People Hold On (film)

Last updated
People Hold On
People Hold On poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Michael Seater
Written byMichael Seater
Produced byMichael Seater
Paula Brancati
Release dates
  • September 21, 2015 (2015-09-21)(Cinefest Sudbury)
  • May 31, 2016 (2016-05-31)(iTunes)
Running time
97 minutes

People Hold On is a 2015 Canadian independent drama film written, directed, and produced by Michael Seater. The film features an ensemble cast that includes several young Canadian stars, including, among others, Katie Boland, Ashley Leggat, and Chloe Rose. [1] Paula Brancati co-wrote the film with Seater, and also stars. The duo's production company, BrancSeater Productions, produced the film. It was filmed throughout 2014 and 2015 and debuted on the film festival circuit in 2015. It was released to general cinemas and for digital download on iTunes on May 31, 2016.

Contents

The film received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Original Song, for the song "People Hold On", written and performed by cast member Noah Reid. [2]

Story

A group of friends in their mid-twenties reunite for their annual trip to a cottage in the woods. Alycia, Robin, Freddy, and Matthew arrive first, and are shocked when Robin's ex-boyfriend Dan shows up with a 19-year old girlfriend named Marley. Two years ago, Dan proposed to Robin but she turned him down, and things have been rocky between them ever since. Last to arrive are Julia and her new fiancee Darren, and Alycia is immediately jealous of Julia's happiness and acts coldly towards her.

The eight settle in and begin making dinner. Robin attempts to befriend Marley, but is put off when she learns she and Dan have only been dating for two weeks. After eating, the group begin drinking and smoking mushrooms. Matthew showcases his musical talent by playing an original song, but brushes it off when Dan tries to encourage him to pursue a music career. When Marley falls asleep, Dan and Robin end up briefly making out in the kitchen before Robin stops and angrily storms off, while Alycia and Freddy make a campfire and eventually have sex. The next morning, Robin tells Alycia and Julia about her kiss with Dan, and while Alycia assumes that Dan brought Marley to make Robin jealous, Julia thinks Dan is just struggling over still having feelings for her. Meanwhile, Darren is shocked when he learns that Julia used to be a drug dealer in high school due to the "good girl" image she portrays now as an adult.

The group decide to spend the day at a nearby lake. Freddy tells the other guys about sleeping with Alycia, but when he tries to ask her on a real date she abruptly turns him down and runs off. While tanning with Robin and Julia, the other girls try to convince Alycia to give Freddy a chance. Julia admits that, although she's happy with Darren, she is frightened by the idea of only being with one person for the rest of her life, and Robin admits that is part of the reason why she broke up with Dan. However, Alycia rudely blows their advice off. Meanwhile, Dan condescendingly mocks Matthew about the fact that he quit his job to come on the trip, pissing Matthew off. Matthew later hangs out with Marley, who admits that she thinks Dan is preachy and acts like he is better than everyone else. Marley encourages Matthew to talk to Dan about how he treats him, but Matthew and Dan end up getting into a physical fight. Dan goes off into the woods with Marley and tries to initiate sex, but Marley stops him and tells him she isn't blind to the issues he has with his friends, and is upset he dragged her into it. They end up breaking up.

Darren begins letting loose and drinking with the others, and when Julia asks him advice about turning thirty, Darren says that turning thirty is when you realize that you're never really going to ever have it all together. Alycia runs over and begins gossiping about Marley and Matthew flirting, leading to her comparing Marley to Julia. The others reveal that Julia has had sex with all the guys in their friend group, despite how uncomfortable the revelation makes Darren. When Alycia makes a cruel comment about Julia giving everyone STD's, Julia overhears and angrily calls Alycia out on being rude to her all weekend, telling her that everything bad about Alycia's life is her own fault. Alycia is reduced to tears, and the group awkwardly returns to the cabin. Matthew comforts Julia, and admits he has realized he needs to grow up. He goes for a walk and finds Marley sitting alone, and they share a kiss. Darren finds Julia and assures her that he doesn't care about her past actions, and only wants her to not pretend to be someone she isn't for him. They happily reconcile.

