Gerontophilia (film)
| Gerontophilia | |
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.jpg) Theatrical release cover | |
| Directed by | Bruce LaBruce |
| Produced by |
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| Screenplay by |
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| Story by | Bruce LaBruce |
| Starring |
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| Music by | Ramachandra Borcar |
| Cinematography | Nicolas Canniccioni |
| Edited by | Glenn Berman |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Filmoption International |
Release date |
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Running time | 82 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $2 million |
| Box office | $80,000[1] |
Gerontophilia is a 2013 Canadian romantic comedy-drama film directed by Bruce LaBruce[2] and written by LaBruce and Daniel Allen Cox. The film had its world premiere in the Venice Days section at the 70th Venice International Film Festival on August 28, 2013,[3] and was screened in the Vanguard section at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival.[4]
Described as a gay Harold and Maude,[2] the film follows Lake, a young man who takes a job in a nursing home and develops a romantic and sexual attraction to Mr. Peabody, an elderly resident in the facility. Unlike most of LaBruce's earlier films, Gerontophilia is not sexually explicit; instead, LaBruce chose to adapt his traditional themes of sexual taboo into a film more palatable to a mainstream audience.[5]
Summary
Lake is an 18-year-old college student who discovers that he has a romantic attraction to older men even though he is already in a relationship with his girlfriend Désirée. One day, he applies for a nursing job at a retirement home, where he meets an older man named Mr. Peabody, and the two of them become close friends as Lake is working at the facility. After a while, the two men develop a romantic and sexual relationship. After noticing that the residents are being overdosed on their medication by the employees, Lake decides to take Peabody off his daily medication and help him escape to a better place. This results in the two of them taking a cross-country road trip together that deepens their bond.
Cast
- Walter Borden as Mr. Peabody
- Pier-Gabriel Lajoie as Lake
- Marie-Hélène Thibault as Marie
- Katie Boland as Désirée
- Yardly Kavanagh as Nurse Baptiste
- Shawn Campbell as Bradley Nelson
- Jean-Alexandre Létourneau as Kevin
- Dana Wright as Dina
- Brian D. Wright as Mr. Guerrero
Production
Bruce LaBruce gave Gerontophilia an almost timeless appearance, creating a 1970s atmosphere by shooting the film with an ARRI Alexis whilst using some Zeiss prime lenses from the era.[6]
The film received funding from both Telefilm Canada and SODEC,[2] as well as a crowd funding campaign on Indiegogo.[7]
Critical reception
Dave Croyle of Gay Essential called the film a "captivating story of love, loss, and personal exploration."[8]
Rakesh Ramchurn of The Independent commented, "It is rare that I would salute a predominantly underground director's move towards mainstream filmmaking, but by toning down the sex and nudity of his previous works, LaBruce has made a film that I hope will be enjoyed by wide audiences in the months to come."[9]
References
- ↑ "Gerontophilia". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2015-06-05.
- 1 2 3 "Bruce LaBruce's 'Gerontophilia' to Shoot This Summer Canada-Wide". The Hollywood Reporter, May 22, 2012.
- ↑ "Gerontophilia". Venice Days. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
- ↑ "Gerontophilia". TIFF. Archived from the original on August 17, 2013. Retrieved 2013-08-11.
- ↑ "Marie-Hélène Thibault et Pier-Gabriel Lajoie dans «Gerontophilia», un film de Bruce LaBruce tourné à Montréal". The Huffington Post, December 19, 2012.
- ↑ Dave Croyle (2014). "Sexual Revolution, Gay Essential Talks to Bruce LaBruce". Gay Essential. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
- ↑ "Bruce LaBruce Wants Help to Make 'Gerontophilia'". Out, December 19, 2012.
- ↑ Croyle, Dave (November 7, 2014). "Essential Opinion: Gerontophilia". Gay Essential. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
- ↑ Ramchurn, Rakesh (March 24, 2014). "Gerontophilia, film review: A light-hearted tale of inter-generational desire". The Independent. Retrieved July 25, 2018.