My Life As A Dog - quirky and moving

Last night I had the opportunity to watch My Life As A Dog (1985), a great Swedish movie I saw way back when. I remembered it as a touching film about a young boy having to move to the country and something to do with a barn. I had a warm feeling when remembering this film so I looked forward to seeing it again.

I'm happy to say the movie is just as good as I remember it. There are a ton of themes at work in this movie, such as young adolesence, the need to belong, the kindness of people and hope in the face of death. The movie focuses on a young rambuctious boy named Ingmar who is too much for his dying mother to handle. She sends him off to her brother who lives in the country. There Ingmar meets a town of oddball characters where his youthful energy fits in.

In the late 80's, there seemed to develop this magical place in movies where eccentric but friendly people would live in a town together. They had their odd but forgiveable quirks and would bond together as a dream like town should. My Life As A Dog fits perfectly in that scene of places that would see it's height with Northern Exposure.

The warmth, humor and humanistic view brought across by director Lasse Halstrom is affecting and moving. Halstrom has made other movies with similar tone, such as What's Eating Gilbert Grape? (1993) or The Cider House Rules (1999). Though those movies were also well made and shared similar traits, neither are quite as good as My Life As A Dog. Arf Arf!