A Boy Called Po

Last updated
A Boy Called Po
A Boy Called Po film poster.jpeg
Film poster
Directed by John Asher
Screenplay byColin Goldman
Produced byJohn Asher
Rod Hamilton
Starring Christopher Gorham
Julian Feder
Kaitlin Doubleday
CinematographySteven Douglas Smith
Edited byJohn Asher
Music by Burt Bacharach
Production
companies
Commonwealth Film Manufacturing
New Coast Productions
Release date
Running time
95 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

A Boy Called Po (also known as Po) is a 2016 American drama film directed by John Asher and written by Colin Goldman, based on a true story starring Christopher Gorham, Julian Feder, and Kaitlin Doubleday. When his wife dies of cancer, an overworked engineer struggles to care for his son with autism. In response to bullying, the young boy regresses into a fantasy world escape. The score for the film was composed by Burt Bacharach. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Cast

Reception

RogerEbert.com states: "The intentions behind "A Boy Called Po" are not only good, but honorable." [4] Dove.org considers: "Po is an inspiring story about a committed father, David Wilson (Christopher Gorham), and his love and concern for his autistic son, Patrick, fondly called “Po”." [5] Movieguide.org states: "A Boy Called Po is an engaging, low budget movie with a strong, powerful climax. There are a few endings after the climax, but they each resolve several important issues. The heart of this movie is the relationship between the father and his son." [6]

Awards

In 2016, the film won the Gold Remi Award at Worldfest Houston, the Festival Award for Breakthrough Feature at the San Diego International Film Festival, Best Feature at the Palm Beach International Film Festival, Outstanding Achievement in Filmmaking, Music, at the Newport Beach Film Festival, Best Actor (Julian Feder) at the Albuquerque Film & Music Experience, Best Actor (Julian Feder) at the Young Artists Awards as well as being nominated for many other accolades. [7] [ better source needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dionne Warwick</span> American singer (born 1940)

Marie Dionne Warwick is an American singer, actress, and television host. She is one of the most successful female artists in the history of popular music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burt Bacharach</span> American pianist, composer, songwriter and producer (1928–2023)

Burt Freeman Bacharach was an American composer, songwriter, record producer, and pianist who is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential figures of 20th-century popular music. Starting in the 1950s, he composed hundreds of pop songs, many in collaboration with lyricist Hal David. Bacharach's music is characterized by unusual chord progressions and time signature changes, influenced by his background in jazz, and uncommon selections of instruments for small orchestras. He arranged, conducted, and produced much of his recorded output.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hal David</span> American lyricist (1921–2012)

Harold Lane David was an American lyricist. He grew up in New York City. He was best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach and his association with Dionne Warwick.

<i>Lost Horizon</i> (1973 film) 1973 film by Charles Jarrott

Lost Horizon is a 1973 musical fantasy adventure film directed by Charles Jarrott and starring Peter Finch, Liv Ullmann, Sally Kellerman, George Kennedy, Michael York, Olivia Hussey, Bobby Van, James Shigeta, Charles Boyer and John Gielgud. It was also the final film produced by Ross Hunter. The film is a remake of Frank Capra's 1937 film of the same name, with a screenplay by Larry Kramer. Both stories were adapted from James Hilton's 1933 novel Lost Horizon.

<i>The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time</i> 2003 mystery novel by Mark Haddon

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a 2003 mystery novel by British writer Mark Haddon. Its title refers to an observation by the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes in the 1892 short story "The Adventure of Silver Blaze". Haddon and The Curious Incident won the Whitbread Book Awards for Best Novel and Book of the Year, the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book, and the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize. Unusually, it was published simultaneously in separate editions for adults and children.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Würth 400</span> NASCAR Cup Series spring race at Dover Motor Speedway

The Würth 400 is a 400-mile (640 km) NASCAR Cup Series stock car race held annually at Dover Motor Speedway in Dover, Delaware in the spring.

<i>Scotland, PA</i> 2001 film by William Morrissette

Scotland, PA is a 2001 American black comedy crime film written and directed by Billy Morrissette as a modernized retelling of Macbeth. The film stars James LeGros, Maura Tierney, and Christopher Walken. The Shakespearean tragedy, originally set in Dunsinane Castle in 11th-century Scotland, is reworked into a dark comedy set in 1975, centered on "Duncan's Cafe", a fast-food restaurant in the small town of Scotland, Pennsylvania. The film was shot in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher Gorham</span> American actor (born 1974)

Christopher David Gorham is an American actor. He is best known for his work on television, particularly for playing Henry Grubstick on the ABC comedy-drama series Ugly Betty, Auggie Anderson on the action-drama series Covert Affairs, Bob Barnard on the dark comedy-drama series Insatiable, Harrison John on The WB’s teen comedy-drama series Popular, Henry Dunn in the limited slasher series Harper's Island, and Trevor Elliott on the legal drama series The Lincoln Lawyer.

