Brotherhood (2019 film)

Last updated

Brotherhood
Brotherhood (2019) Film Poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Richard Bell
Written byRichard Bell
Produced byMehernaz Lentin
Anand Ramayya
Starring Brendan Fehr
Brendan Fletcher
Jake Manley
Dylan Everett
CinematographyAdam Swica
Edited bySarah Peddie
Music byWilliam Rowson
Production
companies
Industry Pictures
Karma Film
Distributed bylevelFILM
Release date
  • July 20, 2019 (2019-07-20)
Running time
96 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

Brotherhood is a 2019 Canadian period drama film [1] written and directed by Richard Bell. [2] Set in the 1920s, the film recounts the true story of a group of youth at a summer camp on Balsam Lake in the Kawartha Lakes, who had to fight for survival when an unforeseen thunderstorm overwhelmed their canoe trip. [3] The film's cast includes Brendan Fehr, Brendan Fletcher, Jake Manley, Gage Munroe and Dylan Everett. [4]

Contents

Plot

In the opening scenes, Arthur Lambden packs a photo of his son in his backpack. He meets the young members of the Brotherhood of St. Andrew and their leader, Robert Butcher, on the path to Long Point, a camp on the shores of Balsam Lake in the Kawartha Lakes, 145 kilometres northeast of Toronto. Both Butcher, who is the camp leader, and Lambden, who is second in command, are veterans of World War I. Butcher tells Lambden that, while it was his first time operating a camping trip at Long Point, the group had camped at Clear Lake for many years. He told Lambden that the youth—whose fathers had died in the war or in the Spanish flu pandemic that followed the war—would benefit from being in the rugged outdoors. Butcher is concerned that the boys of the generation that succeeded their own were being "feminized by their mothers and teachers." They begin their canoe trip late in the evening, and when their 30-foot war canoe is capsized during a sudden summer squall, drowning some, those that did survive spend the night in the frigid, dark lake waters clinging to the overturned canoe that is slowly sinking. The survivors struggle to ward off the freezing cold and fighting fatigue, hypothermia, and their fears. The film alternates between scenes of their struggle and lively, happy scenes from earlier in the evening when the boys formed a "band of brothers" through camp activities designed for male bonding. [5] The movie focuses on the individual lives of some of the characters before the camping trip. George Waller played by Jake Manley, had an abusive father; Arthur Lambden, played by Brendan Fletcher, had survived the front lines in World War I only to return home as a carrier of the Spanish flu virus that killed his own wife and child; the two brothers—Will played by Sam Ashe Arnold and Jack played by Gage Munroe, whose father had been killed during the war; and Leonard, played by Matthew Isen, whose father had drowned years before the camping trip and who feared water. [5] After surviving a harrowing night on the lake, only four remain alive and finally crawl onto the shores of Grand Island. They find makeshift paddles and return to Long Point. [5]

Cast

Filming

Principal photography on the film started in September 2017 in Michipicoten. [6]

Screenings

The film received a private theatrical screening for residents of the Balsam Lake community in July 2019, [7] which was also attended by provincial lieutenant governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell. [8] It began screening on the Canadian film festival circuit in the fall, including at the Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival. [9]

Release

The film opened theatrically on December 6, 2019, in Toronto [10] and went on to screen at over 60 theatres nationally. [11]

Awards

In 2020, the visual effects team of Adam Jewett, Steve Ramone, Michelle Brennen, Tim Sibley, Aneesh Bhatnagar, Saikrishna Aleti, Peter Giliberti, Alex Basso, Arminus Billones and Marshall Lau won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Visual Effects at the 8th Canadian Screen Awards. [1] The same year, Bell and Bramwell Tovey received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Original Song for the song "I've Got a Big One".

Reviews

A December 5, 2019 Globe and Mail review said that Bell had succeeded in "stripping back the mythos of what it means 'to be a man'." He showed how strong one can be under duress "while embracing compassion, vulnerability and love." [10]

The National Post called it a "powerful, fight-for-survival" film. [12]

The San Francisco Bay Times said the "scenes in the lake are artfully filmed" and that Bell created a "sense in the open water that alternates between claustrophobia and momentum." [5]

The Now review said that the film "nearly sinks" and that it was "less than the sum of its parts." [13]

Original Cin said it was "interestingly fashioned as a “lost generation” metaphor" with some "loose ends." [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peterborough, Ontario</span> City in Ontario, Canada

Peterborough is a city on the Otonabee River in Ontario, Canada, about 125 kilometres northeast of Toronto. According to the 2021 Census, the population of the City of Peterborough was 83,651. The population of the Peterborough Census Metropolitan Area (CMA), which includes the surrounding Townships of Selwyn, Cavan Monaghan, Otonabee-South Monaghan, and Douro-Dummer, was 128,624 in 2021. In 2021, Peterborough ranked 32nd among the country's 41 census metropolitan areas according to the CMA in Canada. The current mayor of Peterborough is Jeff Leal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camping</span> Outdoor recreational activity

