If you delve further into the plot of a movie or book, especially those that have the power to make you cry, you can always learn something new. After all, this is what we say every day on these pages, and this movie doesn’t change that: Based on the 2012 Swedish author Fredrik Backman novel A Man Called Ove, the 2022 movie A Man Called Otto is directed by Marc Forster. There is a great actual tale behind the movie, even though it was inspired by a book. Let’s investigate.
The official A Man Called Otto trailer is available to view on YouTube.
What Really Happened in A Man Called Otto?
In A Man Called Otto, the protagonist Otto Anderson is depicted as an elderly man. He recently left his job, his wife passed away a few months prior, and now his life seems pointless. He intends to kill himself, but a series of events make him understand there are still some goals he can achieve. He will feel like he still has “things to do” when his neighbors settle into their new house, his old friends are forced to move out of their home, and a young child is drawn closer to him.
Although the story in the 2012 book A Man Called Ove is fictional, Fredrik Backman was inspired to write the book in part by a genuine story. The book served as the basis for the 2012 film A Man Called Ove. A few years prior, Backman was a freelancer for the Swedish magazine Cafe when one of his coworkers published a blog entry about an unidentified man by the name of Ove. When this coworker saw him while purchasing a ticket at a museum, he lost his cool in front of everyone. The situation pleased the colleague so much that he wrote about it, but the wife had to arbitrate between him and the museum staff.
Backman’s spouse read that post and said, “This is what life is like with you!” This gave the author the idea to create a collection of short stories featuring the fictitious character Ove, who was somewhat based on the museum visitor but primarily incorporated features from himself. Post by post, Fredrik Backman became aware that he was creating a real character who might grow into a full book. In this New York Times interview, he said, “There’s a lot of me in him.” “We get angry because people don’t understand why we’re angry, and it’s about a principle,” the speaker said. As you may recall, the opening scene of the film A Man Called Otto features a similar outburst from the lead character.
Getting Fredrik Backman’s book published wasn’t simple. His novel was turned down by many publishing houses because they didn’t think it would sell. After being approved by Bokförlaget Forum, the book went on to sell more than 2.8 million copies worldwide, making it one of the most well-known Swedish works ever. A Man Called Ove, a 2015 Swedish film adaption, was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The second popular film based on that novel will star Tom Hanks and be released in 2022.