Coming of Age (1993 film)

Last updated
Coming of Age
GenreDrama
Written by Donald Martin
Betty Jane Wylie
Directed byE. Jane Thompson
Starring Marion Gilsenan
Jan Rubeš
Bernard Behrens
Jennifer Phipps
Country of originCanada
Original languageEnglish
Production
ProducersIra Levy
Barri Cohen
Peter Williamson
CinematographyMilan Podsedly
Running time90 minutes
Production companies CKVR-TV
Breakthrough Films
Original release
Network Viewers Choice
ReleaseDecember 20, 1993 (1993-12-20)

Coming of Age is a Canadian dramatic television film, which was released on the pay-per-view channel Viewers Choice in 1993. [1] The film stars Marion Gilsenan as Jane McKenzie, a widow who takes a number of boarders into her home to make ends meet after the death of her husband. [2]

Contents

The cast includes Jan Rubeš as Tomas Havel, a retired handyman who becomes a new love interest for Jane; Bernard Behrens and Jennifer Phipps as Arthur and Ruth Stone, a couple faced with Ruth's cognitive decline due to Alzheimer's disease; and Julie Stewart as Jane's daughter Heather; as well as Tom Barnett, Ardon Bess, Esther Hockin and Jacelyn Holmes in supporting roles. [3]

The film was produced by Breakthrough Films in conjunction with CKVR-TV, and premiered on Viewers Choice in December 1993. [2] After both Behrens and Phipps won Gemini Awards for their performances in early 1995, the film was rebroadcast in December 1995 by the stations of the CanWest Global System. [4]

Critical response

John Haslett Cuff of The Globe and Mail gave the film a moderately favourable review, calling it "a better-than-average TV film" that was "very well acted and sensitively directed". He concluded that "it's all so gently and earnestly done that it seems churlish to harp further on deficiencies which are so common to the genre. It is important that Canadian TV stations and independent producers continue to take the initiative in finding ways to produce indigenous dramatic projects. And if the quality is no worse than what is produced by the CBC and other networks, that's more a criticism of the big guys who have far greater resources, because they set the standards." [2]

Jim Bawden of the Toronto Star called it "a welcome surprise...beautifully acted by a mostly elderly cast and very moving in depicting the sorrows and pain that come with aging." [1]

Awards

AwardDate of CeremonyCategoryNomineesResultReference
Gemini Awards March 5, 1995 Best Television Movie Ira Levy, Barri Cohen, Peter WilliamsonNominated [5]
Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Program or Series Bernard Behrens Won [6]
Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Program or Series Jennifer Phipps Won

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References

  1. 1 2 Jim Bawden, "Networking". Toronto Star , December 18, 1993.
  2. 1 2 3 John Haslett Cuff, "Television: Coming of Age". The Globe and Mail , December 20, 1993.
  3. ↑ Bonnie Malleck, "Coming of Age a story of love, friendship and aging". Hamilton Spectator , December 11, 1995.
  4. ↑ John McKay, "TV film portrays despair, romance of age". Vancouver Sun , December 8, 1995.
  5. ↑ Ian Johnston, "Life With Billy, 22 Minutes, Cents up for Geminis". Halifax Daily News , January 18, 1995.
  6. ↑ Tony Atherton, "Geminis come of age: Due South, Browning show score big". Ottawa Citizen , March 6, 1995.
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