All the Little Animals (1998)

Bobby Platt is a mentally slow young man who escapes an abusive, hateful stepfather who has killed his pets one by one. To save himself, Bobby runs away and meets a strange old man who ... See full summary »

Director:

Jeremy Thomas

Writers:

Eski Thomas (screenplay), Walker Hamilton (book)

Stars:

John Hurt, Christian Bale, Daniel Benzali

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Hurt	...	Mr. Summers
Christian Bale	...	Bobby Platt
Daniel Benzali	...	Bernard 'The Fat' De Winter
James Faulkner	...	Mr. Stuart Whiteside
John O'Toole	...	Lorry Driver
Amanda Boyle	...	Des
Amy Robbins	...	Valerie Ann Platt, Bobby's Mother
John Higgins	...	Dean
Kaye Griffiths	...	Lepidopterist
Sevilla Delofski	...	Janet, De Winter's Secretary
Helen Kluger	...	Icecream Vendor
Shane Barks	...	Young Bobby
Sjoerd Broeks	...	Mark
Elizabeth Earl	...	Child in Van
Andrew Dixon	...	Philip

Storyline

Bobby Platt is a mentally slow young man who escapes an abusive, hateful stepfather who has killed his pets one by one. To save himself, Bobby runs away and meets a strange old man who wanders the highways to bury roadkill animals. Bobby becomes the old man's apprentice and learns to see the world of nature in a strange idyllic way. But soon the shadow of his stepfather catches up to him and Bobby's world explodes into a grotesque nightmare.

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Plot Keywords:

animal | roadkill | pet | nature | escape | 

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Taglines:

Of All the Animals, The Cruelest is Man.

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some violence

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 July 1999 (UK)

Also Known As:

Biedne zwierzaki

Filming Locations:

Cornwall, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

£3,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$11,888 (USA) (3 September 1999)

Gross:

$23,349 (USA) (10 September 1999)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Recorded Picture Company (RPC), BBC Films, British Screen Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

Bobby jumps out of the lorry as it swerves off the road. As we see the crash from another angle, the passenger door is shut and there is no sign of Bobby on the ground.

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Quotes

Bobby Platt: I love animals!

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Connections

References Watership Down (1978)

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Soundtracks

"The Sound of Someone You Love"
A Composition from The Penguin Cafe
Written by Simon Jeffes
Performed by Geoffrey Richardson, Ian Maidman and Steve Fletcher

User Reviews

A character study of good and evil.........

Some people need total control of everything and everyone in their lives. When they fail to enforce their will, these individuals lash out in anger, torment, or aggression. "The Fat" could be the poster child for such outrageous behavior. Daniel Benzali has played the heavy many times before (see "Suckers"), but his performance in "All the Little Animals" is pure evil, and reason alone to seek this film out. John Hurt and Christian Bale give fine performances, but it is Benzali who makes the movie memorable. The film is highly original, deliberately paced, and the ending is extremely satisfying. Highly recommended. - MERK