My Life as a Zucchini (2016)

After losing his mother, a young boy is sent to a foster home with other orphans his age where he begins to learn the meaning of trust and true love.

Director:

Claude Barras

Writers:

Céline Sciamma (screenplay writer), Germano Zullo (contributing writer)

Stars:

Gaspard Schlatter, Sixtine Murat, Paulin Jaccoud

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 21 wins & 20 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gaspard Schlatter	...	Courgette (voice)
Sixtine Murat	...	Camille (voice)
Paulin Jaccoud	...	Simon (voice)
Michel Vuillermoz	...	Raymond (voice)
Raul Ribera	...	Ahmed (voice)
Estelle Hennard	...	Alice (voice)
Elliot Sanchez	...	Jujube (voice)
Lou Wick	...	Béatrice (voice)
Brigitte Rosset	...	Tante Ida (voice)
Natacha Koutchoumov	...	Courgette's Mother (voice) (as Natacha Varga-Koutchoumov)
Monica Budde	...	Mme Papineau (voice)
Adrien Barazzone	...	Mr. Paul (voice)
Véronique Montel	...	Rosy (voice)
Romane Cretegny	...	Fillette (voice)
Evelyne Bouvier	...	Maman de la fillette (voice)

Storyline

Courgette (Zucchini) is an intriguing nickname for a 9-year-old boy. Although his unique story is surprisingly universal. After his mother's disappearance, Courgette is befriended by a police officer Raymond, who accompanies him to his new foster home filled with other orphans his age. At first he struggles to find his place in this strange, at times, hostile environment. Yet with Raymond's help and his new-found friends, Courgette eventually learns to trust and might find true love.

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Plot Keywords:

mother accidentally killed by son | foster | foster home | adult animation | orphanage | 

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Genres:

Animation | Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements and suggestive material

Details

Official Sites:

GKIDS [United States] Indie Sales [France]

Country:

Switzerland France

Language:

French English

Release Date:

24 February 2017 (USA)

Also Known As:

My Life as a Zucchini

Filming Locations:

Rhône-Alpes Studios, Lyon, France

Box Office

Budget:

€6,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$28,472, 26 February 2017, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$292,279, 7 April 2017

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$219,663, 19 March 2017

Company Credits

Production Co:

Rita Productions,Blue Spirit Animation,Gébéka Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

66 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Wilhelm scream: when one of the kids falls off his sled after being hit by a snowball.

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Quotes

Raymond: Your mum is no longer there, Icare.
Courgette: My name is Courgette!
Raymond: Courgette... Did your mum call you that? Hm. My name is Raymond.
Courgette: Did your mum call you that?

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Crazy Credits

About halfway through the credits, we see an animated sequence based, apparently, on the lead actor's audition tape.

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Connections

Version of C'est mieux la vie quand on est grand (2008)

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Soundtracks

Eisbär
Written by Martin Eicher
Performed by Grauzone

User Reviews

touching characters

Icare or as he prefers, Zucchini, lives with his drunken single mother. He accidentally kills his mom and is sent to a children's home. Police officer Raymond befriends him. Simon bullies him but becomes a good friend. New girl Camille arrives and he falls for her.

This is an European stop-motion animated film. It has an unusual intriguing look. The character designs have a beautiful ugliness. My only drawback is its shorter running time. There is something odd about this inbetween length and leaves me missing something. I do like Simon's turn especially. Initially, he is a full-on bully but he turns into one of the most compelling character in the movie. The story has some real heart. This is an Oscar nominated animation.