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John Hurt, Christian Bale, Daniel Benzali, James Faulkner

British producer Jeremy Thomas made his directorial debut with this drama adapted from the novel by Walker Hamilton. Hindered by a childhood auto accident, teen Bobby (Christian Bale) is a misfit from... read more read more... a well-to-do family; he suffers yet another setback after the premature death of his mother. His stern stepfather, the evil De Winter (Daniel Benzali) labels Bobby "subnormal" and schemes to trick the youth into signing over the family department store. Bobby calls DeWinter "The Fat." To escape The Fat's clutches, Bobby takes off, hitchhiking to Cornwall. The trip ends when the teen causes an accident while trying to keep the driver from intentionally running over a fox. The driver is killed in the crash. Bobby then meets the antisocial Mr. Summers (John Hurt) who states, "People are of no value at all as far as I'm concerned." Summers allows Bobby to move into his shack, eventually revealing his past criminal life, and the two team to confront The Fat in London. Filmed in Cornwall and the Isle of Man. Shown in the Certain Regard section at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

Flixster Users

76% liked it

3,335 ratings

Critics

64% liked it

22 critics

R, 1 hr. 51 min.

Directed by: Jeremy Thomas

Release Date: September 3, 1999

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DVD Release Date: August 19, 2003

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Stats: 179 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (179)

  • puffchunk
    November 12, 2009
    puffchunk
    Um...pretty good. Good acting and all that, and the plot is certainly odd and enjoyable. The moral of the story is don't kill animals, just kill people if they deserve it. The step father acts in the last half hour of the film in ways that don't make any sense, especially in his ... read moredemise. I must also add that I get tired of movies where the main character goes on about how perfect nature is and how bad people are (i.e. Instinct). What this guy doesn't get is that animals kill each other all the time, for food or for territory, or no apparent reason at all, that some animals need to eat dead animals to survive (so burying them only hurts animals), and that feeding mice and cockroaches so they don't 'steal' from you is really only going to increase the population of these creatures until they will steal from you. These mentalities are only fit for 'against the man' high school children and for environmentalists who have never stepped foot outside or read a book about how violent and unfair nature is. Ok, the end.
  • matertenebraum
    June 26, 2009
    matertenebraum
    I am a big fan of Christian Bale and, for many years more, of John Hurt. They both do their very best with these characters and I'm certain that with less talented actors this could have been an abysmal film. There are noticeable flaws in the logic of the plot and some pretty tac... read moreky direction which in combination make it seem rather like a B-grade afternoon kids soapie.

    Too many scenes are either unnecessary or painfully drawn out. It's very likely that some artful editing would have made a vastly superior 80 minute feature from this 112 minutes.

    Being vegetarian and an animal lover, I felt some empathy for the main characters but there's not all that much depth to them. The evil step-father is portrayed as just too much of a villainous cliché.
  • parldro42082
    September 10, 2008
    parldro42082
    This is one of my all time favorite movies. Such a great original story with wonderful roles from both Chrisitan Bake and John Hurt.
  • chiphall72
    July 14, 2007
    chiphall72
    A strong performance from Christian Bale doesn't quite save this odd tale of a young man's friendship with an older man committed to burying roadkill.
  • StaisilD
    July 10, 2007
    StaisilD
    If you are into shoot 'em up, no thinking or feeling required movies, then this one is not for you. For those who like animals and like to see the little guy win once in awhile, this is a great film. Characterized by its magical performances (Bale is utterly convincing as the 10 ... read moreyear old boy trapped in a 24 year old's body) and eye-popping, panoramic vistas of the English landscape, the film offers a gentle reminder of mankind's place in the natural scheme of things, though Thomas makes his point without stooping to preachiness or obvious metaphors. In an amusing turnabout from standard Hollywood practices, this UK-lensed film features an American actor (Benzali) playing a Brit villain, the catalyst for a late-breaking plot development which some may find overly melodramatic. By turns humane, frightening and beautiful, this isn't a movie for all tastes, but adventurous viewers will be rewarded for their patience. A possible cult in the making. The ending is unfortunately predictable and unnecessarily long. Also, far too much of the film focuses on Mr. Sommers curious "work" of burying road kill. This would not be so bad had there been more of a story line. Also, this film propounds a simplistic moral message about life being precious. Yet the ending completely undermines this moral absolute.

    This film is plot driven, and not a character study, and therefore the good performances are not enough to make this film worthy of greater praise. If not for the powerful acting this film would be merely mediocre. It makes me think twice about driving fearing I might hit an anmial.
  • hankydoodle
    June 1, 2007
    hankydoodle
    I know that this movie was not made thinking that someone would consider it to be funny, but it really is. The relationships between some of the characters are particularly funny to me.
  • kaijawitch
    January 12, 2007
    kaijawitch
    I absolutely fell in love with this move. Amazing acting by Christian Bale, with equally amazing work by John Hurt.. Very unique story.. never watched anything quite like it.
  • Cvalda
    January 11, 2007
    Cvalda
    The scenes with John Hurt and Christian Bale are wonderful. Unfortuantely, the film loses it's way when it leaves the forest toward the end.

View All All The Little Animals Reviews

Critic Reviews

Todd McCarthy
September 9, 2008
Todd McCarthy, Variety

Bale nimbly walks a fine line between Bobby's handicap and an increasingly mature comprehension of what he must do to survive. Full Review

Jeff Millar
July 21, 2005
Jeff Millar, Houston Chronicle

Odd and banal. Full Review

Michael Atkinson
January 1, 2000
Michael Atkinson, Village Voice

Quite the off-kilter, half-baked eco-sermon to begin with, Thomas's movie crumbles in its last quarter or so like a stack of supermarket cans. Full Review

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, At the Movies

[It] refuses to reduce its story to simple terms, and the visible story seems like a manifestation of dark and secret undercurrents. Even the ending, which some will no doubt consider routine revenge,... Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum
January 1, 2000
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

The adoption of 19th-century-melodrama conventions seems motivated mainly by a desire to tap into the emotional intensity they offer. I was enthralled by these tactics, but some viewers might gag. Full Review

Stephen Holden
January 1, 2000
Stephen Holden, New York Times

Would seem hokey if it didn't have powerful, extraordinary central performances and cinematography that lends the English landscape around Cornwall a mythical cast. Full Review

Maitland McDonagh
May 17, 2009
Maitland McDonagh, TV Guide's Movie Guide

Based on a 1969 novel by the late Walker Hamilton, this moody film is ravishingly beautiful to look at and refreshingly unlike the glib, movie-centric crime thrillers so popular with younger first-tim... Full Review

May 17, 2009
Film4

Given his uncompromising work with the likes of Roeg, Bertolucci and Cronenberg, Thomas' directorial debut is surprisingly bland. Full Review

Geoff Andrew
February 9, 2006
Geoff Andrew, Time Out

A brave effort, certainly different, but all too emphatically an allegory. Full Review

Ilana Lindsey
December 6, 2005
Ilana Lindsey, Film Threat

Christian Bale is utterly sympathetic and engaging as Bobby. He convincingly communicates both the simplicity and chaos of his character's personality and gives the film a strong emotional core. Full Review

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All The Little Animals Trivia

  • What is the name of the film starring Christian bale as a runaway who meets an animal lover played by John Hurt?  Answer »
  • What kind of animal where the driver that Bobby (Christian Bale) hitched a ride with in the movie "All the little Animals" trying to run over?  Answer »
  • In what Christian Bale movie was his character hit by a car as a child.  Answer »
  • What 1998 thriller featured Christian Bale playing opposite John Hurt as a mentally slow man escaping his abusive father?   Answer »
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