The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet

Last updated

The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet
The Young and Prodigious TS Spivet poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Produced by
  • Frédéric Brillion
  • Gilles Legrand
Screenplay by
  • Jean-Pierre Jeunet
  • Guillaume Laurant
Based on The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet
by Reif Larsen
Starring
Music byDenis Sanacore
CinematographyThomas Hardmeier
Edited by Hervé Schneid
Production
companies
Distributed by Gaumont
Release date
  • 28 September 2013 (2013-09-28)(DSSIFF)
  • 16 October 2013 (2013-10-16)(France)
  • 31 July 2015 (2015-07-31)(US)
Running time
105 minutes [1]
Countries
  • France
  • Canada
LanguageEnglish
Box office$9.5 million [2]

The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet is a 2013 Franco-Canadian [3] adventure-drama film directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and co-written with Guillaume Laurant, an adaptation of the 2010 book The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet written by Reif Larsen. [4] The film stars Helena Bonham Carter, Judy Davis, Callum Keith Rennie, and Kyle Catlett. [5]

Contents

Plot

T.S. Spivet (Kyle Catlett) is a 10-year-old prodigy with a passion for cartography and scientific inventions. He lives on a ranch in Montana with his mother (Helena Bonham Carter) who is obsessed with the morphology of beetles; his father (Callum Keith Rennie), a cowboy born a hundred years too late; and his 14-year-old sister (Niamh Wilson) who dreams of becoming Miss America. His twin brother Layton (Jakob Davies) died in an accident involving a firearm in the family's barn, which no one ever speaks of. T.S. was with him, measuring the scale of the gunshots for an experiment, and he doesn't understand what happened. One day, T.S. receives an unexpected call from the Smithsonian Institution, telling him that he is the winner of the very prestigious Baird prize for his invention of a perpetual motion machine and that he is invited to a reception in his honor where he is expected to give a speech. Without telling anyone, he sets out on a freight train across the United States to reach Washington, D.C.

During his journey, he meets a hobo in the trainyards of the midwest, outruns or outwits a number of railroad security guards, and then is picked up hitchhiking by an 18-wheeler trucker who lets him off at the Smithsonian in Washington, where he meets G.H. Jibsen (Judy Davis), who takes charge of him. He ultimately gives his speech for the Baird prize to a room full of well-dressed guests, and discusses the death of his brother. After the speech is over, T.S's mother and father arrive down in D.C and interrupt him while he is on a talk show. His mother tells T.S it wasn't his fault, to which the TV interviewer Roy (Rick Mercer) pesters them with questions. As the whole family is about to leave, Mrs. Jibsen, who realized T.S. lied to her (he told her he was an orphan), goes drunk and insults him. Then T.S's mother punches her, T.S's father punches Roy and they all leave.

Cast

Production

After writing and directing Micmacs , Jeunet preferred his next film to be based on an existing story. Before Larsen's book was published, he had shortlisted several of his favourite directors to make a film based on the book, and was contacted by Jeunet. [6] [7] Filming was done from June to October 2012, mainly in Quebec and Alberta, Canada, with some scenes in Washington, D.C. and Chicago. It was director Jean-Pierre Jeunet's first 3D film. [7]

Release

Rights for the 2015 U.S. release were sold to Harvey Weinstein. Weinstein had requested cuts to the film which the director refused to make. Jeunet claims that the release was hobbled by Weinstein, and as a result, the film did not do as well as it should have. [8]

Reception

The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet received generally positive reviews from critics. As of June 2020, the film holds a 76% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 51 reviews with an average rating of 6.02/10. The site's critical consensus reads "The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet brings its bestselling source material beautifully to life, offering a blend of visual thrills and poignant pathos that help tie the film together despite an occasional surfeit of quirk." [9] On Metacritic, the film holds a score of 53 out of 100, based on 11 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [10]

Awards

At the 39th César Awards, the film won the award for Best Cinematography. [11]

Home media

The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet was released on DVD and Blu-ray on 4 June 2014 in France, [12] and on 3 November 2015 in the United States.

Related Research Articles

Jean-Pierre Jeunet French film director

Jean-Pierre Jeunet is a French film director, producer, and screenwriter. His films mix elements of fantasy, realism and science fiction either to create idealized realities or to give relevance to mundane situations. A former animator, his movies are marked by quirky, slapstick humor, alongside surrealist visuals.

Helena Bonham Carter British actress

Helena Bonham Carter is an English actress. Known for her roles in independent films and large-scale blockbusters, she is the recipient of such accolades as a British Academy Film Award, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and nominations for two Academy Awards, nine Golden Globe Awards, four Primetime Emmy Awards and four British Academy Television Awards.

Judy Davis Australian film, television and stage actress

Judith Davis is an Australian actress known for her work in film, television and theatre. With a career spanning over 40 years, she is commended for her versatility and is regarded as one of the finest actresses of her generation with frequent collaborator Woody Allen describing her as "one of the most exciting actresses in the world". She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including eight AACTA Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards and two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards.

Crispin Daniel Bonham-Carter is an English actor, theatre director, and educator. He was appointed Assistant Head at the Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet, in 2019. His best known acting role is that of Mr. Bingley in the 1995 television miniseries Pride and Prejudice. His work directing young actors at LAMDA, the Guildhall and the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and working at the National Youth Theatre inspired him to train as a teacher. He is a member of the Bonham Carter family.

