Childstar

Last updated

Childstar
Childstar FilmPoster.jpeg
Directed by Don McKellar
Written by Don McKellar
Michael Goldbach
Produced byNiv Fichman
Daniel Iron
Jennifer Jonas
Starring Jennifer Jason Leigh
Don McKellar
Mark Rendall
Michael Murphy
Cinematography André Turpin
Edited by Reginald Harkema
Music by Christopher Dedrick
Production
company
Distributed by TVA Films
America Video Film
Hart Sharp Video
Release date
  • September 10, 2004 (2004-09-10)(Toronto International Film Festival)
Running time
98 minutes
Country Canada
LanguageEnglish

Childstar is a 2004 Canadian comedy film directed and co-written by Don McKellar, and starring McKellar, Peter Paige, Gil Bellows, Mark Rendall, Michael Murphy, with Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Alan Thicke. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and received four awards from the Vancouver Film Critics Circle, including Best Canadian Film.

Contents

Plot

Taylor Brandon Burns, who happens to be America's most famous child star, is in Canada to shoot a big-budget action film. Wanting to get away from his stage mom Suzanne and the pressures of show business, he runs off set with a fellow actress, Natalie. The film's producers, concerned with the money they are losing due to a delayed shooting schedule, enlist Rick Schiller, a down-on-his-luck indie filmmaker and Taylor's reluctant limo-driver, to find the boy.

Cast

Production

Director and co-writer Don McKellar said he got the idea for the film when he was at an Oscars party and found himself talking to actor Haley Joel Osment, who was then hot off the success of The Sixth Sense . [1] Said McKellar, "He seemed to perfectly encapsulate American stardom…He was preternaturally mature, extremely young but unnatural." [2] McKellar said the encounter was a "a potent symbol...of my experience of Hollywood. He was an unnaturally precocious kid in a culture where kids act too old and adults act too young." [3] [4] McKellar envisioned a lighter take on a child star story and took his idea to Michael Goldbach, then a writer at the Canadian Film Centre. [2]

Filming took place in Toronto from November to December 2003. [5]

Reception

Release

Childstar had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2004. It was eventually acquired by The Sundance Channel, where it had its TV premiere in 2006. [6]

Critical reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Childstar has an approval rating of 78% based on 9 reviews. [7]

Ian Mackenzie of Exclaim! wrote the film "goes to great lengths to humanise and sympathise with its namesake, asking questions about mass media's consumption of child performers —rich and famous in a day, then tabloid-fodder for the rest of their lives", adding it "never misses an opportunity for a smart joke or a poignant observation at the expense of someone who thinks they know better." [8]

Writing for CinemaBlend, Rafe Telsch gave the film four out of five stars and praised McKellar for bringing a new perspective to the story of a child star. [9] He also lauded the film's satirical commentary on American films that use Canada for filming locations. [9]

Accolades

Childstar received four awards from the Vancouver Film Critics Circle, including Best Canadian Film, Best Director, Best Actor for McKellar and Best Supporting Actor for Dave Foley. [10]

It was nominated for five Genie Awards, with Jennifer Jason Leigh winning for Actress in a Supporting Role. [11]

Home media

The region 1 DVD was released September 13, 2005. [12] The DVD includes an audio commentary track and a making-of featurette. [9]

As of 2017, the movie has been released online for free on Canada Media Fund's Encore+ YouTube Channel. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Bettany</span> English actor (born 1971)

Paul Bettany is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as J.A.R.V.I.S. and Vision in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including the Disney+ miniseries WandaVision (2021), for which he garnered a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jennifer Jason Leigh</span> American actress (born 1962)

Jennifer Jason Leigh is an American actress. She began her career on television during the 1970s before making her film breakthrough in the teen film Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982). She received critical praise for her performances in Last Exit to Brooklyn (1989), Miami Blues (1990), Backdraft (1991), Single White Female (1992), and The Hudsucker Proxy (1994), and was nominated for a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Dorothy Parker in Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (1994).

