THE HANGING GARDEN |
| CREDITS: Director: Thom Fitzgerald. Cast: Chris Leavins, Kerry Fox, Seana McKenna,
Peter MacNeil, Joan Orenstein & Christine Dunsworth. Canada 1997 (18). INTRODUCTION: Fitzgerald throws his hat into the ring to compete alongside the likes of David Cronenberg, Atom Egoyan and Guy Maddin for the title of Canada's (and hence the world's) weirdest director, with this slice of small town Nova Scotian strangeness. SYNOPSIS: Ten years after running away from home, Sweet William (Leavins) returns for his sister's wedding and must face the dysfunctional family and unhappy memories he thought he'd escaped. Flashbacks show us the all too familiar events from his childhood that lead to his flight. We see his first dance, his first kiss, the first time he mutually masturbates with another guy and the first time his mother takes him to a prostitute. The family includes your standard role call of stereotypes; the dissatisfied mother, the drunkard sister, the violent father, the insane grandmother, the young tomboy of dubious parentage, the ghost of our hero's younger self and, of course, the disabled dog. Thing come to a head, as they always do, when William's mother (McKenna) goes missing. REVIEW: Fitzgerald's directorial debut is truly impressive as he invokes the audience's feelings of pathos with a truly bizarre family. "You must feel like your in the god-damn Twilight Zone" intones Rosemary (Fox) and indeed she has a point, there is little of familiarity here, at least for me, and yet somehow you empathise with this family and their twisted problems. Leavins exudes inward strength in his portrayal of Sweet William, and Fox is sublime, as ever, as the foul-mouthed but resigned Rosemary. As do Troy Vernolte and Sarah Polley as the teenaged version of the aforementioned siblings. A superb cast of fine character actors back them up portraying a series of symbolically named inhabitants of the hanging garden, including Iris (McKenna), Whiskey Mac (MacNeil), Herb-of-Grace (Orenstein), Violet (Dunsworth), Fletcher (Joel S. Keller), Laurel (Jocelyn Cunningham), Dusty (Martha Irving), Black-Eyed-Susan (Heather Rankin), Bud (Ashley MacIsaac) and surely it's no coincidence that the dog is called Peat. The story is split into three vignettes 'The Lady in the Locket', 'Lad's Love' and 'Mums' all of which centre on the twisted interpersonal relationships that exist between this family, with Mac's violence forgiven, Fletcher's betrayal forgotten and William's suicide attempt understood, the film has a great sense of matriarchal forgiveness, resulting in Iris' eventual escape. Fitzgerald has demonstrated a stunning range of wit and originality in this astoundingly assured directorial debut that leaves one panting for more from the Canadian newcomer. Apart from anything else the film does at least help you appreciate your own family a little better. Mutt's Rating: **** |