Beginners

Last updated
Beginners
Beginners Poster.jpg
Promotional poster
Directed by Mike Mills
Written byMike Mills
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyKasper Tuxen
Edited byOlivier Bugge Coutté
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed by Focus Features
Release dates
  • September 11, 2010 (2010-09-11)(TIFF)
  • June 3, 2011 (2011-06-03)(United States)
Running time
104 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$3.2 million [2]
Box office$14.3 million [2]

Beginners is a 2010 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Mike Mills. It tells the story of a man reflecting on the life and death of his father, while trying to forge a new romantic relationship with a woman dealing with father-issues of her own. The film is based on the coming out of Mills' own father at the age of 75, five years before his death. [3]

Contents

After its premiere at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival, the Los Angeles Times heralded Beginners as a "heady, heartfelt film" with a cast who have "a strong sense of responsibility to their real-world counterparts". [4] Christopher Plummer received numerous accolades for his performance in the film, including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Plot

(Throughout the film, scenes of Oliver Fields' memories of his deceased parents are intercut, as flashbacks, into the narrative of his developing relationship with Anna Wallace.)

In Los Angeles in 2003, a few months after the death of his father, Hal, from lung cancer, 38-year-old graphic designer Oliver often thinks about his relationship with Hal near the end of his life. Hal had come out to Oliver six months after Georgia, Hal's wife of 44 years and Oliver's mother, died of cancer, and explored life as an openly gay man from the age of 75 until he died four years later. He got active in the local gay community, found love with a much-younger man named Andy, and became closer to Oliver than he had been previously. Oliver helped Hal during his cancer treatments, and he noted the grace, good humor, and, sometimes, seeming-denial with which Hal faced his fate.

Hal and Georgia had known each other since high school, and eventually she asked him to marry her, saying she could "fix" his homosexuality. He saw a psychiatrist for a time and they were married until her death, but they always had a fairly cool relationship, and Oliver recalls his childhood with an unfulfilled, but loving, Georgia, while Hal, a museum director, was often absent, both physically and emotionally. Not wanting to end up like his parents, Oliver never settled for a passionless relationship, which has left him with only Hal's Jack Russell Terrier, Arthur, who does not like to be left alone, for company.

Oliver's work friends get him to go to a costume party, where he meets Anna, a French actress. Although she communicates by writing messages because she has laryngitis and temporarily cannot speak, they instantly connect. They go back to Anna's hotel room, where Oliver tells her about his parents, and they kiss, but then Anna asks if they can just go to sleep, and Oliver agrees. The next day, Anna has to go to New York for an audition, but she says she wants to see Oliver when she gets back. Inspired by his father's attitude towards the end of his life, Oliver decides to pursue a romance with Anna.

When Anna returns, she and Oliver see a lot of each other and fall in love. Eventually, he asks her to move in with him, and she does, but Anna, who left home when she was 16 and has a strained relationship with her depressive father and, like Oliver, is the one who has ended all of her serious romantic relationships, never unpacks her suitcase, which bothers Oliver. Things become awkward between them, as neither knows how to build a life with someone else, and, after a short time, Oliver says living together does not feel right, and Anna decides to move back to New York City.

Before long, Oliver misses Anna, but she does not answer his calls, so he drops Arthur off with Andy and flies to New York to talk to her. He calls her again from outside her apartment and she answers, and it turns out she never left Los Angeles. When Oliver gets home, Anna comes over, and, though they do not know what will happen next, they both seem optimistic about their future together.

Cast

Lou Taylor Pucci, the star of Mike Mills' previous film Thumbsucker (2005), has a cameo appearance in the film as the man dressed as a magician at the costume party.

Production

Much of the film is based on director Mike Mills' experiences after his own father came out of the closet following his mother's death. [5] It was shot using the Red One digital camera. [6] In Oliver's dining room, there is a poster for Siedem Razy Kobieta, the Polish name of the 1967 Shirley MacLaine film Woman Times Seven .

