christian movie review of a man called otto

A Man Called Otto

Reviewed by: Alexander Malsan CONTRIBUTOR

Man forced to retire from his job of nearly 40 years

Difficulties of being a widower

An older man who has given up on life following the loss of his wife, become bitter, and wants to end it all

Bitterness, depressing negativity, loveless ways of thinking about the world

A short tempered grumpy old man

No longer seeing any purpose in one’s life following the loss of a spouse

DEPRESSION —Are there biblical examples of depression and how to deal with it? Answer

What should a Christian do if overwhelmed with depression?

Challenging such a person to see life differently

SUICIDE —What does the Bible say? Answer

If a Christian commits suicide, will they go to Heaven? Answer

Why does God allow innocent people to suffer?

What about the issue of suffering ? Doesn’t this prove that there is no God and that we are on our own? Answer

Does God feel our pain?

ORIGIN OF BAD THINGS —Why are they in our world if a good God created us? Answer

For a follower of Christ, what is LOVE —a feeling, an emotion, or an action?

What is DEATH? and WHY does it exist? Answer in the Bible

What is ETERNAL LIFE ? and what does the Bible say about it?

What is ETERNAL DEATH ?

O tto does not like people… period. He goes to extremes just to avoid having to interact with them, and what little interaction he does have with those he comes in contact with he calls, “idiots.” Despite Otto’s short temperament and lack of social grace, the neighbors tend to look the other way and still interact with Otto ( Tom Hanks ) from time to time, even calling on him for help on occasion.

Take for example, Otto’s new neighbors, Marisol ( Mariana Treviño ), Tommy ( Manuel Garcia-Rulfo ) and their two daughters, Luna and Abbie. They have just moved across the street and like good neighbors, they walk over and introduce themselves to Otto. Otto says his quick hello and shuts the door. Marisol, in her mind, knows there’s more to Otto than meets the eye and is determined to make him feel cared for.

Over time, Marisol and Tommy ask Otto for assistance on a variety of things: from house maintenance, driving lessons, to even babysitting. While Otto wants to, at first, say no to this family, he just can’t seem to, and he finds himself warming up to them… just a little.

The world is full of many wonders, and Otto just happens to be one of them.

I have had SO many conversations with myself about how I was going to try and piece together my thoughts and compose my review for “A Man Called Otto.” This is, in part, due to the heavy themes that the piece sometimes delves into (which I will address in a minute) as well as Tom Hanks’ ability to play a role that, truthfully, is very out-of-character for him.

First, “A Man…” presents several instances of a character (I won’t say who) who attempts, and almost successfully, commits suicide. These moments on screen are so intense that I gasped in shock at what I witnessed (or almost witnessed). The issue itself, suicide and the value of life, is handled with respect though. It’s never laughed off (like in one of the “Halloween” films) or proclaiming that suicide is an answer.

In fact, what I can appreciate is the value of life is key to “A Man Called Otto.” “A Man…” speaks to the very messages of, “Life is ALWAYS worth living,” to “carry each other in times of struggle,” and that “everyone, everywhere matters. Even the grump next door.” These messages, some subtle, some not, make their way throughout the film, with many thematic moments bringing tears to my eyes at certain points.

Regarding the performances itself, I was skeptical walking into the theater looking at Tom Hanks in the role of Otto. I have not seen the original Swedish version of “A Man …”, so I cannot compare the versions. Having said that, like the characters on screens themselves, it took some time before I warmed up to the idea of Hanks playing Otto (in fact I kept thinking, “Wouldn’t someone like J.K. Simmons have been a better choice?”). But then as Hanks made his transition throughout the film, revealing subtle nuances in his performance, I realized what a good choice Hanks was and why Hanks wanted this role. Additionally, Mariana Treviño was hilarious and at times powerful as Marisol.

Cinematically, the film is above average in its other aspects of quality. The pacing was slow in the second act (I think I checked my watch twice), and moderately slow in the final act as well but not to the point where I was wishing for the end. There are some moments where the film stops, particularly during Otto’s flashbacks, where the audience is allowed to really grasp the pain Otto has endured, both physical and emotional, for most of his life, and I appreciate how the director went about it.

One thing I will STRONGLY object to is that is transgender messaging that made its way into the film (e.g. There is a transgender character that Otto takes in for the night because he was kicked out of the house by his dad for being transgender) and this transgender character plays a prominent role later on in the film as well. Why does transgender have to be a part of this film at all? Why does Hollywood have to proselytize its dangerous messaging ad nauseum ? I don’t go to movies to be preached at (unless it’s a Christian or faith-based film). I go to escape.

Content of Concern

*Warning: Some graphic descriptions regarding suicide are listed below. Reader discretion is advised**

VIOLENCE: As I said, a character attempts to commit suicide in a variety of ways such as hanging themselves (this is where he comes the closest to succeeding), trying to suffocate in a closed running car, shooting themself with a shotgun, and jumping in front a train. A different character falls on some train tracks, and he is saved by the character who was planning to stand on the tracks and get hit by a train (he still tries to get hit, but doesn’t succeed). He talks once about having a “car running him over.” Someone mentions you don’t “want me to cut my hand and have it bleed on your floor.” While Otto is teaching Marisol how to drive, while stopped, a man honks his horn and yells, and Otto gets out and holds the guy up against his car threatening him. Another character threatens someone. We witness a bus rollover with a couple characters hurt in the process (we later learn a character who was pregnant lost a child due to the crash). A character dies. A woman throws rocks at a stray cat.

VULGARITY: “F*cker” (1), “Sh*t” (6 —including “I'm gonna kill that piece of sh*t”), SOB (2), B*stard(s) (4), “Pr*cks” (1), “Groin” (1), “P*ssing” (1), “Brown guys” (UPS trucks), “Cr*p” (5), “S*cks” (1), “Knotheads(?)” (1), “Idiots” (used a lot), “You little bugger ”

Slang definition: Bugger

PROFANITY: “My G*d” (5), “G*d-d*mn” (2), “ Jeez ” (1). God’s name is used in vain 11 other times. “ H*ll ” (7), “ D*mn ” (2).

Slang definition: Jeez

SEXUAL CONTENT: A man wearing tight, revealing pants stretches, causing Otto to ask the man’s girlfriend if she can tell him to “stop stretching his groin in public.” A young Otto and Sonya kiss a couple times. Marisol and Tommy kiss, too. A husband and wife lay in bed, covered, and that’s it.

WOKEISM: As I said, a transgender character plays a prominent role in the last portion of the film and there’s some LGBTQIA+ messaging in the film (talks about how he got kicked out due to being transgender, likes sports now, etc.).

ALCOHOL: Someone brings alcohol to an event but no one drinks it.

OTHER: There is some dog urine on the sidewalk. We see a cat frozen in the snow (he is found and taken care of and recovers).

“A Man Called Otto” has two primary messages. The first is to “love our neighbors” (even if we don’t like them). Not only is loving your neighbor one of the Ten Commandments , but Jesus himself touched upon it in his messages…

“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. — Luke 6:27-28 ESV

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” — John 15:12 ESV

The second message of the film speaks about living one’s life, to live with purpose and to never take your life for granted. This is an Earthly message. The more Godly message is to live with purpose for God. Our life is not ours alone. It belongs to our Creator. Regenerate Christians were bought with a heavy price and so we must honor that sacrifice by living for Him, bearing good fruit in Jesus’ name.

