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Mood:
Humorous Offbeat Touching
Plot:
Friendship Mental Illness Mind and Soul Misfit Couples Odd Couple Human Nature Pregnancy more...
Genres:
Comedy Drama Foreign
Time/Period:
Contemporary
Place:
Mental Institution
Humor:
Dark Humor Irreverent Humor
Based on:
Based on Book
Attitudes:
Semi Serious Realistic

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Elling, 2001

Starring: Per Christian Ellefsen, Sven Nordin

Directed by: Peter Naess

Written by: Axel Hellstenius

Language: Norwegian

Country: Norway

Runtime: 89 min

MPAA Rating:

Rating:7.6

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Profile of Elling

Elling can be described as humorous, offbeat, and touching. The plot revolves around mental illness, misfits, and friendship. Its comic aspect comes from dark humor and irreverent humor. Elling's main genres are drama, comedy, and foreign. In approach, it is realistic. It is set, at least in part, in a mental institution. Elling takes place in contemporary times. It is based on a book.

Summary of Elling

Elling (Per Christian Ellefsen) is a neurotic middle-aged man who has led an extremely sheltered life and is institutionalized after his mother's death triggers a nervous breakdown. Upon being discharged, he is given a flat in Oslo to share with his friend and fellow patient Kjell Bjarne (Sven Nordin), a food-loving would-be womanizer whose loutish behavior occasionally proves taxing to the fastidious Elling. At first both men are paralyzed by separation anxiety and fear of the outside world, and simple tasks like grocery shopping or making a phone call present major challenges. Once Kjell Bjarne decides to venture beyond the confines of their home, however, his unlikely infatuation with a lonely pregnant woman (Marit Pia Jacobsen) causes a rift between the two friends, prompting Elling to start forging social contacts and seek a calling of his own.

Without delving deeply into the clinical aspects of mental illness, this lighthearted comedy presents a convincing and utterly sympathetic portrait of socially challenged people coping with everyday situations. The movie was a huge box office hit in its native Norway and earned an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film of 2001.