Music

Reception

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 85% based on 161 reviews, with an average score of 7.5/10; the site's "critics consensus" reads: "Wearing its twee heart on its sleeve, Beginners explores the depths of modern, multi-generational romance with wit and depth." [7] On Metacritic, which assigns a rating to reviews, the film has an average score of 81 out of 100, based on 36 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". [8]

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three-and-a-half stars out of four, writing: "It's a hopeful fable with deep optimism and a cheerful style that kids itself." [9] Peter Debruge of Variety called it "deeply poignant and disarmingly personal". [10] Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly wrote: "The movie darts, dreams, and sometimes seems to dance. The great Plummer, meanwhile, creates an inspiring, fully rounded man in late bloom, and McGregor responds with a performance to match." [5] Diego Costa of Slant Magazine said: "One of the most distinct pleasures of Beginners is the way it puts together fragments of someone's life — presumably the filmmaker's, although little does it matter — with humility, and without vying for some complete whole." [5] Calvin Wilson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch called the film "A lovably quirky comedy drama with a rhythm all its own." [5]

Accolades

In 2011, Beginners won the Gotham Award for Best Feature, which it shared with The Tree of Life . [11] For his performance, Christopher Plummer won numerous "supporting actor" awards, including at the National Board of Review Awards, Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards, Online Film Critics Society Awards, Denver Film Critics Society Awards, [12] Golden Globe Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, British Academy Film Awards, and Academy Awards. [13] Plummer also won Best Supporting Male at the Independent Spirit Awards, and the film was nominated for Best Feature, Best Director, and Best Screenplay at that event. [14] In addition, Plummer was nominated for the Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor. [15]

Notes

  1. ↑ The character is called "Juan" in the film, but named "Julio" in the film's credits.

Related Research Articles

<i>The Prince of Tides</i> 1991 American film by Barbra Streisand

The Prince of Tides is a 1991 American romantic drama film directed and co-produced by Barbra Streisand, from a screenplay written by Pat Conroy and Becky Johnston, based on Conroy's 1986 novel of the same name. It stars Streisand and Nick Nolte. It tells the story of the narrator's struggle to overcome the psychological damage inflicted by his dysfunctional childhood in South Carolina.

<i>Whats Love Got to Do with It</i> (1993 film) 1993 film directed by Brian Gibson

What's Love Got to Do with It is a 1993 American biographical film based on the life of American singer-songwriter Tina Turner. Directed by Brian Gibson and written by Kate Lanier from a uncredited story draft by the late Howard Ashman, based on Tina's 1986 autobiography I, Tina, it stars Angela Bassett as Tina and Laurence Fishburne as her abusive husband Ike Turner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher Plummer</span> Canadian actor (1929–2021)

Arthur Christopher Orme Plummer was a Canadian actor. His career spanned seven decades, gaining him recognition for his performances in film, stage, and television. He received multiple accolades, including an Academy Award, two Tony Awards, and two Primetime Emmy Awards, making him the only Canadian recipient of the "Triple Crown of Acting". He also received a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award as well as a nomination for a Grammy Award.

<i>Europa Europa</i> 1990 war drama film by Agnieszka Holland

Europa Europa is a 1990 historical war drama film directed by Agnieszka Holland, and starring Marco Hofschneider, Julie Delpy, Hanns Zischler, and André Wilms. It is based on the 1989 autobiography of Solomon Perel, a German-Jewish boy who escaped the Holocaust by masquerading as a Nazi and joining the Hitler Youth. Perel himself appears briefly as "himself" in the film's finale. The film's title refers to World War II's division of continental Europe, resulting in a constant national shift of allegiances, identities, and front lines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tatum O'Neal</span> American actress (born 1963)

Tatum Beatrice O'Neal is an American actress. At the age of 10, she became the youngest person ever to win an Academy Award, for her performance as Addie Loggins in Paper Moon co-starring her father, Ryan O'Neal. She later starred in the films The Bad News Bears, Nickelodeon, and Little Darlings, and appeared in guest roles in the television series Sex and the City, 8 Simple Rules, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

<i>Anna</i> (1987 film) 1987 film

Anna is a 1987 American comedy drama film directed by Yurek Bogayevicz and starring Sally Kirkland, Robert Fields, Paulina Porizkova, Steven Gilborn and Larry Pine. It was adapted by Agnieszka Holland from an unauthorized story by Holland and Bogayevicz, based on the real-life relationship of Polish actresses Elżbieta Czyżewska and Joanna Pacuła.

