A Man Called Otto | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

FAQs

Was Otto autistic? ›

Otto's character traits are highly emblematic of autism since autistic people tend to have very literal thought patterns toward everything, which is exemplified by Otto's argument with the staff at the hardware store over his rope purchase.

While it may seem like it could be about real-life events, A Man Called Otto isn't actually a true story, nor is it even based on one. The film is actually a remake of a 2015 Swedish movie called A Man Called Ove, directed by Hannes Holm and starring Rolf Lassgård as its grouchy protagonist.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can cause symptoms like shortness of breath, arrhythmias, fainting, and even chest pain. This is what Otto struggles with throughout the film, and it's his hypertrophic cardiomyopathy that ultimately leads to his death. He's also unable to join the military because of his condition.

But, of course, Otto is played by Tom Hanks, the beloved Jimmy Stewart of this era, and you and I know immediately that a way will be found for his true nature to emerge. The film opens six months after Otto's cherished wife Sonya (Rachel Keller) has died of cancer.

The film never delves deeply into his mental health, though he is definitely suffering from depression following the passing of his wife and probably has either OCD or something close to it. It does dwell on his physical health – namely a heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

When he attempts suicide, the noose collapses from the ceiling, so he visits Sonya's grave, and has flashbacks to their past: as a young man, he was rejected from the army due to his hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and met Sonya on a train, where she lent him a 1964 silver quarter he has kept ever since.

Sonya died of cancer offscreen presumably in her early sixties, which is Otto's general age range in the film. Otto and Sonya left behind no children due to a tragic situation that was revealed through the film's flashback sequences.

Otto is a grumpy old man who is aging, has a heart problem, and is both devastated and isolated, having recently lost his wife. He no longer has any reason or desire to live. There are several incidents where he tries to commit suicide and fails miserably.

Both Rune and Reuben have Alzheimer's but Reuben is depicted as paralyzed and in a wheelchair. Otto still doesn't seem to have forgiven Reuben for being a Ford man instead of a loyal Chrysler customer. To make matters even more unforgivable, Reuben buys a Toyota! The “coup” still looms large in Otto's memory as well.

The main messages from A Man Called Otto are that even when everything looks desperate there's still hope, and we can find new meaning to life if we look for it. Values in A Man Called Otto that you could reinforce with your children include persistence, kindness and hope.

What is the difference between A Man Called Ove and A Man Called Otto? ›

Differences Between 'A Man Called Otto' & 'A Man Called Ove'

In Otto, the characters speak English and live in America rather than talk in Swedish and reside in Sweden. These surface-level adjustments are why the character of Ove is now called Otto (Tom Hanks) in the American remake.

In his new movie, A Man Called Otto, Tom Hanks plays a grumpy widower who never had children. However, the cast includes one of Tom's real-life kids.

The movie's subplot is that Otto also has obsessive-compulsive disorder — OCD. He established a daily routine that benefits his neighbors to compensate for the disorder.

First, Gump likely falls somewhere on the Autism Spectrum. In fact, in a paper published in 1996 by Dr. Shinji Ijichi, M.D. and Dr. Naomi Ijichi, M.D., Forrest Gump has that very diagnosis based on information gleaned from Groom's novel.

In the original movie, Ove resided in Sweden, whereas Otto lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Given the circ*mstances of the remake's new location, it makes sense that Ove's name was changed to Otto, who is Ove's American counterpart.