Emil i Lönneberga (1971)

An 8 y.o. Swedish boy always gets into trouble despite good intentions and afterwards ends locked up in a shed. He lives on a farm (before electricity and cars) with his mom, dad, sister, maid, best friend the farmhand and an old woman.

Director:

Olle Hellbom

Writers:

Astrid Lindgren (novels), Astrid Lindgren (screenplay)

Stars:

Jan Ohlsson, Lena Wisborg, Allan Edwall

Cast

Cast overview:
Jan Ohlsson	...	Emil
Lena Wisborg	...	Ida
Allan Edwall	...	Anton - Emils pappa
Emy Storm	...	Alma - Emils mamma
Björn Gustafson	...	Drängen Alfred
Maud Hansson	...	Pigan Lina
Carsta Löck	...	Krösa-Maja
Ellen Widmann	...	Kommandoran
Hannelore Schroth	...	Fru Petrell
Paul Esser	...	Doktorn
Georg Årlin	...	Prästen
Gus Dahlström	...	Stolle-Jocke
Mimi Pollak	...	Lillklossan
Hildur Lindberg	...	Vibergskan

Storyline

Emil Svensson lives with his mother and father, little sister Ida, farmhand Alfred, and maid Lina on a picturesque farm in Småland. He is an unusually lively little boy, who just can't resist trying out every whim that enters into his white-haired head. Always with the best intentions in mind, because he is a good-hearted child, but often with catastrophic results, especially for his short-tempered father. As a result, Emil spends a lot of quality time in the wood shed carving wood figurines and waiting for Anton's temper to cool down. And the father's patience is certainly tried, as Emil gets his head stuck in the family's only soup bowl, hoists little Ida up the flag pole, and arranges a lavish christmas party for the poor.

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Plot Keywords:

woods | maid | christmas | farm | boy | 

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Taglines:

Världens bästa svenska barnfilm!

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Genres:

Drama | Family

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Details

Country:

Sweden West Germany

Language:

Swedish German

Release Date:

4 December 1971 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

Emil in Lonneberga

Filming Locations:

Lönneberga, Kalmar län, Sweden

Company Credits

Production Co:

Stella Film, Svensk Filmindustri (SF)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Connections

Edited into Emil i Lönneberga (1974)

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Soundtracks

I DALEN DÄR SOM DE STÄMT MÖTE
Traditional

User Reviews

This movie is really good

Emil i Lönneberga is a series of children's novels by Astrid Lindgren, covering 12 books written from 1963 to 1997. Emil, the title character, is a prankster who lives on a farm in the district of Lönneberga (Swedish lönnar: maple; berg: hill, mountain), in Småland, Sweden.

5-year-old Emil Svensson lives with his family on a farm called Katthult. He has got fair hair and blue eyes and looks like an angel, but is not, as he also has a prodigious knack for getting into trouble. Emil is not malicious, but does not think about the consequences of his actions. For example, he gives away food - which is meant to be dinner for relatives who will soon come to visit the family - to the poor because in his view they need it more. Every time Emil plays a "prank", he escapes his father by locking himself in a tool shed. This is not a severe punishment for Emil, who likes sitting in the shed and takes to carving a wooden figure during each of his stays. He eventually accumulates 369 of them, save for the one his mother buries because she claims it looks too much like the rural dean.

His parents are Anton and Alma Svensson, Ida is Emil's little sister - a very well-behaved child, unlike him. She has tried to pull pranks like her brother since she wanted to go to the shed, which she thinks is cozy, but she failed. His father, in particular, is often angry with his son, though it has been seen many times he still likes him a lot when he does not make pranks. His mother, however, adores her boy and tends to say, "Emil is a nice little boy, and we love him just the way he is." She also writes down every bad thing Emil does, in a blue book, although, that blue book expands to several blue books. Alfred is the family's farmhand, and Lina is their maid. Alfred, who is very fond of children, is Emil's best friend, whereas Lina dislikes the boy. She is in love with Alfred and pesters him with her wish to marry him, a subject which Alfred tends to avoid.

Emil's father is portrayed as a very typical inhabitant of Småland - for example, he does not like spending money. In Sweden, this is regarded to be characteristic of people from Småland. Church is very important, and the priest is a regular visitor. Alcohol and swearing are strictly forbidden in the Svenssons' house. The books give a vivid impression of Swedish farmers' daily life in the beginning of the 20th century.