Elling
Seen it?2001 | 89 min | Comedy, Drama
Sunday Safe BetWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
It earned strong reviews (85% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had almost no lasting buzz. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Right up the alley of anyone with a best friend they'd call at 3am and readers who like to compare the book and the screen version. The friendships are the beating heart of it. Critics like it more than audiences, which usually means it takes its time or takes risks.
- The mood
- Funny with heart.
- The pace
- Quiet, then quietly devastating, at 1 hr 29 min. Done before bedtime.
- What might put you off
- Rated R: meant for adults.
- It's in Norwegian, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Not the pick if you want something heavy or meaningful.
40-year-old Elling, sensitive, would-be poet, is sent to live in a state institution when his mother, who has sheltered him his entire life, dies. There he meets Kjell Bjarne, a gentle giant and female-obsessed virgin, also in his 40s.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
85% on Rotten Tomatoes, 70 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
Our audience score: 62%
- AwardsBelow par
Nominated for 1 Oscar.
- Reach & staying powerSolid
Streaming release that reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactWeak
About 7K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Petter Næss
- Per Christian EllefsenElling
- Sven NordinKjell Bjarne
- Marit Pia JacobsenReidun Nordsletten
- Jørgen LanghelleFrank Åsli
- Per ChristensenAlfons Jørgensen
- Hilde OlaussonGunn
- Ola OtnesHauger
- Eli Anne LinnestadJohanne
- Cecilie A. MosliCecilie Kornes
- Joachim RafaelsenHaakon Willum