Canvas

This is a small little film that slipped in under the radar--the sort of film that probably never made it to your local theater and you've probably never heard of it. That's a real shame, as it's a wonderful film about a real and very serious problem--schizophrenia. Despite the seriousness of the problem (affecting about 1% of the public and indirectly affecting many others), very few films seriously deal with it. Well, here there is an amazingly realistic portrayal of a mother decompensating, but the real focus on the film is her family and their relationships with each other. In particular, her elementary-aged son, as he struggles to understand what's happening with Mom as well as eventually coming to terms with the reality that she's probably never going to be "normal" again. It was a brave decision not to give this film a clear or happy ending--as life with this illness rarely is like a movie.

Very insightful, heart-felt and real--this is a film I would like to use when I teach my psychology classes about the illness. If schizophrenia has affected someone you love, then this is a must-see. For others, I still recommend it, as you'll learn a lot and despite the tears, you'll also see some amazing acting and writing.

FYI--Joe Pantoliano not only starred in this film but he produced the film as well. Joseph Greco both wrote and directed it. Great job.

I had great expectations before seeing this movie, and it fell far short of those expectations. I think the acting and cinematography were well done, and I liked the music, but the story didn't convince me of the actual anxiety and angst people in these situations feel. The father has less time and energy to work and mounting medical bills, yet he has money for supplies to build a boat and the time and energy to build it? I would also expect to see a little more anger on the father's part, but I guess Joe Pantoliano is such a nice guy, we couldn't expect him to be angry.

The movie was okay. When I see these glowing reviews, however, I wonder if I was watching the same movie. It came across to me like a Hallmark movie or one of those after-school specials they used to show on TV in the '80s. I live in a family struggling with mental illness, and I like to feel hope, but not false, sailing-into-the-sunset hope.

CANVAS is an autobiographical story by writer/director Joseph Greco and knowing that fact helps to forgive some of the weaknesses of the film. The story - how a family copes with the presence of paranoid schizophrenia and survives - comes from the heart and is as frank a film about the subject of mental illness as any out there. And for all the inherent tendencies to play it as a soap opera, the overriding effect is one of sharing lives challenged by the presence of a crushing disease.

Mary Marino (Marcia Gay Harden) has been afflicted with paranoid schizophrenia for nearly two years and her disease has affected her marriage to her working husband John (Joe Pantoliano in his best role to date) and her eleven year old son Chris (Devon Gearhart): John misses work to care for Mary and still pay for her mounting hospitalization and medical bills and Chris suffers abuse form his mocking school friends, frequently having to explain away his mother's erratic behavior. Mary paints (therapy) the same scene repeatedly, hears voices, and finally refuses to stay on her meds, a fact that results in her long-term hospitalization in a Psychiatric Hospital. John and Chris continue to love Mary despite the radical changes in their lives and each finds a means of coping: John goes on sick leave to build a sailboat for his wife and son in his backyard (he and Mary met and fell in love on a sailboat), and Chris takes up one of Mary's hobbies - sewing patches on shirts - and finds an audience and acceptance and income at his school. How the father and son survive and conquer their challenge presented by the mental illness of Mary serves to provide the ending to this story.

Each of the actors is excellent, especially Pantoliano. Harden is a solid actress but the script fails to capture the essence of her response to her disease. The film feels disjointed and inconsistent and has holes of undeveloped subplots and lines of thought that keep the movie grounded. But knowing that the story is true encourages the viewer to forgive the flaws and appreciate the tough subject matter that should help every viewer to better understand the effect of mental illness on a family. Grady Harp

2006 CANVAS; A remarkable movie that works the local communities beautiful surroundings into a film that accepts the challenge to deal with mental illness in today's family lifestyle. The acting looms large with intense moments of diversity and sadness wrapped with an uncertain ending. The script was outstanding, as the cast was able to perform with more non verbal communication that allowed for creative thinking by the audience on how someone could deal with such hardship. CANVAS also seemed to bring out a lot of different social circles and issues that are challenged by the cast's talents and diversity, which also sent out a positive message. Marsha Gay Harden set the bar very high with such a high degree believability on the difficulty to role playing medical responses to prescription medication. Adding all the outstanding qualities of this film, Performance, Script, and Direction, should lead this film to a bright future and exceptional movie review opportunities... Take a Bow, For A Job Well Done. Jim Secord, U.S. CIVIL SERVICE

Canvas, based on the life of first-time writer-director Joseph Greco, is a film so powerful it should be required viewing in schools and universities around the world. Rarely has the issue of mental illness been so realistically tackled on the screen. The subject was touched upon in such recent classics as Girl, Interrupted and A Beautiful Mind, but Canvas takes a stance of advocacy that is so startlingly refreshing that it will bring shivers up your spine.

Marcia Gay Harden plays mother and wife Mary Marino, afflicted with paranoid schizophrenia. Her husband John, played brilliantly by veteran Joe Pantoliano, is the glue that keeps the family from crumbling during Mary's frequent breakdowns and hospitalizations. Caught in the middle of it all is young Chris Marino, played by the adorably talented Devon Gearhart. The 11 year-old boy is firsthand witness to the ultimate frustration inflicted on a family by mental illness. Confused yet resilient, Chris takes up the unusual hobby his mother handed down to him -- sewing. After some practice, he is the talk of the school for creating unique garments (fetching $40 per shirt, to boot). A Gucci book, given as a birthday gift from a friend, cemented his interest in the craft.

Meanwhile, during her many hospitalizations, John feverishly constructs a wooden sailboat for Mary. He takes an extended leave of absence from his day job to work on his project and is reported to the building inspector by a nosy neighbor. And as if having sewing as a hobby wasn't enough, young Chris is bullied for his mother's "craziness" as well as for his father's sailboat obsession. As confused as his life is, Chris carries himself with pride. He is a survivor.

The emotional core of this film is so profound that it is destined to change minds and lead to more mental health advocacy. Kudos to Joseph Greco for bringing this serious but still taboo issue to the forefront of cinema. He is a true champion of social good. And bravo to Marcia Gay Harden, Joe Pantoliano, and star on the horizon Devon Gearhart for their heartfelt performances.