“Before I formed you [ Jeremiah ] in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations. — Jeremiah 1:5 NASB

“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord , the fruit of the womb a reward.” — Psalm 127:3 ESV

“For “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’” — Acts 17:28 ESV

Final Thoughts

“A Man Called Otto” made me ponder some of my choices as a Christian. Who have I ignored? Who have I forgotten? Where do I lack compassion? These important messages certainly made their way across and could be nice jumping points for great discussions… but only for mature audiences. Several scenes involving suicide, profanity and vulgarity and a LGBTQIA+ message thrown in do not make this a family, or necessarily, Christian-friendly film for all audiences. Strong viewer discretion is advised.

• Violence: Heavy
• Profane language: Moderately Heavy
• Wokeism: Moderately Heavy
• Vulgar/Crude language: Moderate
• Sex: Moderate
• Drugs/Alcohol: Minor
• Nudity: Minor —cleavage
• Occult: None

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers .

PLEASE share your observations and insights to be posted here.

• Skip to main content
• Skip to secondary menu
• Skip to primary sidebar
• Skip to footer

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Movie Review: ‘A Man Called Otto’

NEW YORK (OSV News) — The transformation of a grump into a warm and fuzzy character is a trope as old as the Hollywood Hills. So, while the drama-and-comedy blend “A Man Called Otto” (Sony) proves generally goodhearted, it also turns out to be formulaic. Mature discernment is required, moreover, to deal with some of the film’s themes.

Tom Hanks plays the curmudgeonly bereaved widower of the title.Otto’s dissatisfaction with life in general is publicly expressed through his nitpicking insistence on adherence to the petty rules by which his suburban housing development is regulated — and the confrontational manner in which he deals with all those who transgress them.

Thus the term idiot is one of the mainstays of his vocabulary.

In private, meanwhile, Otto’s unresolved grief leads him to take desperate measures to rejoin his beloved wife, Sonya (Rachel Keller). The grim nature of his current existence — and his efforts to end it — are contrasted with warmly nostalgic flashbacks to his and Sonya’s Vietnam War-era romance and early life together.

Otto eventually finds renewed hope after he’s befriended, at first unwillingly, by Marisol (Mariana Treviño) and Tommy (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), a young Latino couple who’ve just moved in across the street. Sunny, spunky Marisol, in particular, works to dispel Otto’s isolation and gloom — in part by cooking and baking for him.

As he reassesses his grim outlook, Otto also reconsiders his longstanding alienation from another pair of neighbors, Anita (Juanita Jennings) and Ruben (Peter Lawson Jones). They had once been his and Sonya’s best pals but Otto gradually allowed minor irritants to dissolve the relationship.

Director Marc Forster’s screen version of Swedish author Fredrik Backman’s 2012 novel “A Man Called Ove” — previously adapted, in its original language, by Hannes Holm — celebrates kindness, emotional openness and reconciliation. Yet, as scripted by David Magee, this character study is not wholly free of problematic elements.

The screenplay’s treatment of Otto’s continuously futile attempts to kill himself, for instance, is somewhat frivolous since his repeated failures are presented as mildly comic mishaps. And homage is paid to the zeitgeist via Otto’s interaction with Malcolm (Mack Bayda), a downtrodden transexual.

Hanks manages to elevate the hackneyed plotline his character is forced to follow into an arc of some interest. Yet, even with his gift for understated intensity driving the proceedings, there can be little suspense involved in a conversion story whose outcome can be foreseen from the start.

The film contains mature themes, including suicide and gender-switching, a couple of profanities, about a dozen milder oaths, occasional crude language and several crass expressions. The OSV News classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

John Mulderig is media reviewer for OSV News.

Read More Movie & Television Reviews

Radio Interview: Christmas Movies

Why ‘Conclave’ is captivating audiences as the season’s big Indie hit

Movie Review: ‘Moana 2’

‘The Chosen’ Season 5 coming Lent 2025; Last Supper scene grounded in Roumie’s Eucharistic devotion

Home viewing roundup: What’s available to stream and what’s on horizon

Movie Review: ‘Gladiator II’

Copyright © 2023 OSV News

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Catholic Review 320 Cathedral Street Baltimore, MD 21201 443-524-3150 [email protected]

Social Media

• Vatican suppresses Texas monastery after Carmelite order dismissed its nuns
• U.S. basilicas, churches to ring bells at the moment Notre Dame Cathedral reopens
• Blue Peak Center helps children with autism thrive
• Biden’s controversial pardon of son Hunter brings mixed reaction, potential consequences
• Pope asks the faithful to pray for God’s gift of hope
• Preparations begin for opening Holy Doors at Vatican, Rome basilicas
• Catholic agency ‘will follow’ Lebanon’s displaced ‘wherever they settle’ after ceasefire
• Renew Toronto draws 750 youth in search of purpose, shared faith, discerning God’s will
• In age of individualism, young people need holistic education, pope says

Catholic Media Assocation

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

A MAN CALLED OTTO

"the realities of grief ".

What You Need To Know:

Miscellaneous Immorality: Grieving man often calls people idiots, but neighborly love transforms his character for the better.

More Detail:

A MAN CALLED OTTO stars Tom Hanks as a grumpy senior citizen grieving his beloved wife’s death whose attempts to commit suicide are interrupted by the needs and compassion of the Latino wife and mother whose family moves next door to him and transforms his life. A MAN CALLED OTTO is an entertaining, well-acted and heartwarming, with a strong message of love thy neighbor, but it’s undone by a theme depicting attempts of suicide and transgender political commentary directed towards teenagers.

As the movie opens, Otto is deeply depressed over the loss of his wife. Every day Otto tries to keep things in order on his street, including making sure the street gate is closed and that people are using their parking permits correctly. He’s become a bit of a grump at everyone with whom he interacts. One day, he decides that he would like to be with his wife, Sonya, and tries to commit suicide by hanging a rope to the ceiling. The rope ends up breaking, and he falls instead of dying.

At the same time, Otto sees an Hispanic family trying to parallel park their car and decides to go out and tell them they are doing it all wrong. The family consists of a feisty, pregnant mother, Marisol, her husband and two cute little girls.

Marisol is spunky and friendly and doesn’t let Otto go unnoticed. She decides to bring him food, to thank him, and asks for some tools for fixing the house. Even unintentionally, Otto starts to find some purpose in the midst of his grief, through the needs of helping his neighbors. Though this is the case, Otto still tries to take his own life, thinking if he does so he will be with his wife Sonya in Heaven.

Meanwhile, some flashbacks show how Otto met his wife and fell in love.

A MAN CALL OTTO is a well-made, entertaining movie with many heartwarming moments. Despite the movie’s references to attempted suicide, it has a morally uplifting message of love thy neighbor. Tom Hanks once again does a great job in the role he’s playing. Also, Mariana Trevino plays the character of Marisol exceptionally well. The supporting cast adds some additional flair.

However, some of the movie’s messaging seems to be for the pure purpose of preaching a political agenda. It comes off as extraneous and gratuitous, as well as dilutes the purity of the love thy neighbor message. At one point, Otto learns that a young man delivering newspapers is actually transgender. The young man, who has a light five o’clock shadow, tells Otto his transgender status when he comes to Otto asking to stay at Otto’s place because his father has kicked him out of the house. Otto tells him that his father is “an idiot.” So, the young man starts staying at Otto’s house, and they become good friends. This implies all who do not support their children making a drastic decision of transition is an “idiot”.

