Synopsis
An emotionally challenged young man named Bobby runs away from home in order to escape his abusive stepfather who has killed his pets. He meets an old man, Mr. Summers, who spends his time traveling and giving burials to animals that have been killed by cars. Bobby, also having an affinity for animals, becomes friends with the old man and aids him in his task.
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Cast
- John HurtMr. Summers
- Christian BaleBobby Platt
- Daniel BenzaliBernard 'The Fat' De Winter
- James FaulknerMr. Stuart Whiteside
- John O'TooleLorry Driver
- Amanda BoyleDes
- Amy RobbinsValerie Ann Platt, Bobby's Mother
- John HigginsDean
- Kaye GriffithsLepidopterist
- Sevilla DelofskiJanet, De Winter's Secretary
Recommendations
- 75
Chicago Sun-Times
Falls so far outside our ordinary story expectations it may frustrate some viewers. - 75
Boston Globe
Involvingly acted, surehandedly crafted. - 67
Entertainment Weekly
Where the movie falters is in sustaining the tricky balance between pastoral life lessons and creepy suspense. - 58
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
It's a movie brimming with good intentions, solid production values and searing performances. However, it never quite clicks into place with any real satisfaction. - 50
New York Daily News
Hurt is slumming in an unchallenging role. - 50
Los Angeles Times
There's something plodding and uncomfortably strident about Little Animals that keeps the audience from sharing, much less understanding, Bobby's enchantment. - 50
TV Guide Magazine
This moody film is ravishingly beautiful to look at -- but the story's fairy tale atmosphere doesn't entirely mesh with its psychological underpinnings. - 50
Miami Herald
The effort is earnest, but the plot turns more and more implausible.
