8]
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]
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.
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.
Awards
Academy Awards, USA
• 2 Nominations
Golden Globes, USA
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Young Artist Awards
• 3 Wins & 3 Nominations
