We Think the World of You

We Think the World of You is a 1988 film directed by Colin Gregg and starring Gary Oldman and Alan Bates. It is adapted from the 1960 J.R. Ackerley novel of the same name. It was produced by Tomasso Jandelli and Cinecom Pictures.

We Think the World of You
Directed byColin Gregg
Written byJ. R. Ackerley (novel)
Hugh Stoddart (screenplay)
Produced byTomasso Jandelli
Paul Cowan
StarringGary Oldman
Alan Bates
Max Wall
Liz Smith
Frances Barber
CinematographyMichael Garfath
Edited byPeter Delfgou
Music byJulian Jacobson
Jeremy Sands
Production
company
Release date
  • 22 September 1989 (1989-09-22) (UK)
Running time
92 min.
CountriesUnited Kingdom
United States
LanguageEnglish
Budget£1.36 million[1]
Box office$20,998 (US)

Plot

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In post-war London an aimless young married bisexual man, Johnny, is sent to prison. He is forced to entrust his beloved Alsatian dog, Evie, to the reluctant care of his down-trodden parents and older, middle-class ex-lover and best friend, Frank. After a series of visits to Johnny's parents' home, Frank bonds with the dog whose mischievous spirit reminds him of his incarcerated friend. As it becomes apparent to Frank that Johnny's father is beating the dog, who is left for days on end in a small yard, a class war erupts over Evie's welfare, exacerbated by Johnny's manipulative and antagonistic wife Megan, whose sole aim is to claim Johnny back from Frank on his forthcoming release. A set of tragi-comic relationships evolve with the dog coming to represent the hold they have over each other.

Cast

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Reception

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We Think the World of You has not garnered enough reviews at Rotten Tomatoes to produce an overall rating. Roger Ebert gave the film 3/4 stars, writing: "This is a film that rewards attention. It is wise and perceptive about human nature and it sees how all of us long for love and freedom as well as how the undeserved, unrequited love of an animal is sometimes so much more meaningful than the crabbed, grudging, selfish terms that are often laid down by human beings."[2]

References

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  1. ^ "Back to the Future: The Fall and Rise of the British Film Industry in the 1980s - An Information Briefing" (PDF). British Film Institute. 2005. p. 30.
  2. ^ Rogert Ebert review
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