<i>Existenz</i> 1999 film by David Cronenberg

Existenz is a 1999 science fiction horror film written, produced and directed by David Cronenberg. The film follows Allegra Geller, a game designer who finds herself targeted by assassins while playing a virtual reality game of her own creation. An international co-production between Canada, the United Kingdom, and France, it also stars Jude Law, Ian Holm, Don McKellar, Callum Keith Rennie, Sarah Polley, Christopher Eccleston, Willem Dafoe, and Robert A. Silverman.

<i>Exotica</i> (film) 1994 film by Atom Egoyan

Exotica is a 1994 Canadian film written and directed by Atom Egoyan, and starring Bruce Greenwood, Mia Kirshner, Don McKellar, Arsinée Khanjian, and Elias Koteas. Set primarily in the fictional Exotica strip club in Toronto, the film concerns a father grieving over the loss of a child and his obsession with a young stripper. It was inspired by Egoyan's curiosity about the role strip clubs play in sex-obsessed societies. Exotica was filmed in Toronto in 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ray Liotta</span> American actor (1954–2022)

Raymond Allen Liotta was an American actor. He first gained attention for his role in the film Something Wild (1986), which earned him a Golden Globe Award nomination. He was best known for his portrayals of Shoeless Joe Jackson in the film Field of Dreams (1989) and Henry Hill in the film Goodfellas (1990). Liotta appeared in numerous other films, including Unlawful Entry (1992), Cop Land (1997), Hannibal (2001), John Q., Narc, Identity (2003), Killing Them Softly, The Place Beyond the Pines, and Marriage Story (2019).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don McKellar</span> Canadian actor, screenwriter and film director

Don McKellar is a Canadian actor, writer, playwright, and filmmaker. He was part of a loosely-affiliated group of filmmakers to emerge from Toronto known as the Toronto New Wave.

<i>Last Night</i> (1998 film) 1998 Canadian film

Last Night is a 1998 Canadian apocalyptic black comedy-drama film directed by Don McKellar and starring McKellar, Sandra Oh and Callum Keith Rennie. It was produced as part of the French film project 2000, Seen By.... McKellar wrote the screenplay about how ordinary people would react to an unstated imminent global catastrophic event. Set in Toronto, Ontario, the film was made and released when many were concerned about the Year 2000 problem.

<i>Highway 61</i> (film) 1991 film

Highway 61 is a 1991 Canadian film directed by Bruce McDonald. The film is an unofficial sequel to his 1989 film Roadkill; although focusing on different characters, it centres on a road trip beginning in Thunder Bay, Ontario, where the road trip depicted in the earlier film ended.

Conchita Elizabeth Campbell is a Canadian actress. She is perhaps best known for playing Maia Rutledge on the USA Network series The 4400.

<i>waydowntown</i> 2000 film

Waydowntown is a 2000 film directed by Gary Burns and starring Fab Filippo, Don McKellar, Marya Delver and Michelle Beaudoin. The film is a dark comedy that explores office culture and its effects and often uses surrealism to achieve its thematic goals.

The 5th Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards, honoring the best in filmmaking in 2004, were given on 20 February 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paula Patton</span> American actress

Paula Maxine Patton is an American actress and producer. Patton made her feature film debut in the 2005 comedy Hitch, and has had starring roles in the films Déjà Vu (2006), Precious (2009), Jumping the Broom (2011), Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011), 2 Guns (2013), Warcraft (2016), and Sacrifice (2019).

Mark Rendall is a Canadian film, television and voice actor whose roles include the lead in the 2004 film, Childstar and Mick in season 1 of the Canadian television drama series ReGenesis. He played Bastian Bux in the TV series, Tales from the Neverending Story, and the title character in The Interrogation of Michael Crowe. He has also done voice work for the television series Jane and the Dragon and Time Warp Trio, and starred in the popular PBS Kids TV series Arthur. Recently, Rendall has appeared in several Hollywood films.

<i>Cooking with Stella</i> 2009 Canadian film

Cooking with Stella is a 2009 film written by siblings Deepa Mehta and Dilip Mehta. The film is a light comedy about a Canadian diplomat and her husband living in New Delhi, and their cook, Stella. Indian actress Shriya Saran makes a special appearance. Cooking with Stella was shot on location in New Delhi, and entered post-production in May 2008. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on 16 September 2009. The film was also nominated at London Asian Film Festival under Best Crossover film category and best actress for Seema Biswas.