Later, Julia, Darren, Alycia, Freddy, Dan, and Robin eat dinner in awkward silence. Matthew and Marley never show up to eat, and although Julia is concerned, the others tell her not to worry. Julia and Darren reveal they are going to pack and go home early, but Julia promises to give Robin a hug goodbye before she leaves. Alycia breaks down and admits to Robin that she is sorry for how she treated Julia but is insecure over the fact that Julia's life is going great while she feels like her life is going nowhere. Robin comforts her and tells her to stop comparing herself to other people and to stop being afraid to do what she wants. Alycia agrees, and she goes to Freddy and apologizes for turning him down and asks him out. In return, Freddy asks Alycia to try to work on how she treats people, and they kiss before Alycia goes to find Julia and Darren to apologize to them.

Freddy finds Dan and Robin drinking together outside, and the three spend several hours hanging out and enjoying each other's company. When they return to the cabin, Robin discovers that Julia, Darren, and Alycia are nowhere to be found, even though their bags are still in their rooms and their cars are still parked outside. Realizing that none of them have seen Marley or Matthew since they got back from the lake, Robin grows frantic and scared that something has happened to their missing friends. Freddy decides to leave and check if everyone is at the guest cabin where Julia and Darren were staying, promising that he will return in five minutes. However, he does not come back at all, leaving Robin and Dan alone.

Robin and Dan begin fighting over what to do, and the fight transforms into a fight about their failed relationship. Robin accuses Dan that he only proposed to her to try and magically fix the problems they had, but Dan tells her that he asked her to marry him because, despite their issues, she was the only person he wanted to be with. Robin confesses that she still loves him, and both admit that being apart for the last two years has been unbearable, rekindling their relationship. They decide to leave the cabin and search for their friends despite how scared they are, and the film ends as they go outside and shut the cabin door behind them, with Robin asking Dan "Now what?"

Cast

Release

The film premiered at the Cinefest Sudbury International Film Festival in 2015. [3] Upon release, it received mixed reviews from film critics. [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Libby Kennedy</span> Fictional character in the Australian soap opera Neighbours

Libby Kennedy is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Kym Valentine. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 3 October 1994. Valentine auditioned for the role when she was 15, and upon being cast as Libby, she relocated from Sydney to Melbourne, where the show is filmed. Libby was introduced along with her parents and brothers during a period of low ratings for the show. Valentine departed on 2 October 2003, before returning for six months the following year and a single episode on 27 July 2005. She returned on a permanent basis on 12 November 2007.

<i>The Crossing Guard</i> 1995 film by Sean Penn

The Crossing Guard is a 1995 American independent drama film co-produced, written, and directed by Sean Penn. The film stars Jack Nicholson, David Morse, Robin Wright and Anjelica Huston. It tells the story of Freddy Gale, a man who has been tormented for more than five years by his daughter's death in a car accident. When he finds out that the man who was responsible for the death is being released from prison, he decides to seek vengeance.

<i>Killing Me Softly</i> (film) 2002 film by Chen Kaige

Killing Me Softly is a 2002 erotic thriller film directed by Chen Kaige and starring Heather Graham and Joseph Fiennes. Based on the 1999 novel of the same name by Nicci French, it introduces several substantial changes to the story and focuses heavily on the intense sexual relationship between the two lead characters. It is Chen's first and only English-language film as of 2022.

<i>A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master</i> 1988 American fantasy slasher film by Renny Harlin

A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master is a 1988 American fantasy slasher film and the fourth installment in the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. The film was directed by Renny Harlin and stars Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger, Lisa Wilcox, and Danny Hassel. Following the death of Nancy Thompson, Krueger reappears in the dreams of Kristen Parker, Joey Crusel, and Roland Kincaid. After completing his revenge against the families who killed him, Krueger uses Kristen's best friend, Alice Johnson, to gain access to new victims in order to sate his murderous needs. The film is a sequel to A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) and was followed by A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989). It is often popularly referred to as "the MTV Nightmare" of the franchise.

