From my favorite movies..

One of those movie experiences that is so good it makes you realize you've been grading everything else on a curve.

The acting in this movie is really good.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Although the film is specifically about a relationship between an older man and a dog, I think that the relationship with pets is reasonably universal. OK there are obvious differences between the dynamics of having a dog and those of having a lizard but generally the nature of the affection and the relationship is similar in most cases. I say this as someone who had a dog for about 8 years and now own 2 cats and for all the animals they became a part of my life to the point I could not imagine being without them and did tend to treat them with an affection that they probably don't deserve as mere animals. Anyway, all this rambling is by way of saying that I was open to this capturing this relationship even if it was not specifically the one I had experienced.And I genuinely didn't expect the relationship to be like my experiences but somehow I wished they had at least been vaguely similar because as it was I really got no sense of this affection until it is spelt out in the narration in the closing few moments. Up till this point the material is incredibly detached from emotions and almost scientific in its removed observation of Tulip. The film is remarkably crude in its contemplation of her ablutions, her period in heat and so on; I really felt quite confused by this as I was not sure what to take from it. There seemed to very little that was heartfelt or about a sense of companionship in the way I would see it – for the majority of the film Tulip came over as almost an insect in a jar.The animation is refreshingly rough and personal – there is more heart in this than in the actual material. Unfortunately the animation amplifies the crudity of the film, showing the biological obsessions of Ackerley and it frequently gives the film even more of a sordid feel. Plummer's narration is nicely warm and if there is an hint of affection in the material then his voice brings it out – shame there isn't much to be had.A really disappointing film then; it proposes to be about the relationship between a man and his dog but presents something that is roundly scientific, cold and lacks any sense of heart or feeling. The animation both helps it be better and also be weaker in different ways.

I usually would not watch any film that was animated but because the book MyDog Tulip was so enjoyable I decided to give it a try. I'm so very glad I did. The art work is brilliant. My Dog Tulip is not in any way cartoon-like and is not for children, It is very faithful to the book. If you have never lived in England especially during the period covered in the book I would think you might not connect with the film because it is so very British. A lot of Americans might be put off due to this but I found it was one of the pleasant things about it, having lived in England for a few years. Also the author's companionship with his Alsatian (German Shepherd) dog was really heart warming. I also had an Alsatian and could relate to a lot of the things in the film concerning the problems he encountered trying to find a suitable mate for his dog and also the encounter Tulip had with the chickens could have come directly out of my notebook. I enjoyed this film for its artwork, story and British humor. I will definitely watch it again. Tulip could have been a twin for my dog.

Whenever you come home, feeling a bit lonely or overlooked, and you do not have a dog, this is one of those movies that make you feel warm in your chest and pressed in your throat.My Dog Tulip is about the loving relationship between a man and his dog, going through the most common circumstances with so much care and affection, that it leads to endless devotion between both and the kind of spotted emotions that we usually call "human", that make you, the viewer, blight and smile.The animation and the story are both drawn and written so personally, that it detaches itself from other films in the way it reaches you. It also contains so much social reflection and wisdom that is makes a remembrance that is everlasting.10 out of 10

A dog is a man's best friend. And sometimes a dog can substitute a woman in a man's life. My Dog Tulip was a book written in 1956 by the English writer J.R. Ackerley about how he rescued a female dog named Tulip from an abusive home. Tulip went on to give J.R. the best fifteen years of his life, and quite possibly the best thing in Tulip's life was J.R. Both had instant chemistry and expressed a strong love for each other. Coming from a cat lover, My Dog Tulip was beautiful in every category.The animation was not CGI, it was hand drawn on a tablet which wound up to be over 100,000 still drawings. I've never seen a film done like this and I've never seen a film quite like this. The animation is scratchy, but it manages to capture the beauty even without it being polished and glorified. It doesn't need to be. It is a complete throwback, and if it would've been made with CGI it would ruin the film.J.R. Ackerley was an openly gay man and often expressed that he was in his writings. He admitted he was after his parents died because of the time period he grew up in where being gay was the absolute worst thing that could've happened to you. Thankfully it isn't like that now. J.R. never found the right partner, but told us in the movie and in the novel My Dog Tulip that it was Tulip who served as his mate.Tulip's behavior would become increasingly protective when another woman came to see J.R., mainly his sister Nancy, Tulip would bark uncontrollably and demand undivided attention from him. She didn't like J.R. with other women. Tulip wanted J.R. to be his only.My Dog Tulip could easily be mistaken as a movie for a young child. One between the ages of four and nine. It is not. The film is totally geared towards adults, or understanding adolescents. It is equipped with dry British humor and a very soft spoken voice. The narrator is always calm, even at the most tense of times.The film deals with topics like love and the menstrual cycle of dogs. It is something many children will not get or even be interested in. They will just want to see the doggy.Compared to a film like Marley & Me, My Dog Tulip holds up a lot better most likely because it is true and not a work of realistic fiction. Marley & Me was nice at showing how bad a dog can be, but My Dog Tulip shows how good and sweet a dog can be to a human. Two totally different films, that are both nicely done in their own way.We all know what happens at the end, it isn't suspenseful. Tulip grows old and dies at fifteen after giving birth to several puppies. Tulip's story is very sweet and soft, even at it's saddest. J.R. died at the age of seventy in 1967. His spirit will continue to live on in his books and this heartwarming and caring film. Easily overlooked for the animation category in the 2010 Academy Awards.NOTE: My Dog Tulip was actress Lynn Redgrave's final performance before passing away on May 2, 2010. R.I.P.Starring: Christopher Plummer and Lynn Redgrave. Directed by: Paul Fierlinger.