Flower & Garnet

Flower and Garnet, the first feature-length film by B.C. director Keith Behrman, is the powerful story of a broken family that is forced to confront problems that have gone on for too many years. The film shows the effect of a father's unexpressed grief on his eight-year old son, Garnet (Colin Roberts), whose mother died giving him birth. Set in the rural Cache Creek area in British Columbia, Canada, it is a subtle and deeply moving portrait of a family that lives in an emotional no-man's land. The father Ed (Callum Keith Rennie) is uncommunicative with both his family and his ladyfriend Barb (Kristen Thomson). Constantly downing cans of beer, he only relates to the boy with silence, self-hatred, and sudden explosions of violence. He tries to school him in typical macho activities, taking him fishing, driving, and shooting on an improvised pistol range, but is unable to provide any real love or understanding.

The years have turned Garnet into a sullen withdrawn child. Vancouver actor Colin Roberts, who received a Genie nomination for Best Actor for his first acting performance, is so natural as Garnet that you can literally hear his thoughts and feel his feelings above the long, awkward silences. Ed tries to right things by giving Garnet a BB gun for his birthday but he uses it to take out his aggression on animals. When his beautiful 16-year old sister Flower (Jane McGregor) has an affair with local teen Carl (Craig Olejnik) and becomes pregnant, Ed compounds the problem by forcing her out of the house. The loss of his sister plus an anticipated rival for his sister's affections pushes Garnet close to the edge. The final breakthrough is so unsuspected that it comes with a sudden jolt.

Flower and Garnet are siblings. Flower is 16, and Garnet us 8 years old, and very different. Their mother died giving birth to Garnet, something their father has never come over. So Garnet has never gotten the love he should from either a mother nor a father. If it hadn't been for the affection from his sister, he had experienced being loved at all. Still he has feelings even towards ants, which he can imagine have feelings too. If no emotionally detached, he is still a quite, strange little kid.

This is a strong, emotional story and beautifully woven drama about a dysfunctional family. Not only is the mother gone, but so is in fact th father. A father which is disconnected from his son, maybe not able to love the son, maybe in some way blaming him for being the reason for the pregnancy death. He is told by his new girlfriend that he is too selfish to love any other. When he finally gets around to give his son a gift on his birthday, not picked out by the sister, he buys Garnet a BB-gun.

The film is realistically told, in a slow manner. Still this doesn't more than add to the situation which is following the thoughts of Garnet. Well played by all, and therefore well instructed by the director, this being the first feature film by Keith Behrmann after a few shorts.

Tension rides high in this film. There's a certain bad feel of what's going to happen here. If that kind of a film. Still this makes out an important nerve of the film. Well worth watching if you're not expecting an action flick.

This film is another nice canadian movie. It doesn't offend or really do anything much at all. It just drifts along nicely. The acting is good and solid. Technically it is sound. It just doesn't take any chances or make any real comment on anything. It is another movie about the human condition (yawn!).

This film is getting a lot of press in Vancouver. This is not only because it is locally made, but also because it is very well executed. I was tempted to dismiss it as just another Canadian slice-of-life film. It is that, but it is a superb example of the genre. The characters grew on me and a lot is communicated from the looks on their faces. This film is worth seeing, even if you're not Canadian.

A beautifully observed film. Elegant, calm, composed and real. I hope this guy gets to make more movies.

The performances in this film are so complete. The young Callum Keith Rennie is quite outstanding as the son of a man unable to connect, unable to reach out and touch his son. Jane McGegor deserves to have a fabulous career and I have no doubt she will find her way to big things. She is a beautiful young actress with real range. I found this movie way after the event, and I hope many other people discover it to. It is well worth it. I have to have ten lines I've said enough No wonder people write so much rubbish on these notice boards I have to make it up to ten line I have tried all ways of getting to the end with flashes lines and stars. I've said enough already but have to keep going so that the bloody computer will take what I thought would be a simple line review.