My Dog Tulip Movie Review
Paul and Sandra Fierlinger Adapt J.R. Ackerley Autobiographical Book
Oct 22, 2009
My Dog Tulip was screened at the 2009 Ottawa International Animation Festival.
Starring the voices of Christopher Plummer, Lynn Redgrave and Isabella Rosselini, My Dog Tulip is a compelling, beautifully animated look at one man's relationship with his dog. Unfortunately, the story doesn't quite achieve unity, playing out as a series of semi-connected episodes.
Paul and Sandra Fierlinger Animate My Dog Tulip, From the Autobiographical Novel By J.R. Ackerley, Starring Isabella Rosselini, Christopher Plummer and Lynn Redgrave
The movie is based on the story of the same name by British writer J.R. Ackerley. The acclaimed editor of the BBC magazine The Listener – and openly gay back when it was still called "the love that dare not speak its name" – Ackerley wrote My Dog Tulip about his Ideal Friend, an Alsatian bitch (actually called Queenie) acquired from a former lover who was going to jail for burglary. The book caused a scandal when it was published in 1956, due to Ackerley's blunt descriptions of Tulip's bowel movements and sexuality, and his acid descriptions of the British class system.
Plummer voices Ackerley, Lynn Redgrave plays his unstable sister Nancy, and Isabella Rosselini voices an Italian veterinarian, a role specifically created for her.
Dog trainer Cesar Millán would have had kittens if he had seen Ackerley handle Tulip back in the day; either that, or written them up in a "how not to do it" guide. Due to his complete ignorance of dogs, Ackerley made every possible mistake with Tulip. Nevertheless, the dog was fiercely devoted to him, and Ackerley returned the favour.
Writer/director Paul Fierlinger has crafted a beautiful-looking film, filled with hand-drawn, sepia-toned images (his wife Sandra produced the equally gorgeous backgrounds). It's a shame the film's script doesn't match what's on screen: it rambles from one sequence to another without a unifying thread to tie these episodes together. It ultimately robs the final sequence – where Ackerley must say good-bye to Tulip – of much of its emotional weight. While it's great to see risks taken with story in animation, some experiments don't always work.
My Dog Tulip? Love Story or Simply a Dog Tale?
In My Dog Tulip's publicity, producer Howard Kaminsky would have you believe that it's a love story. Director Paul Fierlinger fiercely resists the notion, claiming that it's simply the tale of a man and his high-spirited dog.
As in most things, the truth lies somewhere in between. There is no doubt that Ackerley was extremely devoted to his dog, and essentially drank himself to death six years after her demise in 1961. But this is no simple love story: by the time he acquired Tulip, Ackerley (who was extremely promiscuous in his youth) had essentially given up on love and sought only platonic companionship. The uncomplicated Tulip fit the bill perfectly.
The Final Analysis
Given that so much modern American animation is geared solely for kids, it's tempting to give something as thoughtful and risky as My Dog Tulip a rave review, to encourage the trend if nothing else. Although the film has its merits – most significantly, the beautiful visuals – My Dog Tulip doesn't quite come together as a coherent whole.
It gets a 7/10.
(Look for an interview with My Dog Tulip's creative team, Paul and Sandra Fierlinger, coming soon to Suite 101)
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