Whole New Thing

This is one of those rare, seemingly perfect little movies that takes a specific situation and somehow makes it seem to contain the whole world… a universal story that contains a humor and poignancy we can all relate to. I'm thinking of movies like Harold and Maude, or The Graduate. It has that sheer deliciousness, a meal you find that you want to eat over and over. I saw it at the Toronto International Film Festival sort of by chance, it fit into my schedule and I wasn't expecting much, just another Canadian movie that might be competently made and sincere but somehow would fall short of really being satisfying or engaging or having much to say. Boy was I wrong. In the days that followed, the movie would not leave my head. And then I happened to be in Montreal this week and last night it was the opening night film at the image + nation film festival here so I went to see it again. And it was even better the second time, which is the real test with this kind of movie, by which I mean the kind that has lines of dialog you just want to repeat ("how long does this right of passage thing last?" or dad explaining to his son why masturbation is better than wet dreams, "too much laundry is bad for the environment"), and a cast of characters you wish you knew in real life. They are so complex and real, and the movie sees them with love and acceptance but at the same time humor, in spite of their failings and foolish actions. Its also the nuanced performances; as the teacher Daniel McIvor shows the character's strength and weakness. As the boy Aaron Weber is a revelation, the gutsiness of this kid's performance, from his naked saunas to his simultaneous innocence and calculation, is amazing (and hard to believe its his first film role). The story is consistently surprising, it never sells its characters short, or the audience, respects us enough to not spell everything out. The screenings were filled not only with laughter, but gasps of disbelief at how far the 13 year old main character goes. I still can't figure out how the filmmakers took something that should have been off-putting and weird (13 year old boy putting the moves on his gay 40-something English teacher) and made it something not only consistently surprising but touching and funny and involving. It is not per se a gay coming of age movie, I suppose you could say that it's a bisexual coming of age movie but really it seemed much more than that (as the kid in the movie says, "those are just labels"). Calling it a gay Napoleon Dynamite like one of the other reviews did is kind of silly, because that movie takes so-called *normal* people and makes them seem weird, this movie takes so-called *weird* people and makes us recognize ourselves in them even if we would judge them in real life. And this movie is damn funny but in a way that is at the same time open-hearted and totally unsentimental. After two viewings I feel like there's still so much more there to be revealed in this movie, and I think it's one I will return to again and again. Can't wait until I can purchase it on DVD. If this movie isn't widely distributed it will be a crime.

Wow, this is a really thoughtful, well-made coming-of-age film. With a sea of dreck in this genre flooding the market, it is refreshing to see such a well written, sincerely performed narrative that feels so real and personal. Set in snowy Nova Scotia, the story of a bookish 13 year old named Emerson falling in love with his male school teacher (who is gay), might easily veer toward the distasteful, but this film never does. The performances are honest and heartfelt and the storyline goes to some unexpected places, contributing nicely to it's indy feel. There are a few moments that might have been more thoroughly explored (Emerson's relationship with an geeky school friend, the obvious direction of his awakening sexuality, is given short shrift.) But overall, this was an intelligently made, sweet and sincere film about human relationships - something that we can never have enough of.

I saw this to a packed audience at the Toronto International Film Festival today with director, lead actor, and producers in attendance.

This film exceeded my expectations and was enjoyable to watch. This film explores sexuality and relationships mainly through a home-schooled boy whose family integrates him into a regular school, coming into contact with students and one teacher in particular. This was an engrossing and very interesting exploration of this topic with tenderness, realism, and an excellent screenplay.

A few outstanding aspects:

1) SCREENPLAY: very intelligent, strong characters, motivations, with some very witty lines that really worked and, at times, got me laughing. Good flow.

2) VERY STRONG ACTING: The lead actor (first film for Aaron Webber) was very well cast, not to mention the performances from all leads was very strong. Kudos to the director for pulling this together.

3) VISUALS: The scenes and visuals are slightly out of the ordinary resulting in something that intrigues and makes it worth watching.

There is, however, one small area that was lacking believability which would make this an otherwise outstanding film: the evolving relationship of the lead character with his teacher. A bit more care with this crescendo is what is needed. With a few tweaks highlighting a special moment, or an additional scene, the movie would be perfect. I was thoroughly engrossed in the characters and story and give this movie a very strong endorsement.

Amnon Buchbinder's "Whole New Thing" ranks among the best independent films of the past year. Solid performances, notably from newcomer Aaron Webber, and assured, mature direction bolster an excellent script (co-written by ubiquitous Canuck playwright and co-star Daniel MacIvor) about the vagaries of family, love and sexuality. Buchbinder's sensitive treatment of his characters never falls into cliché and consistently offers resonant insights. The script is well-paced and adroitly mixes comedy and tragedy to present a well-rounded view of humanity in bittersweet glory.

For those of you who thought Canadian cinema was just about Atom Egoyan and David Cronenberg, think again: Amnon Buchbinder is as strong and defined a voice as either of those two, and his soft touch arguably eclipses both in terms of his ability to explore the humanity of his characters.

This is a touching movie about Emerson, the 13-year-old son of hippies in rural Nova Scotia. He's been home-schooled; hoping to interest him more in academics, his mother decides to send him to the local school for the first time. As he becomes the target of bullies, more and more he develops a crush on his English teacher, Mr. Grant, who as it turns out is a closeted gay man who frequents the highway rest stop. His artless advances towards Mr. Grant scare the hell out of him, leaving Emerson hurt and confused. Meanwhile, his parents' marriage is in a crisis that they try unsuccessfully to camouflage from him.

There were a few thin spots (a few threads were left hanging ), but in general it's a sweet, reflective movie that compels us to identify with Emerson and invites us to think about the emotional reactions it raises in us. Another lovely Canadian (and specifically Maritime) queer film in the tradition of The Hanging Garden.