Elling (2001)

Director:

Petter Næss

Writers:

Ingvar Ambjørnsen (novel)
Axel Hellstenius (writer)

Release Date:

16 March 2001 (Norway)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

They're packed and ready for the greatest adventure of their lives. All they have to do is get out of the house.

Plot:

When his mother, who has sheltered him his entire 40 years, dies, Elling, a sensitive, would-be poet...

Plot Keywords:

Friendship | Poet | Horny Person | Nervous | Trip

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 13 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Per Christian Ellefsen	...	Elling
Sven Nordin	...	Kjell Bjarne
Marit Pia Jacobsen	...	Reidun Nordsletten
Jørgen Langhelle	...	Frank Åsli
Per Christensen	...	Alfons Jørgensen
Hilde Olausson	...	Gunn
Ola Otnes	...	Hauger
Eli Anne Linnestad	...	Johanne (as Eli-Anne Linnestad)
Cecilie A. Mosli	...	Cecilie Kornes (as Cecilie Mosli)
Joachim Rafaelsen	...	Haakon Willum
Per Gørvell	...	Eriksen (as Per Gørvel)
Knud Dahl	...	Waiter at bar
Knut Haugmark	...	Porter

Also Known As:

Brødre i blodet (Norway) (alternative title)
Me, My Friend and I (International: English title) (festival title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some sexual content.

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

Norway

Language:

Norwegian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Finland:K-11 | France:U | Germany:6 | Norway:11 | Spain:13 | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:12 (canton of the Grisons) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | USA:R | Netherlands:AL | Spain:T | Argentina:Atp | UK:15 | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Oslo, Norway

Company:

Maipo Film- og TV Produksjon

Trivia:

Every scene from Elling's neighborhood were shot around Majorstuen, on Oslo's west side. The locations, such as the grocery store where he hides his poems in packages of sauerkraut, and the diner where they eat dinner are all very real places. Both in name and appearance the shop and diner look exactly the same today.

Quotes:

[Elling is about to order two train tickets to Oslo]
Train ticket salesman: Yes?
Elling: Yes!
Train ticket salesman: You're going to?
Elling: Yes, we! Kjell Bjarne and I are going to Oslo of course.
Train ticket salesman: One way?
Elling: There are more ways?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Holiday (2006)

Norwegian responding to what Anders Rais from Argentina wrote

I just wanted to make a comment on what Andres Rais wrote on the 30th of April 2004.

I am from Norway, currently studying in London, and it made me really sad to read Andres' opinion. I do not mind that he didn't like the film, but I was shocked by how defiant he was to believe that Norway is like what is depicted in the film. He said that he could not believe Norway was a country where you could just walk so freely from place to place, that people helped each other out and so on. He also thought it was strange that there were no burglars or rapists in Elling. The truth of the matter is that Norway is a safer country than other countries. I've noticed that clearly in my studies, meeting British people who are unnerved just because I go by myself in the evening, to the supermarket, or back to the flat after clubbing. Norway has a very small population, only about 4,6 million people. - I am not used to this paranoia! But OF COURSE we have burglars and rapists in Norway, all countries do. Does that mean that we have to be reminded of that fact in every film we see. We have the news and the papers for that.

I really sympathize with Andres, life has obviously not been easy for him. How else would you get such a cynical view of the world. This film was not used as government-propaganda, it was a film based on a series of books that are deeply loved in Norway! Simple as that.