<i>Blue Sky</i> (1994 film) 1994 American film

Blue Sky is a 1994 American drama film directed by Tony Richardson and starring Jessica Lange, Tommy Lee Jones, Powers Boothe, Carrie Snodgress, Amy Locane, and Chris O'Donnell. It tells the story of a nuclear coverup. It was adapted by Rama Stagner, Arlene Sarner and Jerry Leichtling. The original music score was composed by Jack Nitzsche.

<i>The Piano Teacher</i> (film) 2001 film by Michael Haneke

The Piano Teacher is a 2001 erotic psychological drama film written and directed by Michael Haneke, based on the 1983 novel of the same name by Elfriede Jelinek. It tells the story of an unmarried piano teacher at a Vienna conservatory, living with her mother in a state of emotional and sexual disequilibrium, who enters into a sadomasochistic relationship with her student. A co-production of Austria and France, Haneke was given the opportunity to direct after previous attempts to adapt the novel by filmmakers Valie Export and Paulus Manker collapsed for financial reasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amanda Plummer</span> American-Canadian actress (born 1957)

Amanda Michael Plummer is an American-Canadian actress. She is known for her work on stage and for her roles in films including Joe Versus the Volcano (1990), The Fisher King (1991), Pulp Fiction (1994), and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013). Plummer won a Tony Award in 1982 for her performance in Agnes of God. She most recently appeared in the third season of Star Trek: Picard (2023).

<i>Italian for Beginners</i> 2000 Danish romantic comedy film

Italian for Beginners is a 2000 Danish romantic comedy film written and directed by Lone Scherfig, and starring Anders W. Berthelsen, Lars Kaalund and Peter Gantzler, together with Ann Eleonora Jørgensen, Anette Støvelbæk and Sara Indrio Jensen. The film was made by the austere principles of the Dogme 95 movement, including the use of handheld video cameras and natural lighting, and is known as Dogme XII. However, in contrast to most Dogme films which are harsh and serious in tone, Italian for Beginners is a light-hearted comedy. It was made on a $600,000 budget, and went on to gross over 27 times that.

Michael Chadbourne Mills is an American film and music video director, writer and graphic designer. He made his directorial debut with the independent film Thumbsucker (2005). His followup films include Beginners (2010), 20th Century Women (2016), and C'mon, C'mon (2021). Mills received an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay nomination for 20th Century Women.

<i>Damage</i> (1992 film) Film by Louis Malle

Damage is a 1992 romantic psychological drama film directed and produced by Louis Malle and starring Jeremy Irons, Juliette Binoche, Miranda Richardson, Rupert Graves, and Ian Bannen. Adapted by David Hare from the 1991 novel Damage by Josephine Hart, the film is about a British politician (Irons) who has a sexual relationship with his son's soon-to-be-fiancée and becomes increasingly obsessed with her. Richardson was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and won a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance as the aggrieved wife of the film's main character.

<i>The Color Purple</i> (1985 film) 1985 film by Steven Spielberg

The Color Purple is a 1985 American epic coming-of-age period drama film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Menno Meyjes. It is based on the Pulitzer Prize–winning 1982 novel of the same name by Alice Walker and was Spielberg's eighth film as a director, marking a turning point in his career as it was a departure from the summer blockbusters for which he had become known. It was also the first feature film directed by Spielberg for which John Williams did not compose the music, instead featuring a score by Quincy Jones, who also produced. The film stars Whoopi Goldberg in her breakthrough role, with Danny Glover, Oprah Winfrey, Margaret Avery, and Adolph Caesar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeannie Berlin</span> American actress and screenwriter

Jeannie Berlin is an American film, television and stage actress and screenwriter, the daughter of Elaine May. She is best known for her role in the 1972 comedy film The Heartbreak Kid, for which she received Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actress. She later played the leading role in Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York (1975), and has acted in films such as Margaret (2011), Inherent Vice (2014), Café Society (2016), The Fabelmans (2022), and You Hurt My Feelings (2023). She also acted in the HBO miniseries The Night Of (2016), Amazon Prime series Hunters (2020), and the HBO series Succession (2019–2023).

