My Giraffe is a heartwarming Dutch family movie that follows the story of a young boy named Tesse and his new best friend, a giraffe named Raff. The film, which was released in 2017, stars Liam de Vries as Tesse, Martijn Fischer as his dad, and Dolores Leeuwin as his teacher. The movie opens with Tesse, a quiet and reserved boy, sitting alone in his classroom daydreaming about having a friend. He has trouble making friends and is often bullied by his classmates. One day on his walk home from school, Tesse discovers a giraffe in the local zoo, who looks sad and lonely just like him.
The next day, Tesse decides to draw a picture of the giraffe in class and his teacher, Ms. Van Amstel, noticing his passion for the animal, decides to take him to the zoo to see the giraffe up close. At the zoo, Tesse forms a connection with the giraffe and the two become instant friends.
After the zoo, Tesse and his dad walk home and Tesse tries to convince his dad to let him keep Raff in their backyard. His dad, who is scared of animals, is hesitant at first but eventually agrees to let Tesse keep the giraffe. Tesse transforms his backyard into a makeshift zoo and tries to keep Raff hidden from his neighbors and his dad's boss who is coming over for dinner.
But keeping a giraffe hidden in a suburban backyard proves to be a challenge and Tesse begins to face some difficult situations. He must find food for Raff, keep him cool during the hot summer days, and keep him from being discovered by the wrong people.
Despite the challenges, Tesse's friendship with Raff brings him joy and a newfound confidence. He shares his love for Raff with his classmates and becomes more comfortable in his own skin.
Along the way, Tesse learns some valuable lessons about friendship, compassion, and the importance of standing up for what you believe in. The movie is a beautiful tale of a boy and his animal companion and their journey to find connection and belonging in the world.
Overall, My Giraffe is a charming and uplifting film that will warm your heart and leave you with a smile on your face. The performances by the young Liam de Vries and Martijn Fischer as his dad are exceptional, bringing the story to life with their natural and heartfelt acting. This movie is perfect for families with young children or anyone who loves a good feel-good story.
My Giraffe is a 2019 family movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 14 minutes.
It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.5.