Finally, A MAN CALLED OTTO has about 30 obscenities and profanities. Also, Otto tries to commit suicide multiple times, and viewers see how he’s trying to do it. Suicide is a very tricky thing to display in a visual way, because studies show people who are themselves dealing with depressive and suicidal thoughts may see the steps taken in a movie and may be influenced.

So, ultimately, media-wise, sensitive moviegoers will find the movie unacceptable, despite its positive, heartwarming content.

Dear readers, time is running out in 2024 to help Movieguide®. Only a tiny portion of our readers give. If everyone reading this right now gave $7 right now, our fundraiser would be done within an hour. If Movieguide® is useful to you, please take one minute to keep it online and growing. Thank you!

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax-deductible.

• Reflections
• Book Reviews
• Movie Reviews
• Submit An Article
• Movie Review: A Man Called Otto

It has been a solid two years since my wife and I had the opportunity of watching a movie in theaters. We tried to see Dune while she was pregnant but quickly left the theater, fearing the insanely loud music might cause hearing damage to our unborn baby! With the in-laws in town last week, we seized our chance to hit the theaters for the first time since our child’s birth.

We were willing to see any movie, just to have the chance to be out together without our baby for only the second time. Without doing any homework, we quickly scanned for evening shows at the closest theater to see what lined up well with our baby’s bedtime. A favorite actor of mine stood out, which caught our curiosity. Without even watching a trailer, we read the following synopsis on IMBD and decided on seeing A Man Called Otto , featuring Tom Hanks. “Otto is a grump who’s given up on life following the loss of his wife and wants to end it all. When a young family moves in nearby, he meets his match in quick-witted Marisol, leading to a friendship that will turn his world around.”

By the time we made it to the theaters, I had forgotten about 90% of that brief summary and only remembered it was about a grumpy old man, making the movie all the more surprising. This was perhaps the first time in my life I’d walked into a theater without knowing what to expect. The following will contain spoiler alerts, so continue reading with caution. The last thing I will say before providing my review of the movie for those who wish to read no further is that this film is a must watch. It contains Catholic undertones throughout and highlights the radiant nature of Christ’s love present in all things.

We are immediately introduced to Otto, who is played by Tom Hanks. He is a man in his 60s who lives a miserable life that has no meaning. Otto thinks the world is full of idiots and everyone around him is a nuisance. He argues with a store clerk over a minor discrepancy in price. He picks fights with his neighbors and yells at the stray cat by his garage. On the day of his retirement, he fumes out of the office after having nothing nice to say about anyone in the company.

Then, Otto calls up the utility companies to cancel his electricity, gas, and home phone line. Shortly after, Otto is seen fashioning a rope to his ceiling to hang himself. His suicide attempt is interrupted by his new Hispanic neighbors, Marisol and Tommy, as they struggle to parallel park a U-Haul. He angrily parks the U-Haul for them and storms back inside his house. Despite his outburst, Marisol and Tommy expressed their gratitude towards Otto by bringing him a home cooked meal. After wolfing it down, he put the rope around his neck once more.

As he dangled from the ceiling, Otto’s life flashed before his eyes. He recalls earlier memories of the time he met his wife Sonya by chance after she dropped a book at a train station. A younger Otto, who couldn’t afford to pay for his train ticket, was given money by Sonya to pay the conductor. She had given him one quarter too many; a quarter he kept all his life. As Otto’s flashback ends, the rope snaps and he falls to the floor, unsuccessful in his attempt to kill himself. He is next seen sitting in a cemetery making conversation to his wife’s grave, lamenting his wish to be with her.

Without going into too much detail about the subsequent scenes, the rest of the movie follows the same pattern. Otto seeks new ways to kill himself, only to be interrupted in the act to do some charitable deed for his neighbors. After his botched attempt at hanging himself, he tries filling his car with exhaust fumes. To his dismay, Marisol comes knocking on his garage door seeking his help. He later goes to a train station in hopes of getting hit. As the train approaches, an elderly man falls onto the tracks. Appalled by the mass of youths taking out their cellphones to record the helpless man, Otto comes to the rescue and saves the man from certain death.

Finally, after three failed suicide attempts, Otto grabs a shotgun from his attic. He was ready to blow his brains out until a flashback of his wife helped him recall her words to him decades prior after a bus accident took the life of her child in the womb. Despite their heartbreak and her paralysis, Sonya urged Otto to keep on living. This memory spoke deeply to his heart, as if she were before him saying this in the present. A conveniently timed knock on the front door frightened Otto into accidentally firing a round from his shotgun, narrowly missing his face. Once more, his help was wanted.

The only woke part of the film, a transgender named Malcolm was kicked out of the home by her father and sought refuge at Otto’s. But in a flash of unintentional, Catholic brilliance, the film highlighted the goodness behind the heart of every sinner, focusing instead on the common dignity shared between humans. Malcolm was once a student of Sonya’s, Otto learned after yelling at Malcolm for delivering newspapers to the neighborhood. Otto woke the next morning to a well-prepared breakfast by Malcolm.

Despite his frequent outbursts and bleak outlook on life, Otto’s neighbors, like Christ, begin to know him better than he knows himself. They were able to see past his behavior to see his heart. Though always angered by their presence, Otto dropped everything he was doing to help his neighbors, without exception. Even though he was too arrogant to admit it, deep down, he knew it was the right thing to do. In the words of St. Paul, “They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or perhaps excuse them” (Romans 2:15).

A series of flashbacks to Otto’s younger days with Sonya deeply embeds the viewer into the wounds that caused him to be so bitter. Sonya was his world, and her death crippled his spirit in the same way the bus accident crippled her legs. It’s hard not to feel the massive hole in Otto’s heart as the film advances. He longs for the love of his wife and fails to see that love as universal in the world around him. The genius of this movie is its ability to highlight the aching deep within the soul that causes us to lash out in sin. Behind every deformed heart is a series of wounds. Every heart longs to love and be loved but tragically collapses in on itself when blinded to the source of love itself. All you can love is yourself when you wall yourself off to the outside, which as Otto’s character demonstrates, really is no love at all.

Towards the conclusion of the film, Otto and his neighbors get caught up in a heated battle with the realty company which has taken over the HOA. In an attempt to corporatize the community, the firm used illicitly obtained medical records to argue an elderly couple was unfit to live in their home. The couple, Reuben and Anita, moved into the neighborhood at the same time as Otto and Sonya, and were close friends until Sonya’s passing devastated Otto. When the realty company began terrorizing his old friends, he knew he needed to act.

This is the pivotal moment in the film when Otto discovers his new vocation in the absence of his wife and realizes he is meant to love in new ways. A day after grabbing a shotgun to kill himself, Otto races across the street to ask Marisol if he can borrow her phone. She forcefully rejects his plea after leaving her out in the street the day prior, worried sick for his wellbeing. Marisol had spent the duration of the film showing as much neighborly love to Otto as possible, in order to crack his absolved ego. And unbeknownst to him at the time, Otto returned in kind. He taught her how to drive, he helped install a new dishwasher, he babysat her two children, and he drove her to the hospital after Tommy fell off a ladder borrowed from Otto.