<i>Childs Play</i> (franchise) American slasher film series

Child's Play is an American slasher media franchise created by Don Mancini. The films mainly focus on Chucky, a notorious serial killer who frequently escapes death by performing a voodoo ritual to transfer his soul into a "Good Guy" doll. The original film, Child's Play, was released on November 9, 1988. The film has spawned six sequels, a television series, a remake, comic books, a video game, and tie-in merchandise. The first, second, and fourth films were box office successes with all of the films earning over $182 million worldwide. Including revenues from sales of videos, DVDs, VOD and merchandise, the franchise has generated over $250 million. It also won a Saturn Award for Best Horror Franchise.

<i>Monkey Warfare</i> 2006 Canadian film

Monkey Warfare is a 2006 Canadian drama film written and directed by Reginald Harkema, starring Don McKellar, Tracy Wright, and Nadia Litz. The film received multiple awards at the Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards 2006, and received an honorable mention from the Best Canadian Feature Film jury at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival.

Public Domain is a 2003 Canadian film about reality TV. It was directed by Kris Lefcoe and stars Nicole de Boer, Mike Beaver, Lindy Booth and Dov Tiefenbach. The film is openly critical of reality TV and portrays the hosts and producers as cruel and heartless people.

<i>Meditation Park</i> 2017 Canadian drama film

Meditation Park is a 2017 Canadian drama film directed by Mina Shum. The film opened the 2017 Vancouver International Film Festival and was screened in the Contemporary World Cinema section at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival. Following in the footsteps of her previous work like Double Happiness, Meditation Park highlights director Shum's Chinese ancestry. Notably, the film highlights stars Sandra Oh and Don McKellar. Shum's Meditation Park questions traditional gender roles and reveals difficulties associated with the immigrant experience. It debuted to positive reviews at the Toronto International Film Festival and opened in selected theatres on 9 March 2018.

<i>Blood Honey</i> (film) 2017 Canadian film

Blood Honey is a 2017 Canadian thriller film directed by Jeff Kopas from a screenplay written by Douglas Taylor and Jeff Kopas. The film has an ensemble cast including Shenae Grimes-Beech, Gil Bellows, Kenneth Mitchell, Don McKellar, Natalie Brown, Morgan Kelly, Scott McCord and Matt Gordon.

Trying is a British comedy television series created by Andy Wolton. The first season premiered on 1 May 2020 on Apple TV+. The second season premiered on 21 May 2021, and the third season premiered on 22 July 2022. The fourth season, which continues the series after a six year time-jump, premiered on 22 May 2024.

References

  1. ↑ "Childstar director Don McKellar explores the lives of the rich and bratty". The Georgia Straight. 27 January 2005. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Canadian style: Don McKellar talks about Childstar, Hollywood and fame". Take One. 1 September 2004. Retrieved 21 October 2022– via The Free Library.
  3. ↑ "Childstar (2004) – Long Pauses". longpauses.com. 12 September 2004. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  4. ↑ "Interview: Don McKellar, writer, director, and co-star of Childstar". ShowbizMonkeys.com. 28 January 2005. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  5. ↑ "McKellar cranks up Childstar". Screen Daily. 23 November 2003. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  6. ↑ "Sundance acquires Childstar". C21media. 5 September 2005. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  7. ↑ "Childstar". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  8. ↑ Mackenzie, Ian (1 October 2004). "Childstar Don McKellar". Exclaim! . Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  9. 1 2 3 Telsch, Rafe (27 May 2016). "Childstar". CinemaBlend. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  10. ↑ "5th Annual Award Winners". Vancouver Film Critics Circle. 20 February 2005. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  11. ↑ "The best in Canadian film. Genie nominees announced". ScreenAnarchy. 9 February 2005. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  12. ↑ "Childstar". DVDtalk.com. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  13. ↑ "Childstar". YouTube. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
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.