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Elling
Norwegian theatrical poster
Directed by	Petter Næss
Written by	Ingvar Ambjørnsen (novel Brødre i blodet) Axel Hellstenius
Starring	Per Christian Ellefsen Sven Nordin Marit Pia Jacobsen Jørgen Langhelle Per Christensen Hilde Olausson Ola Otnes Eli Anne Linnestad Cecilie A. Mosli Joachim Rafaelsen Per Gørvell Knud Dahl Knut Haugmark
Cinematography	Svein Krøvel
Edited by	Inge-Lise Langfeldt
Music by	Lars Lillo-Stenberg
Production companies	Maipo Film- og TV Produksjon United International Pictures
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release dates	16 March 2001 (2001-03-16) (Norway) 19 April 2002 (2002-04-19) (U.S.)
Running time	89 minutes
Country	Norway
Language	Norwegian
Box office	750,000 admissions (Norway)^[1]

Elling is a Norwegian Black comedy film directed by Petter Næss. Shot mostly in and around the Norwegian capital Oslo, the film, which was released in 2001, is primarily based on Ingvar Ambjørnsen's novel Brødre i blodet ("Blood brothers", 1996), one of a series of four featuring the Elling character – the others are Utsikt til paradiset ("A view of paradise", 1993), Fugledansen ("The bird dance", 1995), and Elsk meg i morgen ("Love me tomorrow", 1999). The film was followed by an original prequel not based on any of the novels, Mors Elling (2003), and a sequel, Elsk meg i morgen (2005) based on the fourth and last book in the series.

Plot

The movie deals with the main character, Elling, a man with generalized anxiety in his 40s, and his struggle to function normally in society. He suffers from anxiety, dizziness, and neurotic tendencies, preventing him from living on his own. Elling has lived with his mother for his entire life, and when his mother dies, the authorities take him from the house where he has always lived and send him to an institution. His roommate is the simpleminded, sex-obsessed Kjell Bjarne. The Norwegian government pays for the two to move into an apartment in Oslo, where every day is a challenge as they must prove they can get out into the real world and lead relatively normal lives. With the help of social worker Frank and a few new friends, they learn to break free from their respective conditions. Elling eventually discovers a new vocation as a rebel poet, as Kjell befriends a pregnant woman with a drink problem which finally becomes a romance. The film ends with both men as firm friends, embarking on new lives filled with hope.

Cast

Elling — (Per Christian Ellefsen)
Kjell Bjarne — (Sven Nordin)
Reidun Nordsletten — (Marit Pia Jacobsen)
Frank Åsli — (Jørgen Langhelle)
Alfons Jørgensen — (Per Christensen)
Gunn — (Hilde Olausson)
Hauger — (Ola Otnes)
Johanne — (Eli Anne Linnestad)
Cecilie Kornes — (Cecilie A. Mosli)
Haakon Willum — (Joachim Rafaelsen)
Eriksen — (Per Gørvell)
Servitør på bar — (Knud Dahl)
Stasjonsbetjent — (Knut Haugmark)

Reception

Critical response

Elling has an approval rating of 85% on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 59 reviews, and an average rating of 7.10/10. The website's critical consensus states: "Quirky without being overly cutesy, Elling is a gentle, warm comedy".^[2] Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 70 out of 100, based on 21 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".^[3]