At a time Otto needed her most, she could not love Otto any longer until he opened his wounds to her. A very Sacramental scene, Marisol deeply wanted to continue loving Otto. But after hurting her so badly, reconciliation was only possible once Otto confessed his wounds and outwardly expressed his inward struggles. Otto confessed his wife’s recent passing, his wife’s paralysis, the bus crash which killed his son, and his recent attempts at suicide. The two were thus reconciled and able to authentically love each other and pursue the common good of defending their neighbors, Reuben and Anita. The team was able to successfully thwart the realty company’s threats with the help of a social media journalist who reached out to Otto after his heroics at the train station.

Otto’s reconciliation and subsequent discernment of his vocation ushered in a new chapter in his life. The grumpy old man was no longer grumpy but full of life and charity towards his friends. A heart attack befalls Otto shortly after his beautiful transformation. Marisol, by his bedside, is informed by the nurse that Otto would someday be killed for having “too big of a heart”, a rare condition that’s plagued him all his life. After following grumpy old Otto through his journey, the irony sends Marisol into a seizing fit of laughter, creating the most hilarious scene of the whole movie.

Nice Otto takes great pride and joy in acting charitably towards his neighbors, finding fulfillment in life from bringing joy to others. He gives his car to Malcolm who had only ever owned a bicycle, he takes in the stray cat as his own, he willingly spends more time with his neighbors and names Marisol as his next of kin, and he takes them all with him to visit his wife’s grave.

Marisol and Tommy wake on a snowy morning to find that Otto never shoveled his walkway. The troubling sight caused panic, since they knew the diligent man always took care of the community when it snowed. They quickly raced across the street and sprinted up the stairs to find Otto lifeless on his bed, reaching towards the floor to grab the quarter Sonya gave him when they first met. Tommy finds a note on Otto’s dresser addressed to Marisol he had written some time earlier to let her know that when he passed, it was from his condition and not from his own hands. Otto poured out his heart to Marisol in the letter. He was gone, but his love was still present. He left Marisol his truck and his estate, to pay for her children’s education, leaving a lasting imprint on his neighbors who he was able to die calling family.

Fittingly, the movie concludes with a funeral Mass at a Catholic Church. That is when it clicked that this wasn’t simply a movie we chose to see, but something we were drawn towards to deepen our understanding of Christ’s love – especially regarding the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Matrimony. Otto’s love and purpose was discovered in matrimony with his wife. After her passing, his reconciliation renewed his love and brought him into communion with love itself, until it finally consumed him with the warm embrace of death in Christ.

So much can be learned from this beautiful film. Otto never deserved to be treated so nicely by his neighbors. They treated him with mercy even when he couldn’t be bothered to treat them in kind. No matter how many times Otto insulted them, tried to run away, and shroud himself in the darkness of death, they always forgave him. Their love only grew and grew until it blinded him. As we celebrate the conversion of St. Paul this week, I am reminded of how Christ’s love literally blinded him and knocked him off his high horse. Otto and St. Paul were not conquered by Christ, but liberated against their false identity and woundedness.

This movie was a perfect representation of the love Christ has for sinners. No matter how often we sin against God, no matter how closed in on ourselves we wish to be, and no matter how hard we try to run from his love, the light always manages to find us even in the darkest of corners. God’s love is everywhere , and there isn’t a single place in the universe that his love is incapable of reaching. He keeps loving and loving, because love is all He can do, for God is love. A Man Called Otto was a clandestine work of the Holy Spirit to remind us of the nature of love and redemption offered through the mercy of Jesus Christ. I now know it was no coincidence to see the cashier at the movie theater wearing a bracelet that said “Jesus”.

Go see this movie while you can!

  a man called otto holy matrimony marriage reconciliation suicide tom hangs

Recent Posts

• How to See God in a Seemingly Godless World: Easter Reflections
• Evil Men Are Closer to God Than We Think: Reflections on Divine Mercy
• A Catholic Defense of ‘The Chosen’ Amid Pride Flag Controversy
• Merry Christmas: Reflection on Mother Mary and The Child Jesus
• January 2023
• December 2022
• November 2022

Catholic Hangout

© 2024 Catholic Hangout

• [ December 3, 2024 ] Traditional rite to demolish wall protecting Holy Door held at St. Peter’s Basilica News Briefs
• [ December 3, 2024 ] The conflict between the Carmelite nuns of Arlington and the bishop of Fort Worth: a timeline News Briefs
• [ December 3, 2024 ] Pope Francis’ letter to Nicaraguan Catholics is ‘balm for our spirit,’ exiles say News Briefs
• [ December 3, 2024 ] This is Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of December News Briefs
• [ December 3, 2024 ] U.S. bishops launch Giving Tuesday campaign to support the Church’s global mission  News Briefs

A Man Called Otto a powerful portrayal of love of neighbor

I was surprised to find that Tom Hank’s new film is beautiful movie that focused on the importance of loving your neighbor. Interspersed with that is a subtle commentary on the value of all people.

January 25, 2023 Susan Ciancio The Dispatch 14 Print

My son and I went to see Tom Hanks’ new movie, A Man Called Otto , recently. On the way to the theater, I commented to him that I really had no idea what the plot was. He didn’t either. He simply wanted to see it because he likes Tom Hanks and the trailer looked funny.

Imagine my surprise when I found a beautiful movie that focused on the importance of loving your neighbor. Interspersed with that is a subtle commentary on the value of all people.

This is a lesson pro-life people have always tried to teach. Being pro-life is not just about saving babies. We see the value and dignity of all people—born and pre-born. And A Man Called Otto knocks this truth out of the proverbial park.

Otto is a grouchy and cantankerous widower who is deeply grieving the recent loss of his wife. In one of the opening scenes, we see Otto buying rope and causing a problem at the hardware store because he felt he was overcharged. Upon his arrival home, he meets some new neighbors—a lovely pregnant Hispanic mother named Marisol, her husband, and their two adorable daughters. Irritated with the father’s attempt to parallel park, Otto jumps in the car to do it for him.

Just a few minutes later, back in his home, Otto forms a noose, attaches it to the ceiling, and is about to secure it around his neck when there’s a knock at the door. It’s the couple. They brought him food and thanked him for his help.

The movie continues on like this, with Marisol lovingly insinuating herself and her family into Otto’s life. She can tell he’s lonely and sad, though she does not realize the extent of his grief. But it is her constant love, her outreach, and her kindness that change him and that help him see that he matters.

Otto is soon able to look outside his grief to see the pain that others around him feel—and he takes steps to help them. Through interactions with a disabled friend and a young “transgender” student, Otto comes to the realization that people need one another and that all human beings have value—even though many in the world fail to see this.

Though the inclusion of the “transgender” student seemed to be done for politically correct reasons, it does gives credence to the fact that all human beings deserve love and compassion. We don’t need to agree with or advocate for a person’s feelings and decisions to know that this person deserves love and compassion. We don’t get to assign value to one person and not another. We don’t get to pick and choose who matters. It is our job as children of God to teach His word, to treat others as He would, and to love.

The movie is a beautiful reminder that we must look out for our neighbors, whether they be our physical neighbors or people within our communities.

Marisol could have been put off by Otto’s grumpy demeanor. She could have just rolled her eyes, walked away, and written him off like many in his housing complex did. But she reached out. She welcomed him into her life. She loved him. And through her actions, she literally saved his life.