Camping is a form of outdoor recreation or outdoor education involving overnight stays with a basic temporary shelter such as a tent. Camping can also include a recreational vehicle, sheltered cabins, a permanent tent, a shelter such as a bivy or tarp, or no shelter at all. Typically, participants leave developed areas to spend time outdoors, in pursuit of activities providing them enjoyment or in a form of educational experience. Spending the night away from home distinguishes camping from day-tripping, picnicking, and other outdoor activities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coboconk</span> Village in Ontario, Canada

Coboconk, often shortened to Coby, is a community in the city of Kawartha Lakes, in the south-central portion of the Canadian province of Ontario. The village lies at the junction of Highway 35 and former Highway 48, on the northern tip of Balsam Lake, the highest point on the Trent–Severn Waterway. Coboconk has a prominent role in the logging, limestone, and tourism industries of the Kawartha Lakes region over the past 150 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kawartha Lakes</span> City in Ontario, Canada

The City of Kawartha Lakes is a unitary municipality in Central Ontario, Canada. It is a municipality legally structured as a single-tier city; however, Kawartha Lakes is the size of a typical Ontario county and is mostly rural. It is the second largest single-tier municipality in Ontario by land area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trent Lakes</span> Municipality in Ontario, Canada

The Municipality of Trent Lakes is a lower-tier township in the rural, mostly wooded northern section of Peterborough County, Ontario, Canada. The municipality has a primarily cottage and tourist industry based economy but has grown year round residency due to its commute distance to the Greater Toronto Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canoe camping</span> Combination of canoeing and camping

Canoe camping, also known as touring, tripping or expedition canoeing, is a combination of canoeing and camping. Canoe campers typically carry enough supplies with them to travel and camp for several days via a canoe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balsam Lake (Ontario)</span> Lake in southern Ontario, Canada

Balsam Lake is a lake in the City of Kawartha Lakes in Central Ontario, Canada. It is in the Great Lakes Basin, is one of the lakes of the Kawartha Lakes, and is at the summit of the Trent–Severn Waterway.

"Land of the Silver Birch" is a traditional Canadian folk song that dates from the 1920s. The lyrics are sometimes erroneously attributed to Pauline Johnson, perhaps in confusion with her well-known poem, "The Song My Paddle Sings". It is sometimes sung to keep time while canoeing, and sometimes sung at campfires in a round. It is in Aeolian, or natural minor, but may be sung with a raised sixth, creating a Dorian feel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brendan Fehr</span> Canadian film and television actor

Brendan Jacob Joel Fehr is a Canadian film and television actor, perhaps best known for portraying Michael Guerin in the WB television series Roswell, and for portraying lab tech Dan Cooper in CSI: Miami. In 2008, Fehr won a Gemini Award for "Hottest Canadian Male TV Star". Fehr also played Jared Booth in the Fox television series Bones. He has had numerous film roles.

Richard Bell is a Canadian film director and screenwriter. He is most noted as the writer and director of the films Eighteen and Brotherhood.

<i>Sugar</i> (2004 film) 2004 romantic drama film by John Palmer

Sugar is a 2004 independent Canadian romantic drama film co-written and directed by John Palmer, and starring Andre Noble, Brendan Fehr, Marnie McPhail, Maury Chaykin, and Sarah Polley. Its plot follows a young gay man who falls in love with street hustler in Toronto. It is based on short stories by Bruce LaBruce. Noble, who received strong reviews for his performance in Sugar, died just a few weeks after the film's debut.

King's Highway 35, commonly referred to as Highway 35, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario, linking Highway 401 with the Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton, and Algonquin Provincial Park. The highway travels from west of Newcastle, through Lindsay, near Fenelon Falls, Coboconk, Minden Hills, and into Haliburton before terminating at Highway 60 to the west of Algonquin Park. Within those areas, it services the communities of Orono, Cameron, Rosedale, Norland, Moore Falls, Miners Bay, Lutterworth, Carnarvon, Buttermilk Falls, Halls Lake, Pine Springs and Dorset. The winding course of the road, combined with the picturesque views offered along its length, have led some to declare it the most scenic highway in Ontario.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stony Lake (Ontario)</span> Lake in Peterborough County in central Ontario, Canada

Stony Lake is a lake in Peterborough County in central Ontario, Canada. There are three interconnected lakes which together are known as Stony Lake. Stony Lake forms the eastern end of the Kawartha Lakes region and is part of the Trent-Severn Waterway. It is primarily a summer cottage area but there are many permanent residences on the lakes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balsam Lake Provincial Park</span> Provincial park in Ontario, Canada

Balsam Lake Provincial Park is a provincial park located in south-central Ontario, Canada, on Balsam Lake. The park is situated along the Trent-Severn Waterway, a few kilometres southwest of Coboconk. It is an all-seasons recreation area offering camping, boating and fishing, and while closed in winter it is also used for skiing and snowshoeing.

St. Mary's was the site of a planned village within early Victoria County, in the Canadian province of Ontario. The site was laid aside in the surveying of the county in the 1830s, but was later found to be unusable when limestone was discovered two inches below the ground. Today its site marks one end of a man-made canal between Balsam Lake and Lake Simcoe, part of the Trent-Severn Waterway.

Dylan Phillip Everett is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his roles in How To Be Indie (2009–2011), Wingin' It (2010–2013), Degrassi (2012–2013), and Open Heart (2015).

<i>13 Eerie</i> 2013 Canadian film

13 Eerie is a 2013 Canadian horror film directed by Lowell Dean, making his feature film debut. It is also produced by Don Carmody, Kevin DeWalt, Mark Montague and David Cormican and written by Christian Piers Betley. The film stars Katharine Isabelle, Michael Shanks, Brendan Fehr, Brendan Fletcher, Nick Moran and Jesse Moss. It entails the story about six forensic undergrads completing a university field exam on a deserted island, oblivious that the island was previously used for illegal biological experiments on life-term prisoners.

Gage Munroe is a Canadian actor. He has performed roles on television programs like Stoked, Murdoch Mysteries, Mr Moon, Falling Skies and Alphas, and has appeared in films like the 2008 Canadian drama One Week and the 2011 epic Immortals.

Corben Creek is a stream in the municipality of Minden Hills, Haliburton County, and the unitary city of Kawartha Lakes in Central Ontario, Canada. It is in the Great Lakes Basin and is a tributary of Balsam Lake.

Jake Manley is a Canadian actor, best known for his roles as Jack Morton in the Netflix series The Order, Brad in the NBC series Heroes Reborn, Fisher Webb in the CW series iZombie, Shane in A Dog’s Journey (2019), George Waller in Brotherhood (2019), Dean Taylor in Infamous (2020), and York in Holidate (2020).

References

  1. 1 2 Kelly, Brian T. (May 30, 2020). "Brotherhood wins award". The Sault Star. Archived from the original on May 9, 2021. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Film recounts loss of 11 lives in Ontario summer storm". Toronto Sun '. July 15, 2019. Archived from the original on August 10, 2019. Retrieved August 10, 2019.
  3. ↑ Etan Vlessing (September 29, 2017). "'Revenant' Actor Brendan Fletcher, Brendan Fehr Join Indie 'Brotherhood'". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on August 10, 2019. Retrieved August 10, 2019.
  4. ↑ Richard Bell (director), Mehernaz Lentin, Anand Ramayya (producers) (July 20, 2019). Brotherhood. Canada: Industry Pictures, Karma Film. 96 minutes in.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Kramer, Gary (July 16, 2020). "Gay Filmmaker Recounts Survival Story From 1926". San Francisco Bay Times. Archived from the original on September 3, 2024. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  6. ↑ "Cameras roll on Brotherhood" Archived August 10, 2019, at the Wayback Machine . Playback , September 9, 2017.
  7. ↑ Stevenson, Jane (July 15, 2019). "Film recounts loss of 11 lives in Ontario summer storm". Toronto Sun. Archived from the original on September 3, 2024. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  8. ↑ Vanmeer, Pamela (July 14, 2019). "Hollywood comes to Balsam Lake for private screening of movie depicting true story of 11 boys who drowned there 93 years ago". Kawartha 411'.
  9. ↑ "Cinéfest 2019 sneak peek includes star-packed Vietnam war film and doc about victims of local pedophile priest". Northern Life . July 18, 2019. Archived from the original on August 10, 2019. Retrieved August 10, 2019.
  10. 1 2 Donahue, Annie (December 5, 2019). "Film Brotherhood explores a forgotten Canadian tragedy with nuance and vulnerability". Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on September 26, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  11. ↑ "True story Canadian film set for Remembrance Day week in Mile Zero". Dawson Creek Mirror . November 6, 2022. Archived from the original on February 1, 2023. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  12. ↑ Knight, Chris (December 9, 2019). "Brotherhood is a powerful, fight-for-survival story from Canadian director Richard Bell". National Post. Archived from the original on September 3, 2024. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  13. ↑ Wilner, Norman (December 4, 2019). "Review: Brotherhoods exciting real-life thriller nearly sinks". Now . Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  14. ↑ Slotek, Jim (December 5, 2019). "Brotherhood: Legendary Kawartha tragedy stands as an unsteady metaphor for a lost generation of boys post WWI". Original Cin. Archived from the original on July 30, 2021. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
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.