My Life So Far (1999)

To me, this movie is perfection.

Did you people see the same film I saw?

A lot of fun.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

This is one of the least know, but most charming films I have ever scene.seen.Every child deserves to have a father like Edward Pettigrew (Firth). As Frazier describes his father, " Father is an inventer and a genius!!!"The film begins with a toddler Frazier, disliking his rest time, decides to have an adventure by crawling around the roof of the family castle in Argyll, Scotland. Father climbs down the steep roof with a rope attached to his waist and rescues wee Frazier, all the while barking like a dog. Frazier, (who makes comments throughout the film), observes that at that time in his life, he and his father ONLY communicated in DOG, the language they both spoke best.Naturally the film has a romantic and potentially explosively moment between Father and his brother-in-law's fiance- a 24 year old French muscian who is quite beautiful and charming. She is also very wise for her years and managed to defuse the situation before it blows up. Never-the-less, the wife, played beautifully by Mary Elizabeth Mastreontonio, finds out at a crucial moment in the film and those rock-solid marriage nearly ends at a most tragic time in young Frazier's life.But father, being a genius, finds a way to heal the wounds caused by his split-second decision to give in to his baser instincts. The WAY he gets his wife to forgive him and laugh again is pure magic.Colin Firth never looked so handsome. Not even his glorious Mr. Darcy is so appealing. This role gives him the opportunity to show all his sides. His glorious, looney sense of humor as well as his gift for drama without words. Here he is active, leaping into a freezing cold Locke, running up and down stairs, inventing things, saving his son, dancing with his wife. He gets to laugh and cry and be HUMAN.For those who discovered Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy, My Life So Far is the glorious update!My Life So Far in DVD has a place on honor in my collection of over 500 DVD's and VHS' One of my favorites, and, I hope soon to be yours.

This film had great potential, but it was too ambitious and tried to be too inclusive in telling the story. There are really two main story lines here: (1)Young Fraser's (Robbie Norman) coming of age and (2) His father Edward's (Colin Firth) misadventures.Fraser's story (which the title implies is the point of the film) is fabulous. It is a whimsical and witty look at the coming of age of a ten year old boy in 1920's Scotland. He learns about sex by furtively studying his grandfather's books and pictures of unclad women. Put in the context of a completely naive ten year old mind, he develops some funny interpretations of the subject that are routinely and innocently blurted out in the presence of adults, usually to the mortification of his parents. This was a wonderful story and his journey to manhood should have been the subject of the entire movie.The second story line was dull, and encumbered the film. This is the story of Fraser's father Edward. It centers around two key subplots. The first is his kooky childlike lifestyle, including crazy inventions and ineffective businesses. The second is his obsession with his Uncle Morris's (Malcolm McDowell) fiancée. Other subplots in this story line include a rivalry between Edward and Morris for the inheritance of the castle. This overly dramatic subplot bogs down the film ruins the comedic and mirthful elements provided in Fraser's story.The cinematography was splendid, helped greatly by the beauty of the Scottish countryside and the magnificence of the Castle the family called home. Fortunately, there was a character with an airplane that gave director Hugh Hudson a convenient excuse to show aerial views of the castle and the countryside which were simply breathtaking. The photography in this film is reason enough to see it.The acting was excellent. Though I wish the character had less emphasis, Colin Firth was excellent as Edward, the quirky father figure. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio gave a fine performance in a minor role as Moira, Edward's wife and the mother of his ten children. Once again, she had an opportunity to showcase her beautiful singing voice (see "Limbo" if you want to really hear her sing). Malcolm McDowell and Irene Jacob were also excellent as the uncle and aunt.The best performance by far was that of Robbie Norman as young Fraser. He was full of innocent mischief and gave a convincing portrayal of the curiosity and nescience of youth.I gave this film a 7/10. If you enjoy interesting character studies, slice of life films, beautiful scenery and comedy spawned of innocence, you will love this film. Had they stayed with the main story line, I probably would have given it a 10.

My Life So Far is a charming film, sweet without being syrupy, endearing but not bland, pointed yet not preachy. It is a gently meandering memoir of an idyllic age and place which probably never really was, but which we wish to believe existed once upon a time, populated by people we would be happy to know. Mostly, it is the joyous celebration of a devoted, loving, though imperfect, family, which not only survives its crises, but is, one feels, strengthened by them.The cinematography is breathtaking, making the most of the lush landscape, the opulent sets and the expressive actors. The screenplay is filled with poignant moments, both humorous and dramatic, while the acting is quietly beautiful and detailed, from Rosemary Harris' superb Gamma to Robert Norman's refreshing 10-year old Fraser. Colin Firth's stunningly rich, yet understated, performance as Edward, the complex father, by turns madcap inventor, loving husband, hypocrite, fool and life-embracing dreamer is a wonder.My Life So Far provides a delightfully rewarding escape from our rude, crude world to a paradise which, if not perfect, is perfectly enchanting.

I think I would never have been to see this movie if it hadn't been for Colin Firth. I don't love family dramas, mostly because it's always based on the parents point of view, even if the central hero is a child. As I am always on the side of the child, it seemed to me, while I was watching the movie, that I was the only one who truly see how much this child was abused.In "My life so far", the young Fraser is caught between an irresponsible father who beats him and a mother who doesn't protect him. And even if the camera shows us his suffering and his fear, it always pushes us to to forgive and forget what has just happened. Mostly because at the same time we are expected to be bewitched by his father's desire for a French cellist. Of course he is gorgeous, and the desire we see in his eyes is breathtaking, but clearly the script wants us to love and forgive this child-like father at any cost, even at the cost of his own son. The last scene is pretty clear on that subject: the film doesn't end on Fraser but on his father, who is now so"good" to let him drink, smoke and watch pornographic photos. What is the moral of this? The father stays irresponsible and his last smile wants us to believe that he is changed and that he is a good father.As I love Colin Firth's acting so much, I must say I am very puzzled by this movie. He plays very well indeed, that is not the problem, he has all the subtleties the character demands, but the film just doesn't amount to anything. No one really seems to care enough for Fraser and it seems that it is the only reason why the father takes up so much place in the movie. This idealized father that even Fraser calls a genius. But how could he ever say the contrary since nobody ever tells him that what he feels when he suffers is true?