Bo Widerberg, who’s best known for the international hit “Elvira Madigan,” wrote and directed this family melodrama, which was nominated for the Foreign Language Oscar.
The tale’s protag is Anders (Thommy Berggren), a youngster who works at a factory in Malimo, but dreams of being a writer. He lives with his parents in a poor section of the city. Anders’ father is a drunk whose desire for middle-class respectability keeps him from employment, while his mother struggles as a washerwoman to earn enough money to make ends meet
When Anders’ first novel is rejected by the publisher, he turns for sympathy to their neighbor and they fall in love. But he gets scared by her pregnancy and wish to marry him, fearing that his life might be just as miserable as that of his parents.
Rest of the film deals with Anders’ dilemma of whether to give up his dream and raise a family or to head to Stockholm for a more hopeful future.
Oscar Nominations: 1
Best Foreign Language Oscar
Oscar Awards: None
Oscar Context:
The winner of the Best Foreign Language Oscar was the Italian comedy, “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow,” starring Sophia Loren. The other nominees were: “Sallah” from Israel, “The Umbrellas of Cherbourgh” from France, and “Woman in the Dunes” from Japan.