Craig Dean is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Guy Burnet. The character was introduced as a youngest brother of established character Steph Dean. He made his first appearance on 24 October 2002. Burnet has won and been nominated for several awards for this role. Burnet departed the role in September 2007 and returned to the show on 3 September 2008 in a storyline which saw Craig secure a "sunset ending" with John Paul McQueen. He made another appearance after his departure in spin-off show Hollyoaks Later in November 2008. The character is regarded as one of Hollyoaks most iconic characters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jake Dean</span> UK soap opera character (created 2002)

Jake Dean is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Kevin Sacre. Sacre portrayed the character between 2002 and 2008, before making a return on 5 October 2009. In March 2010, Sacre was axed from the series by Paul Marquess during his major revamp and cast cull. Jake made his last appearance on 6 August 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louise Summers</span> UK soap opera character, created 2005

Louise Summers is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by actress Roxanne McKee. The character first appeared in February 2005 as the feisty, glamorous girlfriend of Darren Osborne. McKee has been nominated for several awards for her portrayal of the character. In 2008, it was revealed McKee had quit her role as Louise and planned to depart later in the year. She made her final appearance on 26 December 2008 when fiancé Warren Fox murdered her on their wedding day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nancy Hayton</span> Fictional character from Hollyoaks

Nancy Osborne is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Jessica Fox. The character first appeared on 6 July 2005. Since the character's inception she has been involved in many notable storylines such as a love triangle; coping with the death of her sister Becca ; marrying Jake Dean ; drug abuse; domestic violence; being the victim of two attempted rapes by Jake and Finn O'Connor ; marrying Darren Osborne ; suffering a miscarriage; prematurely giving birth to Darren's son, Oscar Osborne, who is deaf; an addiction to painkillers; a highly-publicised storyline where Sienna Blake attempts to steal Darren and her family away from her; getting brain damage after an attack from Sienna; an affair with Rick Spencer ; and a fling with Rick's son Robbie Roscoe. Her later storylines have seen the character be diagnosed with multiple sclerosis; discovering Darren's affair with her good friend, Mandy Richardson, leading to the couple's separation; a relationship with Kyle Kelly; miscarrying Kyle's baby after being stabbed; and dealing with Kyle's suicide. In the character's early stages, she was portrayed as a less conventional character compared to the rest of the Hollyoaks teenagers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Libby Fox</span> UK soap opera character, created 2006

Libby Fox is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, EastEnders, played by Belinda Owusu. She made her first appearance on 22 May 2006 and left in 2010. She is the daughter of Denise Fox and Owen Turner, and half-sister of Chelsea Fox. The Fox family were introduced by executive producer Kate Harwood. The character of Libby was featured in a prominent storyline in 2006, when Owen attempts to murder her. The character then cultivates a relationship with her peer Darren Miller. She is portrayed as intelligent and competitive. The character was axed in April 2010 and her departure episode was broadcast on 5 August 2010. Libby returned in April 2014 as part of the beginning of the Who Killed Lucy Beale? storyline. Since then she continued to make various guest appearances up until 31 January 2017.

Lee Hunter (<i>Hollyoaks</i>) Fictional character from Hollyoaks

Lee Hunter is a fictional character from the British soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Alex Carter. The character made his first on-screen appearance on 5 July 2001. Lee was introduced as part of the show's new family, the Hunters. He is the youngest son of Les and Sally Hunter. Lee is characterised as "wayward", a "cheeky chap" and a "wheeler dealer". Carter announced his decision to quit the serial in 2005 to have more free time, filming his departure scenes in October 2005 and departed on-screen 23 December 2005.

