Mitt liv som hund (1985)

Director:

Lasse Hallström

Writers:

Reidar Jönsson (novel)
Lasse Hallström (writer) ...
(more)

Release Date:

24 March 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Comedy

Tagline:

Det kunde ha varit värre. Jag har faktiskt haft tur. Om man jämför...

Plot:

A boy and his brother don't get along well. In order to let her ill mother rest, they're separated and sent each one with their relatives.

Plot Keywords:

Dog | 1950s | Small Town | Uncle | Soccer

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 13 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Anton Glanzelius	...	Ingemar
Tomas von Brömssen	...	morbror Gunnar
Anki Lidén	...	Ingemars mamma (as Anki Liden)
Melinda Kinnaman	...	Saga
Kicki Rundgren	...	moster Ulla
Lennart Hjulström	...	konstnären
Ing-Marie Carlsson	...	Berit
Leif Ericson	...	farbror Sandberg (as Leif Ericsson)
Christina Carlwind	...	Fru sandberg
Ralph Carlsson	...	Harry
Viveca Dahlén	...	tvättande kvinna
Arnold Alfredsson	...	Mannes farfar (as Arnold Alfredson)
Fritz Elofsson	...	Mäster
Didrik Gustavsson	...	Arvidsson, dying old man befriended by Ingmar
Jan-Philip Hollström	...	Manne, the boy with green hair
Vivi Johansson	...	tant Arvidsson
Per Ottosson	...	Tommy
Magnus Rask	...	Fransson, crazy old man always fixing his roof
Tony Rix	...	En pojke
Manfred Serner	...	Erik, Ingmar's brother
Johanna Udéhn	...	Lilla Grodan
Susanna Wetterholm	...	Karin
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Nils-Olof Baehrentz	...	Host for gameshow 'Kvitt eller dubbelt' on TV (uncredited)
Olle Björklund	...	Himself (voice) (uncredited)
Lennart Hyland	...	Soccer referee on radio (archive footage) (uncredited)
Reidar Jönsson	...	Lilla grodan's father (uncredited)
Folke Olhagen	...	Himself (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Lasse Hallström

Writing credits
Reidar Jönsson		(novel)
Lasse Hallström		(writer) &
Reidar Jönsson		(writer) &
Brasse Brännström		(writer) &
Per Berglund		(writer)

Produced by
Waldemar Bergendahl	....	producer

Original Music by
Björn Isfält

Cinematography by
Jörgen Persson

Film Editing by
Christer Furubrand
Susanne Linnman

Production Design by
Lasse Westfelt

Set Decoration by
Tove Hellbom
Pontus Lindblad

Costume Design by
Susanne Falck
Inger Pehrsson

Makeup Department
Agneta Jalmo	....	assistant makeup artist
Helena Olofsson-Carmback	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Ann Collenberg	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Anita Tesler	....	assistant director

Art Department
Erik Höglund	....	art
Jimmy McGann	....	props
Rolf Persson	....	construction manager

Sound Department
Eddie Axberg	....	sound
Göran Carmback	....	sound
Berndt Frithiof	....	sound mixer
Christjan Persson	....	sound re-recordist
Willie Peterson-Berger	....	sound re-recordist (as Wille Peterson-Berger)

Camera and Electrical Department
Ulf Björck	....	electrician
Denise Grünstein	....	still photographer
Olof Johnson	....	assistant camera
Rolf Lindström	....	assistant camera
Ragnar Waaranperä	....	grip

Editorial Department
Sten Lindberg	....	color timer

Other crew
Eva Bagge	....	children caretaker
Anette Mandoki	....	continuity clerk
Erik Spangenberg	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• FilmTeknik
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF)

Distributors

• Skouras Pictures (1987) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Paramount Home Video (1988) (USA) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (1985) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Flashstar Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Homescreen (2010) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Starlight

Other Companies

• Filmmixarna AB  mixing

Also Known As:

My Life as a Dog (Canada: English title) (USA)

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

Sweden

Language:

Swedish

Color:

Color (Fujicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:K-8 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:7 | UK:PG | USA:Open (rating surrendered: 1987) | USA:PG-13 (original rating: 1986) | West Germany:6 | Canada:PG

Filming Locations:

Boda glassworks, Kalmar län, Sweden

Company:

FilmTeknik

Goofs:

Factual errors: Gunnar is supposed to be from Småland, yet he speaks with a strong Göteborg accent. Both of these are "Geatish dialects" (Götamål) however the dialect of Göteborg differs enough from that of Småland that it is jarring to those who are familiar with Swedish dialects.

Movie Connections:

Features "Double or Nothing" (1952)

Soundtrack:

Far, jag kan inte få upp min kokosnöt

Emotionally powerful film about childhood

This is an emotionally powerful (and sad) film about a boy coming to terms with the fact that his mother, who he loves dearly, is dying. It is also about being a child in a world where everyone older than you treats you with great condescension. Adults make decisions affecting his life without so much as asking for his opinion. No one talks about death, but it is in the back of his mind at all times. Everyone tries to hide what is really going on, as if "what you don't know won't hurt you", but the boy is hurting badly.

There are no car chases, shoot-outs, or space aliens in this film. This film is about real life, about growing up, and about children's sexuality. It is told wonderfully well, from a child's perspective.

A magnificent film.