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My Life as a Dog (1985)
"Mitt liv som hund" (original title)

 -  Drama | Comedy  -  24 March 1987 (USA)
7.6
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Ratings: 7.6/10 from 10,500 users  
Reviews: 55 user | 38 critic

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.

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Title: My Life as a Dog (1985)

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Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 15 wins & 2 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
Tomas von Brömssen ...
morbror Gunnar
Anki Lidén ...
Ingemars mamma (as Anki Liden)
...
Saga
Kicki Rundgren ...
moster Ulla
Lennart Hjulström ...
konstnären
Ing-Marie Carlsson ...
Berit
Leif Ericson ...
farbror Sandberg (as Leif Ericsson)
Christina Carlwind ...
Fru sandberg
Ralph Carlsson ...
Harry
Viveca Dahlén ...
tvättande kvinna
Arnold Alfredsson ...
Mannes farfar (as Arnold Alfredson)
Fritz Elofsson ...
Mäster
Didrik Gustafsson ...
Arvidsson, dying old man befriended by Ingmar (as Didrik Gustavsson)
...
Manne, the boy with green hair
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Storyline

Ingemar lives with his brother and his terminally ill mother. He may have a rough time, but not as bad as Laika - the russian dog sent into space... He gets sent away to stay with relations for the summer. While there, he meets various strange characters, giving him experiences that will affect him for the rest of his life. Written by Colin Tinto <cst@imdb.com>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

boy | dog | soccer | small town | old man | See more »

Taglines:

Det kunde ha varit värre. Jag har faktiskt haft tur. Om man jämför...

Genres:

Drama | Comedy

Certificate:

Unrated | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

24 March 1987 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

My Life as a Dog  »

Box Office

Gross:

$8,345,266 (USA)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

(Fujicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Goofs

Modern cars are visible during the car journey from the hospital. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Ingemar: I should have told her everything. Mom loved stories like that. It's not so bad if you think about it. It could have been worse. Just think how that poor guy ended up who got a new kidney in Boston. He got his name in all the papers, but he died just the same. And what about Laika, the space dog? They put her in the Sputnik and sent her into space. They attached wires to her heart and brain to see how she felt. I don't think she felt to good. She spun around up there for five ...
See more »

Connections

Features Double or Nothing (1952) See more »

Soundtracks

"Far, jag kan inte få upp min kokosnöt"
(original song title "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts")
Written by Fred Heatherton (joint pseudonym of Elton Box, Desmond Cox and Irwin Dash)
Lyrics by Povel Ramel
Performed by Povel Ramel
See more »

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User Reviews

 
A really great coming of age film
18 November 2004 | by (United States) – See all my reviews

In 1950s Sweden a 12 year old boy Ingemar (Anton Glanzelius) is sent to live with relatives. His father is away and his mother is slowly dying of some unnamed disease (I think it's tuberculosis) and can't handle him (he's VERY mischievous and always getting in trouble). With his relatives he grows up and learns how to deal with life, love, feelings of abandonment, sex etc etc.

Sounds pretty obvious but it isn't. This film is beautifully directed by Lasse Hallstrom and perfectly captures what it's like to be a young boy growing up. That it takes place in 1950s Sweden makes no difference--all young boys go through the feelings and emotions shown in this movie. Some posters have complained about a (brief) instance of a topless young girl. Well--like it or not, kids that age DO think about sex and do "explore" their feelings with other kids. I actually think it's great that this film didn't shy away from that subject. Glanzelius is just great in the role and has a VERY expressive face (some of the looks he gives are fascinating and hilarious too). An excellent film.

This was a surprise hit in the US in 1985. It was so big Glanzelius actually toured the country with his parents to promote the movie. I remember seeing it in 1985 and loving it--it still holds up. A must-see.


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