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All the Little Animals

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All the Little Animals

R

Released Sep 9, 1998

1h 52m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

62%

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21 Reviews

77%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

Bobby (Christian Bale) is a mentally handicapped young man with an affinity for animals. He runs away from home after his stepfather (Daniel Benzali) kills all his pets. While on the road, he meets a peculiar old man who calls himself Mr. Summers (John Hurt), who buries the dead animals he finds on the side of the road. The two outcasts form a bond over their love of animals, but Bobby knows that eventually he'll have to return home and confront his stepfather.

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Lisa Schwarzbaum

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: B-

Sep 7, 2011

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Todd McCarthy

Variety

Bale nimbly walks a fine line between Bobby's handicap and an increasingly mature comprehension of what he must do to survive.

Sep 9, 2008

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Geoff Andrew

Time Out

A brave effort, certainly different, but all too emphatically an allegory.

Feb 9, 2006

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Antonia Quirke

Independent on Sunday

Bale, with his embarrassed lisp and straight, slim back, is perfectly curious, perfectly amazed, perfectly different. His performance is quite beautiful, and whenever he is on screen, the film is melancholy and innocent.

Nov 28, 2017

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Maitland McDonagh

TV Guide

Based on a 1969 novel by the late Walker Hamilton, this moody film is ravishingly beautiful to look at and refreshingly unlike the glib, movie-centric crime thrillers so popular with younger first-time directors.

Rated: 2.5/4

May 17, 2009

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Film4

Given his uncompromising work with the likes of Roeg, Bertolucci and Cronenberg, Thomas' directorial debut is surprisingly bland.

May 17, 2009

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Kathryn V

A different kind of a movie. I was scrolling through movies, at first, 2 movies after, wait a minute, was that Christian Bale, he was so young, my brain didn't register and I went back. Very good movie. Bale never disappoints.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/24/23

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austin b

Wow. Just wow. Tremendous and moving performance from Bale. Must have been a real gift for him to work with John Hurt.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

Interesting allegory, too heavy handed on the good vs. evil front, but performances, especially by a young Christian Bale, are good.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

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Audience Member

Just can´t rate any lower a Christian Bale´s movie...

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/12/23

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walter m

As Bobby(Christian Bale) tells it, due to being hit by a car as a child, his brain is not quite right and is unable to understand complex issues, leaving him in a childlike state and possibly vulnerable to the manipulations of his wicked stepfather(Daniel Benzali) after the death of his mother(Amy Robbins). That being said, mama did not raise any idiots, as Bobby firmly resists any efforts to sign away his mother's store, even under threats and his pet mouse being killed. So, Bobby does the only sensible thing by going for a long walk, before hitching a ride to Cornwall with a trucker(John O'Toole) who tries to run over a fox. In stopping him, Bobby causes the truck to crash before encountering Mr. Summers(John Hurt) who has more sympathy for a dead rabbit than the dead truck driver. "All the Little Animals" has certain things going for it like excellent acting and pleasant scenery. And I like that the movie is about people attempting to live off the grid, especially the bit about the Travelers. But sadly, it takes a pedestrian approach to this potentially interesting material, which does not allow the viewer to fully grasp what the world looks like through Bobby's eyes, as the movie cannot decide whether the world of animals is less cruel than that of humans or that Bobby and Summers have their priorities thoroughly out of whack. That's not to mention the movie eventually falling into a cliched trap of a climax.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

a heart warming film filled with majestic sights and sounds. a young Cristian bale demonstrates at a critical age that he's got the right stuff.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

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Jeremy Thomas

Director

John Hurt

Mr. Summers

Christian Bale

Bobby

Daniel Benzali

De Winter

James Faulkner

Mr. Whiteside

Amanda Boyle

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Synopsis

Bobby (Christian Bale) is a mentally handicapped young man with an affinity for animals. He runs away from home after his stepfather (Daniel Benzali) kills all his pets. While on the road, he meets a peculiar old man who calls himself Mr. Summers (John Hurt), who buries the dead animals he finds on the side of the road. The two outcasts form a bond over their love of animals, but Bobby knows that eventually he'll have to return home and confront his stepfather.

Director: Jeremy Thomas
Producer: Jeremy Thomas
Screenwriter: Walker Hamilton, Eski Thomas
Distributor: Lionsgate Films
Production Co: J&M Entertainment, Isle of Man Film, Recorded Pictures Company
Rating: R (Some Violence)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 9, 1998, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 19, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $23.3K
Runtime: 1h 52m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Stereo
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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