My Life as a Dog

Composite Score: 85.83

Starring: Anton Glanzelius, Tomas von Brömsson, Anki Lidén, Melinda Kinnaman, Kicki Rundgren, Lennart Hjulström, Ing-Marie Carlsson, Ralph Carlsson, and Didrik Gustafsson

Director: Lasse Hallström

Writers: Lasse Hallström, Reidar Jönsson, Brasse Brännström, and Per Berglund

Genres: Drama, Comedy, Coming of Age

MPAA Rating: Unrated

Box Office: $8.35 million worldwide

Why should you Watch This Film?

                My Life as a Dog is Lasse Halström’s film adaptation of Reidar Jönsson’s novel of the same name, the second in a semi-autobiographical trilogy, this one focusing on a boy who goes to live with his aunt and uncle when his mother’s sickness becomes increasingly debilitating. The film stars Anton Glanzelius as our protagonist and narrator Ingemar, joined by Anki Linden as his mother, Tomas von Brömsson as his Uncle Gunnar, Kicki Rundgren as his Aunt Ulla, Ing-Marie Carlsson as the lovely Berit, and Melinda Kinnaman as the tomboy Saga. Ingemar’s ruminations on those lives that are worse than his own combined with his experiences living in the eccentric town that his uncle calls home make this a truly unique coming-of-age film and one that is sure to charm any audience. It received Oscar nominations for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay and won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film.

Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?

                There’s really not much to quibble with in My Life as a Dog. Perhaps its biggest “flaw” is its simplicity and sweetness. The film does end up being a feel-good, slice of life story about a boy growing up with the healthy support of a town full of adults and making friends among people just as unique as him. The toughest parts of the film are when Ingemar is living with his mother and brother and his oddness causes conflict with his brother, which then leads to some painful outbursts from his mother. For people who didn’t grow up with the most stable of home lives, I can see how those scenes could be difficult to watch. Otherwise, the film doesn’t really have much conflict to speak of so much as it’s a series of episodes in Ingemar’s development from child into adolescent.

So wait, why should you Watch This Film?

                My Life as a Dog is one of the most well-put-together coming-of-age films of all time. It utilizes some phenomenal performances from its young actors, particularly Glanzelius and Kinnaman, and a collection of unique adult characters to craft a film that addresses so many aspects of growing up, facing tragedy, and fitting in. Between his voiceovers and his wildly expressive performance on the screen, Anton Glanzelius as Ingemar should immediately shoot to the top of everyone’s list of best child performances. He plays Ingemar with this characterization that should feel like an annoying, uncontrolled kid but that comes across as simply right. It’s hard to say how exactly he accomplishes making a child with poor impulse control into seemingly the most sane and empathetic character on-screen at all times, but it’s a testament to him and to the story that Hallström and company craft around him that the audience is left loving him and his life just as much as he does by the credits. So much of his story could feel mundane or odd, depending on the characters involved, but it all ends up just feeling like life, presented honestly and without apology, and that’s ultimately what makes this film so great. Every scene appeals to a sense of memory – not nostalgia – of childhood friends, first loves, adults that talked to us, the pets we loved, the people we lost, and it’s brilliant and a must-watch film.

                My Life as a Dog has some of the best characters, performances, and scenes of any coming-of-age film, winning over the audience in its universality despite the seeming uniqueness of its situations, which earns it a guaranteed spot among the Greatest Films of All Time. Some of Ingemar’s hardest moments can also be difficult for some audiences, but those who stick with him will be rewarded with a delightful tale of resilience. You can currently stream this film on Max if you’d like to watch it in the coming days.