ALL THE LITTLE ANIMALS (1999)

ALL THE LITTLE ANIMALS (Lions Gate, 110 mins., R) Christian Bale plays Bobby, a dented young loner in London who, after his mother's death, runs away from his wealthy, sinister stepfather (Daniel Benzali, resembling a malevolent Daddy Warbucks) and finds companionship with Mr. Summers (crusty and unshaven John Hurt), a dented old loner in the West Country. The pleasurably weird novel by Walker Hamilton -- which veers into Stephen King territory when Bobby is forced to dig his own grave -- has been brought to the screen by director Jeremy Thomas with tender, sensuous attention to the tangled green landscape and the small creatures of the title, whom Mr. Summers cherishes almost above human life. Where the movie falters is in sustaining the tricky balance between pastoral life lessons and creepy suspense. B-

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