My Life as a Zucchini (2016)

My Life as a Zucchini (2016)

Charming, clever, and endlessly empathetic, this frank story about orphaned kids will win your heart, regardless of age

The Very Best

8.7

Movie

France, Switzerland
French
Animation, Comedy, Drama, Family
2016
CLAUDE BARRAS
Brigitte Rosset, Michel Vuillermoz, Monica Budde
66 min

What it's about

After his mother’s death, Zucchini is befriended by a kind police officer, Raymond, who accompanies him to his new foster home filled with other orphans his age. There, with the help of his newfound friends, Zucchini eventually learns to trust and love as he searches for a new family of his own.

The take

My Life as a Zucchini (or Courgette in Europe) is unlike any kids' movie you'll see in America. It isn't afraid to be honest about children's feelings, no matter how dark or sad, nor is it afraid to be frank about things like intimacy and abuse. It understands that kids need these kinds of narratives too, and sometimes they need to hear them without being pandered to. 

There is an openness to it that makes it comforting to adults as well. Lines like “Sometimes, we cry because we’re happy," are so deceptively simple and tender that they'll catch you off guard. Couple this seemingly endless reserve of empathy with adorable, almost melancholic stop-motion animation and you get a film that will have you floored for days, regardless of your age.

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