My Dog Tulip (2009)

Directed by

Paul Fierlinger

Genre

independent film, LGBTQ-related film

Country

United States

Runtime

1h 23m

Rated

12

Rating

6.4 of 10 from 31 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

It follows J. R. Ackerley and his fifteen year relationship with his German Shepherd dog Tulip. The film shows their daily life together including the dog's bodily functions and mating habits. It avoids making the dog seem human and instead presents a frank look at pet ownership.

intimatereflectiveunsentimentalslice-of-liferealisticwryadultobservational

What happens

My Dog Tulip is a 2009 American animated drama film based on the 1956 memoir of the same name by J. R. Ackerley, BBC editor, novelist and memoirist. The film tells the story of Ackerley's fifteen-year relationship with his Alsatian dog (German Shepherd) Queenie, who had been renamed Tulip for the book. The film – geared toward an adult audience – was written, animated and directed by Paul Fierlinger and his wife, Sandra Fierlinger. Christopher Plummer narrated Ackerley's voice, Isabella Rossellini provided the voice of the veterinarian, and Lynn Redgrave provided the voice (in her last film performance) of Ackerley's sister Nancy. The film premiered at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival on June 10, 2009 and received Honourable Mention for Best Animated Film at the 2009 Ottawa International Animation Festival. The film won Grand Prix – best feature film award at the World Festival of Animated Film Zagreb – Animafest Zagreb in 2011. As with the original book, the film gives detailed descriptions of the dog's bowel movements and sex life – received as "positively juvenile" and helping the film achieve realism and avoid anthropomorphism. In 1988, Colin Gregg had filmed Ackerley's We Think the World of You (1960) – also about Ackerley's relationship with his dog Queenie. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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