<i>Where Angels Fear to Tread</i> (film)

Where Angels Fear to Tread is a 1991 British drama film directed by Charles Sturridge and starring Helena Bonham Carter, Judy Davis, Rupert Graves, Giovanni Guidelli, Barbara Jefford, and Helen Mirren. The screenplay by Sturridge, Tim Sullivan, and Derek Granger is based on the 1905 novel of the same name by E. M. Forster.

Eduardo Propper de Callejón

Eduardo Propper de Callejón was a Spanish diplomat who is mainly remembered for having facilitated the escape of thousands of Jews from occupied France during World War II between 1940 and 1944.

<i>Twelfth Night</i> (1996 film) 1996 film by Trevor Nunn

Twelfth Night is a 1996 film adaptation of William Shakespeare's play, directed by Trevor Nunn and featuring an all-star cast. Set in the late 19th century, it was filmed on location in Cornwall, including scenes shot at Padstow and at Lanhydrock House near Bodmin, with Orsino and his followers wearing uniforms that evoke the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

<i>Getting It Right</i> (film) 1989 film by Randal Kleiser

Getting It Right is a 1989 British-American comedy-drama film starring Jesse Birdsall, Jane Horrocks, and Helena Bonham Carter. The tagline was: "Gavin is 31... and a virgin. One wild night and three women later, he's finally... Getting It Right"

<i>The Selected Works of T. S. Spivet</i>

The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet is the debut novel by American author Reif Larsen, first published in 2009. The book follows the exploits of a 12-year-old mapmaker named T.S. Spivet, who lives on a ranch near Divide, Montana, as he receives a prestigious award and accepts it, hitch-hiking on a freight train for the acceptance speech in Washington D.C.. The book is noteworthy for its unique design; the plot-line is illustrated with images which further the narrative by providing charts, lists, sketches, and maps accompanying each page, mirroring T.S.'s cartographic interests and his minute attention to detail.

Reif Larsen is an American author, known for The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet, for which Vanity Fair claimed Larsen received just under a million dollars as an advance from Penguin Press following a bidding war between ten publishing houses.

Victoria Studd is a British television presenter.

The Bonham Carter family are descendants of John Bonham-Carter (1788–1838), a British Member of Parliament and barrister, and his wife Joanna Maria Smith. The MP was the son of Sir John Carter. He assumed the name Bonham by Royal Licence when he inherited the estates of his cousin Thomas Bonham. Joanna Maria Smith was the daughter of William Smith, the abolitionist MP; her sister Frances was the mother of Florence Nightingale, and her brother Benjamin was the father of Barbara Bodichon and Benjamin Leigh Smith. Most of the Bonham-Carters and their circle belonged to Unitarian churches.

Burton & Taylor is a BBC Four TV film directed by Richard Laxton, and based on the legendary acting duo and former husband and wife, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, during their preparation for a 1983 theatrical production of the play, Private Lives. The film stars Helena Bonham Carter and Dominic West in the title roles.

Kyle Catlett

Kyle Catlett is an American child actor from Morristown, New Jersey.

Salting the Battlefield is a 2014 British political thriller television film, written and directed for the BBC by the British writer David Hare. It follows Page Eight, which aired on BBC Two in August 2011 and Turks & Caicos, which aired in 2014.

Hervé Schneid is a French film editor, who has edited most of the films by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. He won the 1992 César Award for Best Editing for his work on Delicatessen.

The 19th Lumières Awards ceremony, presented by the Académie des Lumières, was held on 20 January 2014, at the Espace Pierre Cardin in Paris. The ceremony was chaired by actress Carole Bouquet. Television journalist Estelle Martin and director Patrick Fabre were the hosts for the night. Blue Is the Warmest Colour won four awards including Best Film. Other winners included Me, Myself and Mum, The French Minister, Venus in Fur, Grand Central, Horses of God and The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet.

Madeline Fontaine is a French costume designer.

Squatters is a 2014 American direct-to-video independent drama film directed by Martin Weisz and starring Gabriella Wilde, Thomas Dekker, Richard Dreyfuss, and Luke Grimes.

T.S. Spivet may refer to:

References

  1. "The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet (12A)". British Board of Film Classification . 30 May 2014. Retrieved 30 July 2015.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  2. "The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet". Box Office Mojo .
  3. "The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet (2013)". en.unifrance.org. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
  4. Lyttelton, Oliver. "Helena Bonham-Carter And Kathy Bates Sign On To Jean-Pierre Jeunet's 'The Young And Prodigious Spivet'". Indiewire . Retrieved 17 May 2012.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  5. "Casting: Helena Bonham Carter and Judy Davis Star in The Young and Prodigious Spivet". Collider . Retrieved 17 May 2012.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  6. "Making of du film L'Extravagant voyage du jeune et prodigieux T.S. Spivet" (in French). AlloCiné. 2 October 2013. Retrieved 23 February 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  7. 1 2 Gaumont Film Company (September 2013). "The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet" (PDF) (Press release). Unifrance.
  8. Aguilar, Carlos (6 May 2019). "Jean-Pierre Jeunet Is Making an 'Amelie' Mockumentary and a Sci-Fi Animated Feature — Exclusive". IndieWire. Penske Business Media, LLC. Retrieved 14 December 2019.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  9. "The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 4 June 2020.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  10. "The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet". Metacritic . Retrieved 9 September 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  11. "France's Cesar Awards: 'Me, Myself and Mum' Wins Best Film". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 1 March 2014.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  12. "L'Extravagant voyage du jeune et prodigieux T.S. Spivet en DVD Blu Ray" (in French). AlloCiné . Retrieved 23 February 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)