Not only that, but her actions had a snowball effect, as the broken bonds of friendship of some of the others in the complex began to heal.

With so many shallow and pointless movies out there, it was refreshing to see one that focused on the dignity of all people and one that showed how we can love through our actions.

We may never see the fruits of our kinds deeds or know the extent of how others benefit from our help, but the recipient knows. God knows. And that’s all we need.

It shouldn’t take a movie to make us see that all people have value, but it’s sure a blessing to have a movie illustrate this fact.

If you value the news and views Catholic World Report provides, please consider donating to support our efforts. Your contribution will help us continue to make CWR available to all readers worldwide for free, without a subscription. Thank you for your generosity!

Click here for more information on donating to CWR. Click here to sign up for our newsletter.

11 Comments

Thank you for such inspiring words from a surprise inspiring movie. We can all learn from this. Thank you!

Thanks for sharing the good news. From your description this film seems to have no sex or violence.Hooray!

Saw the movie this last weekend. Agree with the review, except for the portrayal transgender person. Something else could have done, such as a girl wanting to be a nun, or maybe a Jewish boy wanting to be Catholic, but the parents through the boy or girl out. Basically I look at the transgender episode in the movie as part of Hollywood’s goal of mainstreaming of this behavior. This must be clarified, this type of thing is in all movies today, Hollywood just can’t avoid including this. Anyway it was a good movie, especially since there is certainly not much out at the movies worth seeing. Maybe there are good shows on Netflix, Amazon etc., but we like to go out to a movie.

Agreed. My feeling was that the entire movie was almost scripted to lead up to this gratuitous sequence on transgenderism. To fail to notice this apparent audience manipulation is probably a measure of how much groomed we already are by Hollywood toward transgender mainstreaming.

To some degree, too, I had the same impression from the final scene in the entire TV series of Downton Abbey. The message of cultural change–socially and economically beginning with the disruptions of World War I, but now inevitably morally?–detracted from all of what had been scripted earlier in the series by the brilliant Catholic screen writer Julian Fellowes. (For a more moderate interpretation, see https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2020/06/14/the-exceptional-catholic-novelist-behind-the-popular-downton-abbey/ )

I agree. This movie has already been made–I streamed it last year, maybe made in Sweeden? Not sure, had subtitles and was really touching without any agenda. I can’t imagine a new, American version would be better.

Just to followup on your comment, the manipulation of the transgender sequence is an important point I did not think about. Upon reflection I think you are right. Movies and almost all of today’s entertainment side purpose is to groom everyone to accept transgenderism etc. This point would be a good topic for CWR to expand on in another article.

From Thias, below, the coded message “Die America” (the movie’s Dye & Merica Real Estate) suggests a CWR essay. This essay could touch on two clever word games…

First, DIE as meaning what it says, by resequencing the political ideology/acronym of the day to read “diversity, inclusivity, and equity.” A sequence carefully avoided! Second, DEI as the acronym that is actually seeping into unquestioned themes of public policy–again meaning both good intentions and overreaching ideology: “diversity, equity and inclusivity.” A congruent substitute of Socialism for GOD (Latin: DEI)?

Subliminal script writers, as for the Otto movie, seem well qualified to serve (service!) as advisors to some well-known, pseudo-theologians, alongside the “inclusive” word merchant, Fr. James Martin.

WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR? One in need. 2nd great commandment, “love your neighbor” Movie unseen but critique understood. Point made and well it is! Thank you

The original film, based on the book by Fredrik Backman, entitled “A Man Called Ove” (2016) is charming and touching and currently on Amazon Prime. Subtitles required if you speak only English. Adds to the experience.

I’m glad you mentioned this because when I read the article, I thought that this story is really A Man Called Ove.

Pro abortion display as well. Missed it? It was when “Otto” said his pregnant wife lost their….”.

He could not use the word “Baby” as that would go against the pro abortion narrative that the life inside a woman is indeed a baby.

Also not happy with the realtor company. Not even a thinly veiled “hate America” message. Hardly clever…”Dye & Merica”. Aka Die America…

I wanted to walk out but cared about leaving my wife of 30 years alone in the theatre with the other 11 people watching.

3 Trackbacks / Pingbacks

• A Man Called Otto a powerful portrayal of love of neighbor | Franciscan Sisters of St Joseph (FSJ) , Asumbi Sisters Kenya
• A Man Called Otto a powerful portrayal of love of neighbor – Catholic World Report – The Old Roman
• THVRSDAY EDITION – Big Pulpit

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

All comments posted at Catholic World Report are moderated. While vigorous debate is welcome and encouraged, please note that in the interest of maintaining a civilized and helpful level of discussion, comments containing obscene language or personal attacks—or those that are deemed by the editors to be needlessly combative or inflammatory—will not be published. Thank you.

© Catholic World Report

You can see how this popup was set up in our step-by-step guide: https://wppopupmaker.com/guides/auto-opening-announcement-popups/

Sign up to receive a weekly email with news, analysis, and commentary from a voice you can trust!

Email Frequency

Notice: All forms on this website are temporarily down for maintenance. You will not be able to complete a form to request information or a resource. We apologize for any inconvenience and will reactivate the forms as soon as possible.

• DVD & Streaming

A Man Called Otto

• Comedy , Drama

Content Caution

In Theaters

• January 6, 2023
• Tom Hanks as Otto Anderson; Mariana Treviño as Marisol; Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Tommy; Cameron Britton as Jimmy; Mack Bayda as Malcolm; Rachel Keller as Sonya; Juanita Jennings as Anita; Peter Lawson Jones as Reuben; Truman Hanks as Young Otto Anderson; Kailey Hyman as Barb; Max Pavel as Andy; Christiana Montoya as Luna; Alessandra Perez as Abbie; Greg Allan Martin as Lucas; Kelly Lamor Wilson as Shari Kenzie

Home Release Date

• February 28, 2023
• Marc Forster

Distributor

• Columbia Pictures

Positive Elements   |   Spiritual Elements   |   Sexual & Romantic Content   |   Violent Content   |   Crude or Profane Language   |   Drug & Alcohol Content   |   Other Noteworthy Elements   | Conclusion

Movie Review

“ Idiots ,” Otto grumbles with every step he takes.

He makes his rounds through the neighborhood, grumbling at every mistake people around him make. How hard is it to put your parking pass on the rearview mirror, close the neighborhood gate or put your bike in the bike rack? He grouses.

As far as he’s concerned, the America that Otto knew is dying. No one knows how to fix anything anymore. A predatory real estate agent looks for ways to buy the neighborhood properties out from under people. And take just yesterday, when Otto tried to buy five feet of rope, and they told him he would still need to pay for six feet—because it’s policy to only charge by the yard.

All of the problems of the world are only accentuated by the passing of Otto’s wife, Sonya, six months before. If Otto were to think about it, she was the real reason why the world was so great. She gave Otto’s world color. Now that she’s gone, the whole world’s gone greyscale.

But today, that’s all going to change. Because using that purchased rope to craft a noose, Otto’s going to rejoin his wife. He steps up on his coffee table and prepares to slip his head through the hole.

Just then, Otto is interrupted by the sound of new neighbors Tommy and Marisol, backing their U-Haul over the curb and into their property. Apparently, no one knows how to parallel park with a trailer anymore.

