On Thursday, Nov. 9, the Longwood Center for the Visual Arts (LCVA) held a screening of the animated film "My Dog Tulip" in Wygal Hall. The animated feature is unique in that it was hand-drawn on a computer, so it has shaky moments that make the film look unpolished, but in a good way.
The story is based on J.R. Ackerley's memoir. Ackerley is known for being an editor for BBC. The memoir itself has been memorialized in film on a number of occasions, with this animated feature being the most recent.
The 2009 film takes a look at an elderly man and his relationship with his Alsatian dog named Tulip and their lives shared together. The elderly man is based upon the J.R. Ackerley, the man behind the book. Ackerley is a lonely old man. He recognizes his loneliness, but has grown content at the same time. He enjoys the companionship that Tulip provides him.
The film is pretty graphic at times and there are certain scenes that seem to be targeted towards a group of middle-schoolers. There were numerous references to Tulip and her bowel movements. The character of Ackerley narrates, and often reflects on, what Tulip must be thinking as she goes about her day, particularly as she is contemplating where to relieve herself.
Christopher Plummer, probably most known for his role as Captain von Trapp in Disney's "The Sound of Music," voices the role of J.R. Ackerley. Lynn Redgrave, of the Redgrave acting dynasty, voiced the character of Ackerley's bitter sister that comes to stay with him, Nancy. The film became Redgrave's final film as she died in 2010 from breast cancer. Isabella Rossellini voices the character of the veterinarian, who sees Tulip, much to the distress of the overprotective Ackerley.
The film really touches on the close bond between people and their pets. Tulip is essentially a prime illustration of "man's best friend." The character of J.R. has grown incredibly attached to his best friend and is really his only consistent contact.
Again, one of the most interesting things about the film was the animation. Approximately 60,000 drawings were completed that made up the entire film. "My Dog Tulip" is the first animated feature to be completely hand-drawn through means of computer technology that requires no paper.
The film is a very unusual film, but about something that most of us can relate to — our pets. Of his beloved Tulip, J.R. explains their relationship as he says, "She offered me what I had never found in my life with humans: constant, single-hearted, incorruptible, uncritical devotion, which is in the nature of dogs to offer."
