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EVENT DATES AND INFORMATION: The 2008 Beach Blanket Film Festival runs from Friday, July 18 through Sunday, July 20. Each night the festival presents a feature film, preceded by a short film program and live entertainment. Gates open at 8:00 pm with entertainment beginning at 9:00 pm. The festival is located on Okanagan Beach on the East side of The Lakeside Resort. Bring your beach blankets, lawn chairs (and a sweater). See you at the beach! Remember, if it looks like rain, the show must go on (sorry, no refunds or exchanges). THE FILMS: Friday, July 18th Breakfast With Scot Director: Laurie Lynd • Writer: Michael Downing,
Sean Reycraft Site: www.caprifilms.com/breakfastwithscot Synopsis: Sam (Tom Cavanaugh, Ed, Scrubs, Gray Matters) and Ed (Ben Shenkman, Just Like Heaven, Angels in America) aren’t exactly your stereotypical gay couple. A former pro-hockey player, Sam now works as a broadcaster for a major sports network, and – because of the traditionally homophobic nature of this field – he is determined to keep his personal and professional lives completely separate. Things change irrevocably when Ed’s nephew, Scot (fantastically portrayed by Noah Bernett, Gothika) enters their lives. Ed has agreed to look after Scot following the death of the boy’s mother, at least until his father, Ed’s no-account brother Billy, returns to Toronto. An expert knitter addicted to boas, makeup and show tunes, Scot has no idea who Wayne Gretzky is – and couldn’t care less. Terrified that Scot will be persecuted ruthlessly at school, Sam decides to straighten him out. His efforts will change them both. Perhaps the most essential aspect of the film, though, is its treatment of Sam’s divided psyche and the sports world in general. In his fear that Scot will be targeted and, frankly, that he’ll be outed himself, Sam becomes more irritable than your run-of- the-mill homophobe. His anxiety is, of course, partially generated by the sports milieu, which traditionally operates on a false and impossibly dated notion of masculinity. The fact that this realm is claimed and zealously guarded by reactionary elements (both the film and the National Hockey League, which has supported it, have been attacked by fundamentalist Christian groups) only makes the film more significant. Breakfast with Scot is loaded with charm, but it also reminds us that our world isn’t yet as liberal or safe as we might like to believe.
Saturday, July 19th Normal Director: Carl Bessai • Writer: Travis McDonald Synopsis: Nick, a young high-school student, has been killed in a drunk-driving accident; those involved and those left behind struggle to put their lives back together. For his mother, Catherine (Carrie-Anne Moss, Snow Cake, Fido), the loss is an almost unbearable burden. Unable to move on, she spends much of her time in Nick’s room, which she refuses to let anyone else enter. Nick’s best friend, Jordie (Kevin Zegers, Transamerica, The Stone Angel), who was driving the car Nick was in, has just been released from juvenile detention. He returns home to face his needy stepmother and the seemingly bottomless rage of his domineering father. Failed writer Walt (Callum Keith Rennie, Flower & Garnet, Wilby Wonderful), the other driver, drinks heavily, neglecting his rapidly crumbling marriage and his autistic younger brother who desperately needs his attention. Shuttling masterfully between these interlinked storylines and eliciting deeply affecting performances from his exceptional cast, Bessai creates a layered and unflinching portrait of a group of people torn apart by grief and recrimination. Most daringly, Bessai doesn’t ask us to sympathize with his characters in conventional ways. In fact, as Catherine’s mental state deteriorates and she lashes out at those around her, she tests the limits of our sympathy. Rennie’s pathetic Walt, in contrast, seems less like a criminal than a man who’s been stretched far too thin for far too long. Normal is a courageous, unwavering and moving exploration of the aftermath of a tragedy. Sunday, July 20th Away From Her Director: Sarah Polley Site: www.caprifilms.com/awayfromher Synopsis: Grant (Gordon Pinsent, The Shipping News, Saint Ralph) and Fiona (Julie Christie, Dr. Zhivago, Finding Neverland) have been married for fifty years and have what many consider the perfect life together, full of love and laughter. But as Fiona begins to suffer memory loss, her inadvertent references to her past create difficult complications. The agonizing decision is made to move Fiona into a nursing home, and Grant is advised not to see her for a month so she can adjust – even though they have never spent this much time apart. When he finally visits Fiona, she’s forgotten him and has fallen in love with Aubrey (Michael Murphy, Magnolia, Childstar), a man she has met in the home. Grant refuses to give up on the love of his life, but when Aubrey’s wife (Olympia Dukakis Moonstruck, 3 Needles) removes Aubrey from the home, Fiona is left in a massive depression that forces Grant to contemplate the greatest sacrifice of his life. Adapted by Polley with tenderness and sensitivity from her favourite short story – Alice Munro’s “The Bear Came Over the Mountain” – Away from Her boasts emotionally evocative cinematography from Luc Montpellier (The Saddest Music in the World) and a host of immensely heartfelt performances from a masterful cast.
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