<i>The Best Intentions</i> 1992 film directed by Bille August

The Best Intentions is a 1991 Swedish television drama film directed by Bille August and written by Ingmar Bergman. It is semi-autobiographical, telling the story of the complex relationship between Bergman's parents, Erik Bergman and Karin Åkerblom, who are renamed Henrik and Anna in the film but retain their true surnames. The film documents the courtship and the difficult early years of their marriage, until the point when Anna becomes pregnant with their second son, who corresponds to Ingmar himself. Samuel Fröler and Pernilla August played Henrik and Anna, respectively.

<i>The Last Station</i> 2009 English-language German biographical film

The Last Station is a 2009 English-language German biographical drama film written and directed by Michael Hoffman, and based on Jay Parini's 1990 biographical novel of the same name, which chronicled the final months of Leo Tolstoy's life. The film stars Christopher Plummer as Tolstoy and Helen Mirren as his wife Sofya Tolstaya. The film is about the battle between Sofya and his disciple Vladimir Chertkov for his legacy and the copyright of his works. The film premiered at the 2009 Telluride Film Festival.

<i>Like Crazy</i> 2011 romantic drama film directed by Drake Doremus

Like Crazy is a 2011 American romantic drama film directed by Drake Doremus and starring Anton Yelchin, Felicity Jones, and Jennifer Lawrence. Written by Doremus and Ben York Jones, the film tells the story of Anna, a British exchange student who falls in love with an American student, Jacob, only to be separated from him when she is denied reentry into the United States after staying in the country longer than her student visa allows.

The 37th Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards, given by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA), honored the best in film for 2011.

The 16th San Diego Film Critics Society Awards were announced on December 14, 2011.

References

  1. ↑ "Beginners (15)". British Board of Film Classification . Retrieved 2011-12-03.
  2. 1 2 Beginners at Box Office Mojo
  3. ↑ Bradshaw, James (2011-09-10). "Beginners: A late dash out of the close". The Globe and Mail. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Archived from the original on 16 September 2010. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
  4. ↑ Olsen, Mark (2011-09-05). "Beginners has a piece of Mike Mills' soul". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 2011-09-13.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Alexander Ryll. "Essential Gay Themed Films To Watch, Beginners". Gay Essential. Archived from the original on 13 January 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  6. ↑ Dargis, Manohla (2011-06-02). "Beginners, With Christopher Plummer and Ewan McGregor — Review". The New York Times.
  7. ↑ "Beginners". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  8. ↑ "Beginners". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved 2011-08-31.
  9. ↑ Ebert, Roger (2011-06-08). "Beginners". Chicago Sun-Times . Archived from the original on 2012-03-03. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
  10. ↑ Variety, September 12, 2010: Review: ‘Beginners’ Relinked 2014-06-25
  11. ↑ Szalai, Georg (November 28, 2011). "Gotham Awards 2011: 'Tree of Life', 'Beginners' Tie for Best Feature". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 28, 2011.
  12. ↑ Cangialosi, Jason (January 11, 2012). "Denver Film Critics Society Announces 2012 Award Winners". Yahoo! Movies . Retrieved January 11, 2012.
  13. ↑ "Nominees and Winners for the 84th Academy Awards". Academy Awards Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscars). Retrieved 21 February 2012.
  14. ↑ "Film Independent Spirit Awards Home - Film Independent" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-12-15. Retrieved 2011-12-04.
  15. ↑ "2011 - Categories - International Press Academy".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.