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Cottontail

Play trailer 2:06 Poster for Cottontail Released Jun 7 1h 34m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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88% Tomatometer 8 Reviews Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
After the death of his wife, Kenzaburo (60s) and his son Toshi (30s) receive an unexpected letter from beyond the grave. Akiko, their wife and mother, asks them to scatter her ashes at the place she loved most as a child -- Lake Windermere in England. Surprised by this unexpected request, father and son are initially at loggerheads over their next steps. The two men, along with Toshi's wife Satsuki and young daughter Emi, eventually travel together to England from Tokyo to fulfil Akiko's final wish. But Kenzaburo keeps losing himself in memories of Akiko as his relationship with Toshi becomes increasingly fraught. With little knowledge of where he is going and barely any English, Kenzaburo abandons his family in London and heads to the Lake District on his own with Akiko's ashes. As he embarks on his quest, his memories of Akiko grow more painful. A lost and weary Kenzaburo stumbles onto the doorstep of a farmer, John, and his daughter Mary. With their help, Kenzaburo is finally able to set course once again toward Lake Windemere. But his true journey toward forgiveness and reconciliation will prove the hardest of all.
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Cottontail

Critics Reviews

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Daniel M. Kimmel North Shore Movies COTTONTAIL is a poignant tale of a Japanese widower taking his wife’s ashes to England on a final journey. Mostly, but not entirely, in Japanese with subtitles, it is about love and regret and trying to renew family bonds. Rated: 3/5 Jul 16, 2024 Full Review Don Shanahan Film Obsessive Because of the lucid callbacks to marital ups-and-downs and the pressing need for current familial healing, Cottontail is beautifully about far more than nervous foreigners venturing into an opposite landscape than their own homeland. Rated: 4/5 Jul 9, 2024 Full Review Kat Halstead Common Sense Media Cottontail explores difficult and emotive themes, such as the death of loved ones, the fear of being a burden, estrangement, and assisted suicide. There are heartbreaking moments, but also times of lightness, joy, and hope. Jul 7, 2024 Full Review Al Alexander Movies Thru the Spectrum Can a mother’s adoration for Peter Rabbit impel an estranged father and son to go hopping down the bunny trail, hand in hand? Within the realm of the stilted family drama, “Cottontail,” the answer is a hippity-hoppity, yes! Rated: B- Jun 28, 2024 Full Review Rich Cline Shadows on the Wall The narrative is meandering, but it's also deeply introspective, tapping into things people neglect to say as they conceal their emotions. Rated: 3/5 Jun 11, 2024 Full Review Mark Dujsik Mark Reviews Movies The success of this little but compelling tale is Dickinson's dedication to maintaining Kenzaburo's perspective throughout the film. Rated: 3/4 Jun 7, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Scott H Beautifully paced and well scripted. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/30/24 Full Review Jamie H Beautiful and incredibly emotional movie with fantastic performances. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/12/24 Full Review Read all reviews
Cottontail

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Movie Info

Synopsis After the death of his wife, Kenzaburo (60s) and his son Toshi (30s) receive an unexpected letter from beyond the grave. Akiko, their wife and mother, asks them to scatter her ashes at the place she loved most as a child -- Lake Windermere in England. Surprised by this unexpected request, father and son are initially at loggerheads over their next steps. The two men, along with Toshi's wife Satsuki and young daughter Emi, eventually travel together to England from Tokyo to fulfil Akiko's final wish. But Kenzaburo keeps losing himself in memories of Akiko as his relationship with Toshi becomes increasingly fraught. With little knowledge of where he is going and barely any English, Kenzaburo abandons his family in London and heads to the Lake District on his own with Akiko's ashes. As he embarks on his quest, his memories of Akiko grow more painful. A lost and weary Kenzaburo stumbles onto the doorstep of a farmer, John, and his daughter Mary. With their help, Kenzaburo is finally able to set course once again toward Lake Windemere. But his true journey toward forgiveness and reconciliation will prove the hardest of all.
Director
Patrick Dickinson
Producer
Gabrielle Tana, Kôsuke Oshida, Carolyn Marks Blackwood, Hélène Théodoly
Screenwriter
Patrick Dickinson
Distributor
Level 33 Entertainment
Production Co
Magnolia Mae Films, Office Shirous, Brouhaha Entertainment, Written Rock Film, MBK Productions
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 7, 2024, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 9, 2024
Runtime
1h 34m
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