Although Otto learns the value of community and learns to open up throughout the film, he does eventually die from heart disease. However, his impact on the community does not go unnoticed.
Tom Hanks plays the lead role in the film as the downtrodden Otto.
What really sets this film apart from other films with similar messages is that it does not try too hard to be philosophical and is an all-around heart-warming film that the entire family will be able to follow and enjoy.
One of the main elements that make the film so easy to follow is that, unlike the main character, the film does not have many dramatic events.
While Otto makes a big fuss about every small rule that anyone around him breaks, the overall tone of the film is much more similar to that of a sitcom.
This pacing allows time for viewers to get to know Otto as the incredibly grumpy old neighbour who harasses all of his neighbours.
But it also gives you time to see his friendship with Marisol and the other neighbours grow and change with time as he learns not to keep them at arm’s length.
As their friendship develops, Otto also eventually opens up to Marisol about his grief over losing his wife and his multiple suicide attempts.
Later on in the film, Otto collapses and he is swiftly taken to the hospital. When he arrives, it is revealed that he made Marisol his emergency contact and his nurse informs her that Otto’s heart is enlarged.
Although this ends up being one of the sweetest moments in the entire film, it does act as the precursor to Otto’s fate and he ends up passing away about a year later from his enlarged heart.
This may seem like an extremely sad ending to an already dreary film, but in the end, the relationships that Otto formed with the other people in his neighbourhood have a positive impact on them, even after his death.
Why is Otto so grumpy at the start of the film?
In the beginning of the film, Otto is painted as a real scrooge-like character who yells and disciplines everyone, from his neighbours to delivery drivers.
As Otto grows closer to Marisol throughout the course of the film, he starts feeling comfortable enough in her company to admit that he is really struggling with the grieving process for his late wife, Sonya.
This, paired with his heart condition, made him feel like it was worthless to put any effort into maintaining relationships or building new ones.
What brings Otto closer to his neighbours again?
Marisol is not the only neighbour that Otto connects with within the film. When he starts to learn that there are benefits to the support of the community, he also helps many of his other neighbours by preventing Dye and Merica from purchasing their properties and kicking them out of their homes.
This emphasises the message in the film that the sense of fellowship and support that you get from a loving community should not be overlooked. Especially when it comes to your daily life and mental health struggles.
Why is the ending of Otto not sad even though he dies?
At the beginning of A Man Called Otto, a large part of the reason why Otto is so sceptical of being pleasant to the people around him is that he realises that he will not live much longer with his heart condition.
However, even after he passes away, the things that that he ended up doing for his community in the film still make them feel safe and loved.
This includes the fact that he kept the property developers from taking their neighbourhood, but also the fact that he prepared for his death by leaving detailed instructions for what to do when he died and even gifted his home to Marisol and her family.
This ends the film on a positive note, rather than allowing it to fixate on Otto’s death the way he did with Sonya’s.
