Tom Hanks glowers in a scene from “A Man Called Otto.”

Using every emotionally manipulative trick in the book, director Marc Forster and star Tom Hanks give American audiences their version of a widely praised Swedish book and film — and with it, countless tears despite a ton of cloying cliches.

Based on the novel “A Man Called Ove,” by Fredrik Backman, and its subsequent film adaptation written and directed by Hannes Holm, “A Man Called Otto” brings things stateside. Hanks stars as the cantankerous Otto Anderson, a man who wants things done a certain way, and thinks those who can’t do things his way are idiots.

The film centers around Otto and his decision to end his life. Having lost his wife six months before the events of the film, he is determined to join her in the great beyond. As such, his attempts at suicide are clearly depicted throughout the film. Viewers should take caution if they are triggered by incidents of death or attempts at suicide, especially elder suicide.

Otto has also been pushed to the brink beyond his wife’s passing. He’s been forced into retirement, his neighbors and friends are slowly being forced out by a nefarious development, and a new neighbor has just moved in to disturb his otherwise planned-out death.

Parents Marisol and Tommy (Mariana Treviño and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) have two kids and a third on the way. They are lively and fun, and their incredibly neighborly characteristics (as well as a weak ceiling bracket) keep Otto from going through with hanging himself. But Otto is stubborn and continues to try, each time interrupted, either by Marisol or another neighbor in need of something. While Otto is a grump, he still wants to see things done right.

His objective doesn’t immediately change, but we see him soften because of Marisol and her family, along with a few other people and things: trans leafleteer Malcolm (Mack Bayda), old friends and longtime neighbors Anita and Ruben (Juanita Jennings and Peter Lawson Jones), who are on the brink of losing their home. Even the memories of his wife and himself at a younger age, and the man Otto saves after falling on train tracks Otto was set to jump on himself.

“Otto” is a fine film but contains just about every cliche it possibly can. Nothing is particularly surprising, and while the script has some genuinely funny lines and some touching moments, everything feels a bit too simplistic and, at times, out of touch.

Hanks and Treviño are great paired together. They provide the better performances out of the entire cast; after all, it’s pretty much their film. The rest of the cast feels much less defined.

David Magee delivers a script formulated to pull at every heartstring, even when you see it coming from a mile away. The entire film could’ve been more nuanced by limiting or leaving out entirely flashbacks Otto has as he’s about to attempt suicide. Truman Hanks (yes, son of Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson) plays the younger version of Otto alongside Rachel Keller, who plays his wife, Sonya, in these memories. While they’re nice little asides, they aren’t necessary for delivering the emotional impact the filmmakers are looking for: In fact, they just detract by making things schmaltzy, and the film loses impact when it needs it most.

There are also storylines that, while nice on the surface, feel incredibly forced. There are just too many threads left hanging or that are wrapped up too neatly and quickly.

There is nothing so bad about “A Man Called Otto” that audiences should avoid it. There are lovely moments that will leave tears streaming down your face, and the overall story is both melancholic and heartwarming. It will probably be a general crowd pleaser when all is said and done. But it loses the surprise nuance of something better crafted, and misses a lot of opportunities to make something more substantial in the processes.

On screens this week: “A Man Called Otto” gets a full wide release, Gerard Butler finds action in the jungle in “Plane” and a “House Party” reboot rages into theaters. French drama “Saint Omer” releases, as do Korean drama “Broker” and horror films “The Devil Conspiracy” and “Skinamarink.” Dropping on Hulu is the comedy “The Drop,” and on Netflix, a father and son reconnect while hiking the Appalachian trail in “Dog Gone.”

“A Man Called Otto”

126 minutes

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material involving suicide attempts, and language.

3 stars