Daniel Fitzgerald (<i>Neighbours</i>) Soap opera character

Daniel "Dan" Fitzgerald is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Brett Tucker. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 1 September 1999. Dan becomes a teacher at Erinsborough High and shares a house with fellow teacher, Tess Bell. He remained as a recurring character until 2000. Tucker returned on 30 October 2007 and became part of the regular cast. Dan re-joined the high school and he began a relationship with Libby Kennedy. In June 2009, it was announced that Tucker had quit the show and Dan departed on 1 December 2009. On 13 September 2010, Dan made a one-off appearance which was filmed prior to Tucker's departure in 2009. The character later appeared in a flashback broadcast on 4 July 2011, played by James Roach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunny Lee</span> Fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours

Sunny Lee is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Hany Lee. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 8 April 2009. Sunny was created by executive producer Susan Bower in response to criticism that Neighbours was "too white". Lee came to the attention of Neighbours producers after she entered a competition run by Dolly Magazine to win a three-month contract with the show. Despite not winning, she was cast as Sunny soon afterwards. In August 2009, it was announced that Lee and Sunny would be departing Neighbours and Sunny made her final appearance on 19 November 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Kirk</span> Fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours

Ben Ian Kirk is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, last played by Felix Mallard. The character was previously played by Noah Sutherland, Sean Berends and Blake O'Leary. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 14 December 2001. Ben is the son of Libby Kennedy and Drew Kirk. Ben and Libby departed Ramsay Street in 2003, returning briefly the next year before moving to Shepparton with Darren Stark. The family returned in 2007, with Libby and Ben remaining permanently. Ben departed Neighbours on 2 September 2010. In March 2014, it was announced that Ben and Libby would return, with Mallard cast as Ben. He made his screen return on 11 June 2014. The character returned again from 23 July 2015 until 16 November before making a permanent return on 31 March 2016, moving in with his grandparents. Mallard left the show in late 2017, with his on-screen departure airing on 10 April 2018. The character made two guest appearances on 31 December 2018 and 7 January 2019.

<i>Thanks for Sharing</i> 2012 American film

Thanks for Sharing is a 2012 American comedy-drama film directed by Stuart Blumberg, who co-wrote the screenplay with Matt Winston. The film stars Mark Ruffalo, Tim Robbins, Gwyneth Paltrow, Josh Gad, Joely Richardson, Patrick Fugit, Carol Kane, and Pink, with a supporting cast including Michaela Watkins, Emily Meade, and Isiah Whitlock Jr.

<i>Bachelor in Paradise</i> (American season 2) Season of television series

The second season of Bachelor in Paradise premiered on August 2, 2015. Chris Harrison reprises his role from The Bachelor and The Bachelorette as the host of the show.

<i>Traffik</i> (film) 2018 American Thriller Film

Traffik is a 2018 American horror-thriller film directed and written by Deon Taylor and starring Paula Patton, Omar Epps, Laz Alonso, Roselyn Sanchez, Luke Goss, William Fichtner, and Missi Pyle. It follows a group of friends who are terrorized by a gang of bikers in a remote countryside home. It was released on April 20, 2018, by Summit Entertainment, received generally unfavorable reviews from critics and grossed $9 million worldwide.

References

  1. "People Hold On". NOW Toronto Magazine - Think Free. 2015-10-07. Retrieved 2016-06-01.
  2. "Listen to the Canadian Screen Award Nominees for Original Song". www.cinemablographer.com. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  3. "Check out who's coming to this year's Cinéfest". Sudbury.com. Retrieved 2016-06-01.
  4. "People Hold On review: So no one told you life was gonna be this way". National Post. Retrieved 2016-06-01.
  5. "Review: People Hold On". Toronto Film Scene. Retrieved 2016-06-01.[ permanent dead link ]
  6. "People Hold On synopsis and movie info". Tribute.ca. Retrieved 2016-06-01.
  7. "People Hold On". www.firstweekendclub.ca. Archived from the original on 2016-06-16. Retrieved 2016-06-01.
  8. "People Hold On: Film on the daunting prospects of adulthood". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2016-06-01.