Review of All the Little Animals (1999) by Walter M — 13 Mar 2013

As Bobby(Christian Bale) tells it, due to being hit by a car as a child, his brain is not quite right and is unable to understand complex issues, leaving him in a childlike state and possibly vulnerable to the manipulations of his wicked stepfather(Daniel Benzali) after the death of his mother(Amy Robbins). That being said, mama did not raise any idiots, as Bobby firmly resists any efforts to sign away his mother's store, even under threats and his pet mouse being killed. So, Bobby does the only sensible thing by going for a long walk, before hitching a ride to Cornwall with a trucker(John O'Toole) who tries to run over a fox. In stopping him, Bobby causes the truck to crash before encountering Mr. Summers(John Hurt) who has more sympathy for a dead rabbit than the dead truck driver.

"All the Little Animals" has certain things going for it like excellent acting and pleasant scenery. And I like that the movie is about people attempting to live off the grid, especially the bit about the Travelers. But sadly, it takes a pedestrian approach to this potentially interesting material, which does not allow the viewer to fully grasp what the world looks like through Bobby's eyes, as the movie cannot decide whether the world of animals is less cruel than that of humans or that Bobby and Summers have their priorities thoroughly out of whack. That's not to mention the movie eventually falling into a cliched trap of a climax.