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 23 wins & 22 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:

loneliness | orphan | orphanage | foster | foster home | 

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Genres:

Animation | Comedy | Drama | Family

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements and suggestive material

Did You Know?

Trivia

Official submission of Switzerland for the 'Best Foreign Language Film' category of the 89th Academy Awards in 2017.

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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

Referenced in AniMat's Crazy Cartoon Cast: And The Nominees Are... (2018)

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Soundtracks

Salut à toi
Written by Fanfan & Loran
Performed by Bérurier Noir

User Reviews

A tender, affecting little film

"My Life as a Courgette" is such a simple story and simplicity really is the film's greatest strength. There is no flamboyant animation, no huge narrative arc, no gargantuan obstacles to somersault over, no chaotic chase sequences, no loud, yappy dialogue...basically nothing like what you might expect if this same story was told by an American studio.

At 66 mins, it's short and to the point, quiet, contemplative and starkly sad, yet filled with uplifting moments of hope and tenderness, which it conveys without ever feeling contrived or overly- sentimental.

The young French voice cast are terrific (I do hope anyone reading this review watches the French version and not the American dub). They do well to convey the vulnerability behind the broken characters. That, and I think some of the lines just sound so much better in French - the way the brattish Simon spits out the word "potet" was particularly amusing to me.

The animation is rather basic and the character's faces are not hugely expressive, but enough emotion is conveyed through body posing, vocal performance and composition that you would need a heart of stone not to feel for the young gang of misfits.

By the time the bitter-sweet end credits song kicked in, I was noticing a little moisture in the corner of my eye. Not sure the kids in the audience enjoyed it as much as I did though....which is an important point really. This film is NOT intended for young children. It deals with adult themes like death, neglect and abuse, in a very delicate way mind, but still, it's not something that's going to entertain the 'fidget spinner' generation.

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:

EUR6,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$31,853, 26 February 2017

Gross USA:

$309,766

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,873,256

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