Idiots . Otto can’t stand it. He slips the noose off his head and goes over to teach these neighbors how to do it properly. He can always get back to his suicidal plans later—if only these amicable and caring neighbors would stop appearing so frequently in his life.

Positive Elements

Otto longs for better days—days when Sonya was alive, people knew how to fix things, and everything was a bit simpler. Otto says of his deceased wife, there’s “nothing before or after” her.

But Otto’s fixation on the things of the past is an idol in his heart, and it’s dragging the elderly man down into a bitter depression. As the story unfolds, we’re warned about how making anything an idol in our lives can quickly ruin us.

Though Otto’s love for Sonya reminds us of the value of marriage, his idolization of his wife has made her a crutch for the aging man; when she passes, Otto must learn how to walk on his own once again. He hangs onto those former days, refusing to get rid of his wife’s coats, which still hang on the coat rack. But when young Marisol discovers Otto’s pain, she gently shows him how moving on is good for him, and how it won’t disrespect Sonya’s memory to do so.

Otto learns another important lesson: You can’t do everything alone. Though Otto thinks the world is nothing but “idiots,” Marisol shows him how it’s OK to get help from others—even if you may need to teach them a thing or two before they can help.

And as for Marisol and Tommy (as well as a couple other neighbors), they put up with Otto’s many bitter remarks in order to befriend him. Otto, for his part, does help his neighbors when asked, even if he isn’t the friendliest about it (though he would disagree—he was being friendly, he insists).

Spiritual Elements

Otto often speaks with Sonya at her grave, telling her of how he plans to meet her again soon.

[ Spoiler Warning ] During one of Otto’s suicide attempts, the ghost of his wife speaks to him, discouraging him from taking his life. Later, Otto eventually does pass away (from natural causes), and a minster leads his funeral service.

Sexual & Romantic Content

A prominent character named Malcolm is transgender. Malcolm’s father kicks him out for identifying in that way. Otto exclaims that anyone who disagrees with transgender ideology is “an idiot.”

A man wearing tight, revealing pants stretches, causing Otto to ask the man’s girlfriend if she can tell him to “stop stretching his groin in public.” A young Otto and Sonya kiss a couple times. Marisol and Tommy kiss, too.

Violent Content

There’s no getting around the central premise of the film: an elderly man who wants to kill himself to reunite with his wife in the afterlife. Otto’s initial attempt is followed by three more.

Otto hangs himself, but the hook snaps, causing him to collapse to the floor. He tries to take his life via carbon monoxide poisoning, but his neighbor interrupts him. He also stands in front of an oncoming train, but he is once again saved. Otto finally tries to shoot himself with a shotgun, but he is distracted, and the bullet instead fires into the ceiling.

Otto is quick to confront a couple people with violence. He assaults a hospital clown for not returning a personal memento. He also yanks someone from his truck after the man impatiently honks at him. And when a store employee asks if Otto needs help cutting rope, Otto asks if the employee is afraid that Otto may accidentally cut himself and bleed in the store.

A bus crashes, paralyzing a woman and causing a miscarriage. A man has a heart attack. A woman throws rocks at a stray cat.

Crude or Profane Language

The s-word is used four times. We also hear about a half-dozen instances each of “h—,” “b–tard” and “crap.” There are a couple uses of “b–ch,” “d–n,” “p-ss” and “pr-ck.” God’s name is used in vain 19 times, and two of those times are paired with “d–n.” And, of course, Otto calls pretty much everyone an “idiot.”

Drug & Alcohol Content

Otto brings a bottle of liquor to reconnect with a friend. The two never get around to opening it.

Other Noteworthy Elements

People film an elderly man who has fallen onto train tracks rather than helping him. Otto says a woman is “full of garbage.” A real estate agency gets illegal access to medical records in an effort to push elderly people out of their homes. A baby defecates. Otto is quite rude in most encounters.

It’s tough to move on from the loss of a loved one. Instead, Otto figures the easiest thing he can do is just to end his life and join his wife in the afterlife. But when friendly and insistent neighbors insist on growing closer to him, Otto’s sour opinion of life slowly begins to soften.

This film is remake of the 2015 Swedish film A Man Called Ove , which itself is based on Fredrik Backman’s 2012 novel of the same name. Throughout the movie, Tom Hanks’ Otto expresses his disgust at all the people who are ruining the world—namely, those who don’t know or care enough about how to fix things or follow rules.

And, if we’re being honest, there are a few things we’d wish A Man Called Otto would fix, too. For starters, the movie centers around a man attempting to commit suicide in a few different ways. In fact, even though this difficult subject is treated in a darkly humorous way, the film’s repeated depiction of it could still be potentially problematic for anyone who’s wrestled with this issue personally. On top of that, the movie also features quite a bit of crude language, and a prominent character is transgender.

Those content issues are deeply frustrating, because the film does provide a nice message regarding community and seeking help amid grief. But those redemptive themes come off a bit dull and muddled when clouded by the film’s bigger concerns.

Kennedy Unthank

Kennedy Unthank studied journalism at the University of Missouri. He knew he wanted to write for a living when he won a contest for “best fantasy story” while in the 4th grade. What he didn’t know at the time, however, was that he was the only person to submit a story. Regardless, the seed was planted. Kennedy collects and plays board games in his free time, and he loves to talk about biblical apologetics. He thinks the ending of Lost “wasn’t that bad.”

Latest Reviews

That Christmas

My Neighbor Totoro

Weekly Reviews Straight to your Inbox!

Want to stay Plugged In?

Our weekly newsletter will keep you in the loop on the biggest things happening in entertainment and technology. Sign up today, and we’ll send you a chapter from the new Plugged In book, Becoming a Screen-Savvy Family , that focuses on how to implement a “screentime reset” in your family!

A Man Called Otto

In Marc Forster 's genial, earnest yet unremarkable dramedy "A Man Called Otto," the titular character Otto can't pick his daily battles even if his life depended on it. Living in an unfussy suburban neighborhood of identical row houses somewhere in the Midwest, the aging man gets easily annoyed by every little misstep of a stranger. And his protests are so pronounced that they even rival Larry David 's in an average episode of "Curb Your Enthusiasm."

Portrayed by the beloved Tom Hanks in an indistinct performance that splits the difference between quirky and grounded, Otto is often right about his grievances, to his credit. Why should he pay for six feet of rope and waste a few extra cents, for instance, when he bought just a little over five? Why shouldn't he warn inconsiderate drivers who often block garage doors or entitled neighbors who can't as much as remember to close a gate and respect basic rules about trash disposal? Or pick up a fuss when the soulless real estate guys from the fictional and hilariously named "Dye & Merica" show up to sabotage the community's peace?

Then again, not everything is as awful as Otto makes them out to be. And he could perhaps afford to have some manners himself, especially when a new, very pregnant neighbor drops by with a bowl of home-cooked meal as a courtesy.

If you've already seen 2015's Oscar-nominated Swedish hit " A Man Called Ove " by Hannes Holm , a film that is not any better or worse than this middle-of-the-road American remake (yes, not all originals are automatically superior), you'll know that Otto hasn't always been this insufferable. In small doses of syrupy and visually overworked flashbacks, Forster and agile screenwriter David Magee show us that he was socially awkward even from his young days, but at least nice and approachable. With a squarely unstylish side-part haircut that aptly gives out a "nice but unworldly guy" vibe, young Otto (played by the star's own son, Truman Hanks) had an interest in engineering, in figuring out how things work. His life apparently changed when he accidentally met the dreamy Sonya ( Rachel Keller ), who later on became his wife and passed away recently.