<i>Painted from Memory</i> 1998 studio album by Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello

Painted from Memory is a collaboration album by Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach, released on 29 September 1998 through Mercury Records, a division of Universal Music Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trijntje Oosterhuis</span> Dutch singer and songwriter (born 1973)

Judith Katrijntje "Trijntje" Oosterhuis is a Dutch singer and songwriter. She formed the band Total Touch in 1990 with her brother Tjeerd Oosterhuis before she started as a solo singer. She represented the Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 with the song "Walk Along", placing fourteen in the first semi-final with 33 points and winning the Barbara Dex Award of the year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Look of Love (1967 song)</span> 1967 popular song by Burt Bacharach and Hal David

"The Look of Love" is a popular song composed by Burt Bacharach and Hal David and originally popularized by English pop singer Dusty Springfield. The song is notable for its sensuality and its relaxed bossa nova rhythm. The song was featured in an extended slow-motion interlude to the 1967 spoof James Bond film Casino Royale. In 2008, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. It also received a Best Song nomination at the 1968 Academy Awards. The song partially inspired the film Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kaitlin Doubleday</span> American actress

Kaitlin Doubleday is an American actress. She played a number of supporting film roles in her early career, including in Waiting... (2005) and Accepted (2006). From 2015 to 2016, she starred as Rhonda Lyon in the Fox musical prime time soap opera Empire. In 2017, Doubleday joined the cast of CMT musical drama series Nashville, playing Jessie Caine. In 2019, she appeared as the lead in Christmas at Graceland: Home for the Holidays.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Fab</span> American film director

Joseph Edward Fabiszewski Jr., better known as "Joe Fab", is an American producer, writer and director.

<i>Saving God</i> 2008 Canadian film

Saving God is a 2008 Christian drama film written by Michael Jackson and directed by Duane Crichton. The film stars Ving Rhames, Dean McDermott and Ricardo Chavira, and was released on DVD and Blu-ray on October 18, 2008, by Cloud Ten Pictures and Clear Entertainment.

"Children of the Corn" is a short story by Stephen King, first published in the March 1977 issue of Penthouse, and later collected in King's 1978 collection Night Shift. The story has been adapted into several films, spawning a horror feature film franchise of the same name beginning in 1984. In 2009, the story was included in the book Stephen King Goes to the Movies.

<i>The Reason I Jump</i> 2007 biography book by Naoki Higashida

The Reason I Jump: One Boy's Voice from the Silence of Autism is a biography attributed to Naoki Higashida, a nonverbal autistic person from Japan. It was first published in Japan in 2007. The English translation, by Keiko Yoshida and her husband, English author David Mitchell, was published in 2013.

<i>The Predator</i> (film) 2018 film by Shane Black

The Predator is a 2018 American science fiction action film directed by Shane Black, who co-wrote the script with Fred Dekker. It is the fourth installment in the series but counting crossovers sixth film in the overall Predator franchise, set between the events of Predator 2 (1990) and Predators (2010). Black had a supporting role in the original film, while John Davis returns as producer from the first three installments. The film also stars Boyd Holbrook, Trevante Rhodes, Jacob Tremblay, Keegan-Michael Key, Olivia Munn, Thomas Jane, Alfie Allen, and Sterling K. Brown. The film follows a group of PTSD-afflicted soldiers and a scientist who must team up to fight off an invading pair of Predators and discover their plans for mankind.

<i>Life, Animated</i> 2016 American documentary film by Roger Ross Williams

Life, Animated is a 2016 American documentary by director Roger Ross Williams. It is co-produced by Williams with Julie Goldman, Carolyn Hepburn and Christopher Clements. Life, Animated is based on journalist Ron Suskind's 2014 book Life, Animated: A Story of Sidekicks, Heroes, and Autism, which tells the story of his son, Owen Suskind, who struggled with autism and learned how to communicate with the outside world through his love of Disney films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josie James</span> American singer

Josephine James is a Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, and recording artist. James is best known for her performances on Burt Bacharach’s world tours, such as her feature song “Anyone Who Had a Heart". James is also the lead vocalist of George Duke, the band. James' co-wrote her solo albums Candles, Songcity, Hit Factory, and That Jazz with producer Nigel Martinez. James and Martinez also collaborated to release several UK singles: "Dance You Up," "Call Me ," "Now or Never," and "It's Up To Me." Her performance on "Street Life" from the album Royal Jam with The Crusaders, B.B. King, and The London Philharmonic Orchestra, recorded live at Royal Festival Hall, was nominated for a Grammy.

References

  1. Burlingame, Jon (January 5, 2017). "Burt Bacharach Writes From the Heart for 'Po' Score". www.variety.com.
  2. Shaundel, Noelle (20 December 2018). "Mind Palace: Easy Ways to Connect With Your Child's Creative Mind". autismparentingmagazine.com. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  3. Burges, Megan (August 31, 2017). "'A Boy Called Po': An Honest Look at Autism". autism awareness.com. Archived from the original on August 24, 2018. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  4. O'Malley, Sheila (September 1, 2017). "A Boy Called Po". www.roberebert.com. Archived from the original on October 31, 2019. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  5. Carpenter, Edwin (April 26, 2016). "A Boy Called Po". dove.org. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  6. "Parental Love Smashes Communication Barriers". www.movieguide.org. 31 August 2017. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  7. "A Boy Called Po". IMDb. Archived from the original on 2017-09-22. Retrieved 2020-03-19.

A Boy Called Po at IMDb OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg