A Man Called Otto (2022) (1 Viewer)

[TravisR]

...but Zemeckis' Pinocchio was even more regrettable.

I didn't even see Pinocchio (word of mouth didn't exactly get me to run to Disney +) but I tend to think that the big draw for Hanks on that one was working with his old buddy again and it just didn't work out well this time.

 

[Tino]

I was going to skip this but thanks to the positive reviews from you guys I saw it today.

It was utterly charming and entertaining from beginning to end. Hanks is better than he has been in years. I read the original book and loved it years ago but forgot many of the details.

Predictable sure but a terrific audience pleasing film.

 

[Tino]

Why ‘A Man Called Otto’ Worked Outside New York City & Los Angeles With $15M-Plus Wide Opening​

By Anthony D'Alessandro
January 16, 2023 10:09am

Sony's 'A Man Called Otto'Sony Pictures
In an age of streaming and Covid concerns when many older-skewing dramatic films find their way safely into homes, Sony Pictures rolled the dice on the Tom Hanks drama A Man Called Otto. It grossed $15.3 million in its third–weekend wide expansion over the four-day MLK weekend, well surpassing its $8M projection.

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The result surprised rival distributors, many who were underwhelmed initially by the Marc Forster-directed title’s exclusive four-theater run in New York City and Los Angeles over New Year’s weekend, which did a $14,000 per-theater average/$56K opening. Not to mention the lukewarm reviews (69% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes).

 

[TravisR]

Why ‘A Man Called Otto’ Worked Outside New York City & Los Angeles With $15M-Plus Wide Opening​

It worked because Tom Hanks is in it. Old people love that guy and will almost always turn out to see him in a movie.

 

[benbess]

To my surprise, I loved this movie. Thanks to the positive reviews here I gave it a chance. It's more dark and dramatic in places than the trailer lets on, but that's a big reason why it worked for me. Both emotional and funny, with some poignant life lessons, the movie earns an "A" from my pov.

(I didn't even mind that Chevy clearly paid a "promotional consideration" for vehicles that appear in the film. In fact, I liked the car gags.)

PS I forgot to mention that my small Cinemark theater was about 70% full! I sat in the second row, which was otherwise empty, but most of the main seating area was occupied. The audience was clearing loving the movie too, with quite a few laughs and chuckles throughout.

 

[Jason_V]

It worked because Tom Hanks is in it. Old people love that guy and will almost always turn out to see him in a movie.

If old people love Hanks, I can't wait to see what happens with 80 for Brady with Lily Tomlin, Sally Field, Rita Moreno and Jane Fonda.

 

[TravisR]

If old people love Hanks, I can't wait to see what happens with 80 for Brady with Lily Tomlin, Sally Field, Rita Moreno and Jane Fonda.

Guaranteed riots as old ladies burn theaters down when they find out the matinees are sold out.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I thought this was a fine movie! I don't think of it as a sad movie because

Spoiler

Otto rediscovered some happiness in the final years of his life.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

If old people love Hanks, I can't wait to see what happens with 80 for Brady with Lily Tomlin, Sally Field, Rita Moreno and Jane Fonda.

I saw "Otto" today and the audience felt like average age of 70.

Average age of a "Brady" audience will be "died 12 years ago".

 

[Robert Crawford]

By the way, I'm not a cat person, but I liked that cat in this movie.

 

[jayembee]

The original actually got two Academy Award nominations, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4080728/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk
I've seen DVDs with English subs available, but not blus (although I haven't looked that hard).
Would be interesting to compare them (I haven't seen either yet).

By the way, for those interested, the original Swedish film (En man som heter Ove -- A Man Called Ove) is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.

 

[Robert Crawford]

By the way, for those interested, the original Swedish film (En man som heter Ove -- A Man Called Ove) is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.

I bought the Vudu HD digital the other day and watched it last night. I like the American film better, but the original is very good too.

 

[Tino]

If old people love Hanks, I can't wait to see what happens with 80 for Brady with Lily Tomlin, Sally Field, Rita Moreno and Jane Fonda.

Yikes that movie looks horrible.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Yikes that movie looks horrible.

It looks like a vanity project for Tom Brady since he produced it.

Apparently it's loosely inspired by an actual "fan club" of older women - very loosely.

It's nice to see a film that features an older female cast, and it's hard to argue against the talent involved.

But yeah... it almost certainly will be pretty terrible.

 

[TravisR]

But yeah... it almost certainly will be pretty terrible.

And pretty profitable.

 

[Malcolm R]

Apparently it's loosely inspired by an actual "fan club" of older women - very loosely.

My mother said they had a story on the real ladies on the CBS Sunday Morning news last week. There's only a few of them left and they said they still had never met Brady in person. So apparently he's shunning the real ladies, but taking their story to make a movie.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

And pretty profitable.

I dunno - it could go either way.

"Book Club" made over $100 million so there's clearly a market for movies with casts based around older iconic actors.

But "80" just looks dopey as hell.

 

[TravisR]

But "80" just looks dopey as hell.

Agreed and I don't think it's going to do $100 million or anything but it probably cost nothing (no offense to the ladies in the movie but they aren't in a position to be demanding $20 million a movie) so it'll be profitable because it'll appeal to enough older ladies that it'll make some dough.

Anyway, back to discussing Otto...

 

[Robert Crawford]

Anyway, back to discussing Otto...

Thank you!

 

[Jake Lipson]

I like the American film better, but the original is very good too.

Why?

(I had the opposite reaction.)