As was the case in "Ove," Otto can't wait to join his wife on the other side, but his frequent suicide attempts get interrupted in episodes that are sometimes awkwardly funny, and other times, just plain awkward. The chief interrupters of our get-off-my-lawn guy are the abovementioned new neighbors: the happily married-with-kids couple Marisol (a bubbly and scene-stealing Mariana Treviño , the absolute best thing about the film) and Tommy (Manuel Garcia-Ruflo), who often ask little favors from the grumpy Otto. There are also others in the neighborhood, like a kindly transgender teenager Malcolm (Mack Bayda) thrown out of his house by his dad, the fitness-obsessed Jimmy ( Cameron Britton ), Otto's old friend Rueben ( Peter Lawson Jones), and his wife Anita (Juanita Jennings), who are no longer on cordial terms with Otto. And let's not forget a stray cat that no one seems to know what to do with for a while.

The mystery is that none of the supporting personalities in this story can take a hint about Otto, at least not well into the film's second act. Instead, all the characters collectively treat Otto with patience and acceptance, as if he isn't being willfully rude to them every chance he gets. For example, it's anyone's guess why Otto's work colleagues bother to throw him a retirement party when it will surely go unappreciated or why Marisol continuously insists on trying to bring out the good side of him when Otto offensively shuts down every one of her genuine attempts.

Still, the story manages to land some charms when Otto finally lets his guard down and starts making all the expected amends, while suffering a rare heart condition on the side. First, he becomes a local hero when he unwittingly saves someone's life in front of a group of unhelpful people too preoccupied with their phones. Later on, he racks up additional goodwill when he takes Malcolm in and builds a slow yet steady friendship with Marisol, a rewarding storyline in an otherwise predictable tale.

But the biggest win of Forster's adaptation is its worthwhile message about the small wins of everyday people who operate as a functioning and harmonious community against the evils of faceless corporations. "A Man Called Otto" isn't exactly as philosophical as " About Schmidt " or as socially conscious as " I, Daniel Blake ," two films that occasionally hit similar notes. But it's nevertheless a wholesome crowd-pleaser for your next family gathering.

In limited release now, wide on January 13th.

Tomris Laffly

Tomris Laffly is a freelance film writer and critic based in New York. A member of the New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC), she regularly contributes to  RogerEbert.com , Variety and Time Out New York, with bylines in Filmmaker Magazine, Film Journal International, Vulture, The Playlist and The Wrap, among other outlets.

• Tom Hanks as Otto Anderson
• Mariana Treviño as Marisol
• Kailey Hyman as Barb
• Rachel Keller as
• Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as
• Cameron Britton as
• Mike Birbiglia as
• Elle Chapman as Sarah
• David Magee
• Fredrik Backman
• Marc Forster
• Matt Chesse

Director of Photography

• Matthias Koenigswieser

Leave a comment

Now playing.

Nosferatu (2024)

Sweethearts

The Seed of the Sacred Fig

Our Little Secret

Heavier Trip

Nutcrackers

Dear Santa (2024)

The Last Republican

Latest articles.

Don’t Miss IndieCollect’s RescueFest This Weekend

Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw Shine in Netflix’s Thrilling “Black Doves”

“Star Wars: Skeleton Crew” Takes Aim at Younger Viewers

Short Films in Focus: The Big Wait

The best movie reviews, in your inbox.

A Man Called Otto: An accurate reflection of life without purpose

Caution: I reveal several spoilers in this movie review.

Earlier this week, I saw the movie A Man Called Otto for the second time. It really resonates with me for several reasons, as I think it will with anyone over the age of 50 and, especially, those people who are retired.

Otto is an older man, played masterfully by Tom Hanks. He was pushed out of a job he enjoyed as a mechanical engineer. When Otto shows up for work one morning, the entire staff is gathered with a cake to wish him well. His co-workers couldn’t even wait until the end of the day to celebrate his departure.

That’s the first thing people over 50 have to realize. When they retire, they will be immediately forgotten. In fact, there are likely several people jockeying for their job, office, computer, desk chair, etc.

Otto’s boss tells everyone how much he will be missed. However, Otto responds by reminding the boss that, yes, he took the severance package when offered, but only because the company promoted a man Otto trained to be his direct supervisor.

That’s just like corporations today. We have interviewed people at Forward From 50 who have had to train their replacements long before they were ready to quit their jobs.

There is a celebratory cake decorated with an edible photo of Otto and wishing him well. To add insult to being pushed out of the job, a younger coworker cuts right through Otto’s face. It symbolizes how anxious the staff is to eliminate him from their midst.

Otto does what many other men would do. He simply turns around and walks out of the building.

Grumpy old man

Otto is not a happy man. There are several reasons for that. First, he lost the love of his life just six months earlier. She had been paralyzed from the waist down in a bus accident while the two of them were on vacation. The accident claimed the life of their unborn son. Another illness completely incapacitated his best friend, both physically and mentally.

There were plenty of reasons for Otto to be angry and feeling alone. He lost his family and he was losing his friends. Add the loss of his job to the mix, and Otto lacked purpose for his life.

Like most men in similar situations, when their lives lack purpose, then other people’s business becomes their business.

Otto made it his mission to ensure that everyone followed the rules in his neighborhood. He even chastised a UPS driver for parking a delivery van on the street without a permit. He yelled at a teen for littering because he dared deliver shopper-like newspapers on everyone’s front lawn.

He was the first person to shovel his walk after a snowstorm, but dared not shovel beyond his property. He was unkind to people, gruff and insulting. He lived alone and the pain of isolation robbed him of all joy. Although is wife had died months earlier, Otto had left her things hanging in the hallway and her blanket draped over their bed. He could not let her go.

No reason to live

Without a purpose for his life, Otto tried to end his several times. First, he tried hanging, but the weight of his body pulled the noose from the ceiling. Then he tried carbon monoxide poisoning, but frantic banging on his garage door by a neighbor needing to take her husband to the hospital, thwarted that plan.

Next, Otto was ready to throw himself in front of an oncoming train. But another older man fainted on the train platform and fell onto the tracks. That prompted Otto to jump down to save the injured man. Otto was pulled to safety himself with seconds to spare. He became a reluctant hero in the process.

Finally, Otto tried to end his life with a shotgun. However, a knock on the door by one of his wife’s former students who needed a place to stay, startled him, which caused the shots to strike the ceiling instead.

To me, a man of faith, each of Otto’s failed attempts to end his life demonstrated God’s power to carry out his plans by overruling ours when necessary to accomplish his will.

Renewed purpose

After determining he couldn’t even kill himself, Otto had a change of heart. He discovered there really was a purpose to his life. Through all his ordeals, he realized he could help:

• His wife’s former student get started on a better life.
• His former best friend’s wife fight a medical kidnapping and forced eviction.
• Help his neighbor learn to drive.
• Be a grandfather to three neighbor children.
• Care for a stray cat.

Although he never gave up enforcing rules and continued to “go on his rounds” every day, he served other people. Love returned to his heart and he brought clear value to their lives.

