Mein Bruder ist ein Hund (2004)

Marietta wants a dog more than anything. Instead, all she has is a “stupid” little brother named Tobias. Because he is allergic to animal hair, they can’t have a dog in the apartment. For her ninth birthday, as so often, she gets a stuffed dog as a present. But even the “ninety-eighth” stuffed dog can’t satisfy her longing for a real one. And then she also gets a strange stone as a gift from the family’s African godchild. Marietta’s parents, Maria and Martin, are both committed to social and environmental causes. Maria runs a business whose proceeds benefit children in Africa, while Martin is working on a new eco-friendly vehicle. Since Martin devotes more attention to his work than to his family, Marietta’s parents sometimes argue. To get back on good terms, they go on vacation by themselves. During that time, Grandma Gerda looks after the children. Grandma, however, doesn’t like children. Left alone with a grumpy grandma and an annoying little brother, Marietta gets angry. She retreats to her room and reads again the letter that the African godchild sent with the gift. The letter is in English, so Marietta has some difficulty translating it. The stone is supposed to have magical powers. Marietta rubs the stone and wishes for a dog. And sure enough, a dog suddenly appears in the apartment. But where has her brother gone? Since the dog likes watching chickens and also likes caramel candies, Marietta quickly realizes that the dog is actually her brother, because her brother liked those things too. Marietta is happy. She is rid of her “stupid” little brother and has a dog. Marietta manages at first to fool her grandma and her parents, who are away, so that each thinks Tobias is with the other. It’s just a pity that everything will come out when her parents return. So she decides to test whether she can undo the spell. But the transformation back doesn’t work. Marietta needs advice from the African godchild, which she can get by email. To translate her request, she goes to an antique shop run by an Englishman. The dog causes some damage in the shop, so Marietta has to come up with 250 euros. Luckily, a producer spots the dog. The dog appears in an advertisement, and Marietta is able to get the money. The dog is so popular that it even gets another contract, for a TV series. Grandma Gerda is thrilled about that. She once wanted to become an actress, but was prevented from doing so by her child—Marietta’s father—when she was a single mother, so she’s glad to at least have a dog who acts. Meanwhile, a reply to the email has finally arrived: the magic stone grants only wishes that come from the very bottom of one’s heart. Since Marietta hadn’t truly wanted her brother back, it hadn’t worked. But when she is home alone in the evenings, because Grandma and the dog are at the studio until late, she realizes how lonely she is and how much she misses him. After that, all she wants is for the whole family to be together again, and so the transformation back works. Tobias wakes up during the night. His greatest wish has always been to appear on television. But he never managed to do that as a boy. So, with the help of the magic stone, Tobias wishes to be a dog again. After the transformation, the dog hides the stone. When Marietta wakes up, she is distraught that Tobias is a dog again. And now the stone is missing too! To make matters worse, her parents return. They have made up during their vacation. So her happiness would be complete—if only Tobias were there. Of course, no one believes Marietta when she says Tobias has turned into a dog. On top of that, the dog stayed overnight at the studio. Her little brother all alone? That just won’t do. So Marietta has to rescue him. She manages to outwit the studio guards and rescue the dog. After Marietta explains to the dog that her parents miss Tobias so much, he wants to be a boy again too, brings her the magic stone, and the transformation back succeeds. Now the family is completely happy, so Marietta no longer needs the magic stone and sends it back to the African godchild.