Dean Spanley

PG

2008

1h 40m

Comedy

Drama

List

88%

32 Reviews

Tomatometer

81%

500+ Ratings

Audience Score

After attending a talk on reincarnation by a visiting swami (Art Malik), sickly Horatio Fisk (Peter O'Toole), who is still grieving over the death of his eldest son, and his youngest son, Henslowe (Jeremy Northam), meet the charismatic Dean Spanley (Sam Neill) and the businessman Wrather (Bryan Brown). Horatio and Dean become fast friends and meet up frequently for dinner. Dean, though, is no ordinary guest. He claims to be the reincarnation of a dog, which only intrigues Horatio more.

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Critics Consensus

Offbeat, whimsical, period-set shaggy dog story with daffy performances from Sam Neill and Peter O'Toole.

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Steve

I watched it 3 times (over several years). It got better each time as I picked up more of the detail in the story and performances. My definition of a great movie/book.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/20/23

Full Review

Pat H

This is both a very funny and terribly poignant movie about loss. Set in a period that is unrecognisable to us. it is not a period drama per se. It has a very capable cast all at their best and beautifully crafted into the bargain. Enjoy a drink whilst watching it; who knows what you'll find.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/20/23

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Audience Member

10/10 - that is all I can say for a movie that had me fixed to my chair.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

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michael h

Dean Spanley is hardly a film at all, but rather an extraordinary experience of others' experience. When DS appears to be at its most bizarre or eccentric it is truest to heart and soul. The lightness here is more akin to magic than whimsy in revealing how people actually think and feel at a given moment. (And how difficult is knowing this, for how many of us actually know what we are about to think AS we speak or write?) It's this mystery we attend here. All that the other stuff: acting, characterisation, script, etc. is perfection. (A role worthy of the then aged Peter O'Toole.) The price of admission is costly: We have to turn off the littlest box, s...l...o...w down and tune in with our minds and hearts. But if we do it's Bliss.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Absolutely stunning!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/14/23

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mike v

Dean Spanley is a 2008 British comedy drama film, with fantasy elements, directed by Fijian New Zealander Toa Fraser 🍿 Awesome! 😀 I'd totally recommend it 👍🏼👍🏼 One of my favourite movies of the year ⭐️ Only the closed mind is certain

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Toa Fraser

Director

Jeremy Northam

Fisk Jr.

Sam Neill

Dean Spanley

Bryan Brown

Wrather

Peter O'Toole

Fisk Sr.

Judy Parfitt

Mrs. Brimley

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Deborah Ross

The Spectator

Yes, this is a thin tale overstretched, a snack straining to be dinner, but this isn't to say it doesn't have its joys, because it does... It's ultimate doggyness is a joy.

Aug 23, 2018

Full Review

Philippa Hawker

The Age (Australia)

Fraser and Sharp have structured the film, and the cast interpret it, so that comedy and poignancy are intertwined to the last; even as all is revealed, a sense of wonder remains.

Mar 6, 2009

Full Review

Anna Smith

Metro Newspaper (UK)

This film is so endearing you'll want to pop it in your pocket and carry it round forever.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 12, 2008

Full Review

Jason Best

Movie Talk

It may take a while to get there, but the film's moving emotional payoff, embracing reconciliation and redemption, grief and consolation, is well worth the wait.

Nov 15, 2020

Full Review

Andrew F. Peirce

The Curb

Dean Spanley is a film that predominantly operates within the realm of light comedy, it does so with a powerful meditation on the resonance of grief across a lifetime.

Sep 2, 2020

Full Review

Kate Rodger

Newshub (NZ)

A touching story of filial love and a delight to watch, 4 stars.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 30, 2019

Full Review

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Synopsis

After attending a talk on reincarnation by a visiting swami (Art Malik), sickly Horatio Fisk (Peter O'Toole), who is still grieving over the death of his eldest son, and his youngest son, Henslowe (Jeremy Northam), meet the charismatic Dean Spanley (Sam Neill) and the businessman Wrather (Bryan Brown). Horatio and Dean become fast friends and meet up frequently for dinner. Dean, though, is no ordinary guest. He claims to be the reincarnation of a dog, which only intrigues Horatio more.

Director: Toa Fraser
Producer: Finola Dwyer, David Parfitt, Simon Fawcett, Alan Sharp
Screenwriter: Alan Sharp
Rating: PG (Some Thematic Material|Mild Language)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 8, 2016
Runtime: 1h 40m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

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