My key takeaways from this outstanding movie were:

• A purpose is essential for happiness and fulfillment for people over 50.
• Purpose must bring value to other people for it to have value to you.
• Enforcing rules may seem like a purpose, but it doesn’t help anyone. Therefore, it’s unfulfilling. It is only when whatever we do with our lives works to touch someone else in a positive way, that we realize our lives have genuine purpose.
• You must act on your dreams today because someday may never arrive. Life has a horrible way of disrupting our plans.
• Regardless of how painful your life has been or is today, someone else in your circle of influence likely needs help too. In fact, they may need it even more than you do.
• You don’t need money to impact the lives of others. Simply sharing your knowledge, skills, experience and attention can be a significant contribution.
• Being around children has a magical way of making us feel and act younger than we are.

I plan to buy this movie as soon as it’s available on March 14, 2023 . The movie is based on a 2012 book titled A Man Named Ove , which was written by Fredrick Bachman. I strongly encourage anyone over 50 to watch the film or read the book.

Here is the official trailer:

After closing his business and enduring several painful years of uncertainty regarding what to do with his life, Greg founded Forward From 50 to help men and women over 50 to live more purposeful lives by pursuing things they are passionate about. A Wisconsin native, Greg currently lives in Arizona.

Review This Reviews!

Contributors Names

• CONTRIBUTORS
• Sylvestermouse
• Wednesday Elf
• Brite-Ideas
• Olivia Morris
• Treasures by Brenda
• The Savvy Age
• Margaret Schindel
• Raintree Annie
• Tracey Boyer
• Cheryl Paton
• Articles Separated By Contributor
• COMPLETE LIST OF BOOK REVIEWS
• COMPLETE LIST OF MOVIE REVIEWS
• COMPLETE LIST OF MUSIC REVIEWS
• COMPLETE LIST OF DECOR REVIEWS
• COMPLETE LIST OF GARDENING REVIEWS
• COMPLETE LIST OF GIFT REVIEWS
• COMPLETE LIST OF RECIPES REVIEWED
• COMPLETE LIST OF TRAVEL REVIEWS
• COMPLETE LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHY REVIEWS
• COMPLETE LIST OF BEAUTY REVIEWS
• COMPLETE LIST OF PRODUCT REVIEWS
• COMPLETE LIST OF TOY REVIEWS
• COMPLETE LIST OF CRAFT & DIY REVIEWS
• COMPLETE LIST OF HOLIDAY REVIEWS
• COMPLETE LIST OF PARTIES REVIEWS
• COMPLETE LIST OF PET REVIEWS
• COMPLETE LIST OF SPORTS REVIEWS
• COMPLETE LIST OF HEALTH REVIEWS
• COMPLETE LIST OF TIPS FOR WRITERS
• COMPLETE LIST OF FROM THE HEART ARTICLES

Sunday, October 13, 2024

A man called otto: a heartwarming movie about transformation and connection, the storyline of a man called otto.

A Man Called Otto follows the story of Otto Anderson, a grumpy and bitter man who lives his life through strict routines and a pessimistic outlook. 

After the loss of his wife, Otto seems to have given up on finding joy in anything or anyone. The plot unfolds with him attempting to distance himself from the world around him, but life has other plans. 

New neighbors, especially the spirited Marisol, disrupt his carefully crafted isolation, and slowly, we start to see the layers of Otto's past and the reasons behind his anger.

The unexpected twists and turns make the storyline so engaging. It's not just a straightforward tale of a man rediscovering happiness. There are moments of humor, touching flashbacks that explore Otto's history, and scenes that offer a glimpse into the depth of his emotions. 

As the story progresses, it's hard not to be swept up in the mixture of heartache and healing. The movie balances serious themes like grief and loneliness with moments of lightness, making it captivating and relatable.

The Incredible Cast

Tom Hanks delivers an incredible performance as Otto. 

At first, you see him as just a cranky man who's fed up with the world, but as the movie reveals more about his character, Hanks brings a touching vulnerability that feels so genuine. 

You begin to understand Otto's pain and the heartbreak he's been carrying. Hanks' ability to show both the tough exterior and the soft center of Otto makes his character believable and compelling.

The supporting cast is just as impressive. Mariana Treviño , who plays Marisol (I loved her character!), is a standout. Her energy and warmth perfectly contrast Otto's gruff nature, and the chemistry between the two feels real. 

The way Marisol pushes her way into Otto's life and manages to break down his walls is a huge part of why the film works. 

The other characters, from Otto's neighbors to his old friends, all play an essential role in fleshing out the world around him, making you feel like you're part of their community.

Why I Loved This Movie

At first, I thought A Man Called Otto would be just another movie about a grumpy old man who complains about life.  But it's so much more than that. 

While Otto's grumpiness is central to the story, the reasons behind his attitude, such as the deep sense of loss he's been carrying, unfold in a touching and surprising way. 

His character growth throughout the movie kept me completely hooked. Even though you can sense where the story is going regarding Otto's transformation, the film doesn't rush it. The pacing allows you to connect with Otto, and you feel invested in his journey by the end.

What really stood out to me was the ending. It's heartwarming in the best way. 

The movie's last line, delivered by Marisol, who grew to respect Otto, brings everything full circle. It highlights how far Otto has come and how, despite all his grumpiness, he found a way to reconnect with the people around him.

I left the movie feeling uplifted and reminded of how powerful character-driven stories can be. The film shows how even the hardest hearts can soften with time and the right people.

5 STARS From Me!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Be sure to check Netflix, though, as it could be available there as well.

About This Contributor

Barbara Tremblay Cipak is a writer, country music enthusiast, and home decor rebel who blames her decades in the real estate industry for her love of color! Since leaving neutral behind, she's built The Heart of Country Music where she writes about life's color in song and FunkthisHouse where former souls once trapped in neutral-decor-world roam free and funk'n love it! Barbara is also the author of the #Stumped Riddle Book Series. You can find her books, along with fun riddles for distraction, personal challenge, or parties at StumpedRiddles.com . Barbara’s riddles are meant to help you turn the world off with a smile!

6 comments:

Although I was not aware of this movie, I recognized the storyline and I knew immediately it was based on A Man Called Ove - the story written by Fredrick Backman and made into a Swedish movie in 2015. Knowing the original story of this grumpy old man, I cannot imagine anyone other than Tom Hanks playing the role. I'm sure he is perfect in the role. Thanks for letting me know about this movie, Barbara. I am a big fan of anything written by Fredrick Backman and have liked Tom Hanks in every movie he has ever made. A perfect combination.

I too read the book a Man Called Ove and had heard they had made an American version into a movie. This sounds delightful and Tom Hanks sounds perfect in the starring role

I watched this movie years ago when Treasures by Brenda reviewed and recommended the book, A Man Called Ove. I remember thinking it was a very touching movie at the time, but don't remember much about the details. Obviously, it is time to watch it again!

I adore Tom Hanks and this movie sounds wonderful, Barb! Thank you so much for recommending it.

This sounds a wonderful touching film and I like Tom Hanks so I think I would really enjoy this movie. Thank you for your review and recommendation.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie too. I liked that it had a balance of humor and seriousness. Tom Hanks was superb in his characterization of Otto.

Most Recent Reviews on Review This Reviews

Search for Reviews by Subject, Author or Title

• Main Site Directory
• Quick View Home Page
• Articles Separated by Contributors
• Complete Index - Includes Subcategories

The Review This Reviews Contributors

We may be apart, but You Are Not Forgotten

“As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and or Etsy (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from purchases.” Disclosure Statement