A Man Called Otto | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

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Is the movie Otto based on a true story? ›

While it may seem like it could be about real-life events, A Man Called Otto isn't actually a true story, nor is it even based on one. The film is actually a remake of a 2015 Swedish movie called A Man Called Ove, directed by Hannes Holm and starring Rolf Lassgård as its grouchy protagonist.

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In spite of its mixed critical reception and lukewarm reviews, the audience responded much more kindly to A Man Called Otto, with a near-perfect 97% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

But, of course, Otto is played by Tom Hanks, the beloved Jimmy Stewart of this era, and you and I know immediately that a way will be found for his true nature to emerge. The film opens six months after Otto's cherished wife Sonya (Rachel Keller) has died of cancer.

A Man Called Otto changed the title and the lead character's name because the events took place in an entirely different country. In the original movie, Ove resided in Sweden, whereas Otto lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Based on the Swedish film A Man Called Ove, this film provides an excellent portrayal of a protagonist who exhibits signs of autism in terms of his specialized interests, exacting mannerisms, and social difficulties.

While it is not the primary focus of the movie, the main character, Otto, just happens to have Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM).

He prepares to commit suicide by shotgun, remembering the bus crash on a romantic trip to Niagara Falls that caused a pregnant Sonya to lose her baby and become a paraplegic. Malcolm, who was kicked out by his father, knocks on the door, and Otto lets him stay the night.

Sonya died of cancer offscreen presumably in her early sixties, which is Otto's general age range in the film.

The two grew apart after Reuben's preference for Fords and Toyotas over Otto's Chevrolets and the "coup" of replacing Otto as chairman. Reuben, who had a stroke, now uses a wheelchair and is cared for by his wife Anita (Juanita Jennings) and neighbor Jimmy (Cameron Britton).

The film does change the ending of “Ove” from sad to heartwarming. While “Ove” is bittersweet, “Otto” is touching. “Otto” still packs the emotional punch that “Ove” does, and it leaves you feeling happier than the novel does. However, I feel that adapting “Ove” into a feel-good movie was a mistake.

What happens to Otto in A Man Called Otto? ›

One morning, Tommy tells Marisol that he notices Otto didn't shovel the snow off his walk. The two go to his house and find Otto dead on his bed, having succumbed to his heart condition.

Otto's wife has died, leaving his life without meaning, so he has decided to kill himself. We see him set up the house to protect the decor from gore when he does the self-offing. But later we learn he has been told he is not long for this world for ordinary health reasons. He's going to die anyway.

Sonya was pregnant at the time but lost her baby and is shown in hospital, weeping at their loss. She suffered major injuries and became a paraplegic. Otto had made a cot for the baby which he'd kept and now gives to Marisol for her new baby. At the end of the movie Otto dies from a heart condition.

One day, Tommy notices that Otto did not shovel the snow on his walkway (which he did every single day of his life). Marisol and Tommy enter Otto's house to find him dead, having succumbed to his enlarged heart. A funeral is held, attended by his neighbors.

About 10% of the cat ended up being all in-camera and about 20% CG cat. The rest are cat comps, greenscreen plates comped in to the photography. JAMM Visual, led by Kevin Pierce, completed all of the cat work. They did the CG cat and they did all of the cat comps, which turned out very well.

The comedy drama is an American adaptation of the Swedish novel A Man Called Ove, and brings its take on the story to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Director Marc Forster chose to film a majority of the story on-site in Pittsburgh, largely based on recommendations from his filmmaker friends about the city's culture.