- Actors: Miranda Richardson, Kristin Adams, Monté Gagné, Callum Keith Rennie, Katharine Isabelle
- Directors: Scott Smith
- Writers: Barbara Gowdy, Esta Spalding
- Producers: Alain de la Mata, Dean English, Geoffrey Cox, Jessica Fraser, Kevin DeWalt
- Format: Colour, DVD-Video, NTSC
- Language English
- Region: Region 1 (US and Canada DVD formats.)
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9 - 1.78:1
- Number of discs: 1
- Classification: Unrated (US MPAA rating. See details.)
- Studio: Film Movement
- DVD Release Date: 11 July 2006
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- ASIN: B0007LI8R4
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 112,340 in Film & TV (See Top 100 in Film & TV)
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Product details |
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:DVD
Falling Angels is a Canadian film set in the late 60s and is another one about a dysfunctional family, in this case the parents and their three daughters. (Are there any families out there anymore that aren't dysfunctional in some way?) After taking a few minutes to settle down this turns into a real gem of a film, which is by turns weird, funny, sad and depressing, but never too over the top. The 60's imagery and plot focus works really well. Even two days after watching it it's is still on my mind, even though I've forgotten a lot of the details of what I saw. It's good to see a film like this that has a proper beginning and ending too and a sensible explanation for why the characters behave in the way that they do, rather than simply being a `slice of life'. The music used is great too and really complements what's going on and fits the mood and time period perfectly. Watch out for the bike crash near the beginning, which is really quite a funny little scene. You definitely need to watch this film. I'm tempted to add it to my all time Top 50 films.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
7 reviews
12 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Sparkling Comedy from Canada
22 Aug 2006
Format:DVD
Based on a novel by Barbara Gowdy, Esta Spalding's film version of "Falling Angels" is a spectacular domestic comedy/drama with well-drawn characters and sparkling performances.
Callum Keith Rennie won Canada's Best Supporting Actor Oscar, the Genie, in 1998 for "Last Night." He also played the gay love interest in "Wilby Wonderful" for a guy who kept trying to commit suicide as well as appearing in "The Butterfly Effect." As the father Jim Field, Rennie is full of machismo and is lost in his own world in a household with a wife & three daughters.
Miranda Richardson, twice nominated for Oscars for "Damage" in 1992 & "Tom & Viv" in 1994 plays mother Mary, a depressive alcoholic whose illness is sheltered by her family.
Of the three daughters, Norma, played by Monte Gagne in her first film, is a tomboy who pine panels the basement and receives a toolbelt from her father for Christmas and wears it with pride. When she seems to develop a stronger-than-normal girl-on-girl attraction for the neighbor Stella played by Ingrid Nilson, the audience is not surprised. She uncovers the secret of a brother whose infant death has darkened the marriage of her parents.
However, for all of these fine performances, the film really belongs to the middle daughter Lon played by Katharine Isabelle. Isabelle has appeared in "Freddie vs. Jason" & "Josie & the Pussycats." In this film she shines as the rebellious daughter who is tired of her father's affairs, stomps on his toe and screams at him in anger. She runs her bicycle into the van of hippie classmate Tom, played by Kett Turton from "Firewall," "Gypsy 83" & "Walking Tall." Tom has long talks about Nitzche while Lon keeps turning the subject back to sex. Lon finds sanctuary in the family bomb shelter in the back yard.
The youngest sister is Sandy played by Kristin Adams who was in "Where the Truth Lies" with Kevin Bacon & Colin Firth. She is obsessed with feminine beauty, sewing stylish clothes and makeup applied with perfection. She attracts a 38-year old married shoe salesman Tom, played by Mark McKinney who won his Best Supporting Actor Genie for "Dog Park." Young as she is, Sandy believes it to be true love until Tom unveils his New Year's surprise. Pregnant, Sandy expects a ring & a proposal but winds up with a twin brother in a local motel and an offer for in-family group sex.
The film begins quickly and then moves into flashback until the final frames. Rennie's hilarious reaction to his wife drunk on the roof is to point a shotgun at her in classic black comedy mode. Director Esta Spalding handles the pacing well and does an excellent job with this sparkling comedy from Canada. Bravo!
Callum Keith Rennie won Canada's Best Supporting Actor Oscar, the Genie, in 1998 for "Last Night." He also played the gay love interest in "Wilby Wonderful" for a guy who kept trying to commit suicide as well as appearing in "The Butterfly Effect." As the father Jim Field, Rennie is full of machismo and is lost in his own world in a household with a wife & three daughters.
Miranda Richardson, twice nominated for Oscars for "Damage" in 1992 & "Tom & Viv" in 1994 plays mother Mary, a depressive alcoholic whose illness is sheltered by her family.
Of the three daughters, Norma, played by Monte Gagne in her first film, is a tomboy who pine panels the basement and receives a toolbelt from her father for Christmas and wears it with pride. When she seems to develop a stronger-than-normal girl-on-girl attraction for the neighbor Stella played by Ingrid Nilson, the audience is not surprised. She uncovers the secret of a brother whose infant death has darkened the marriage of her parents.
However, for all of these fine performances, the film really belongs to the middle daughter Lon played by Katharine Isabelle. Isabelle has appeared in "Freddie vs. Jason" & "Josie & the Pussycats." In this film she shines as the rebellious daughter who is tired of her father's affairs, stomps on his toe and screams at him in anger. She runs her bicycle into the van of hippie classmate Tom, played by Kett Turton from "Firewall," "Gypsy 83" & "Walking Tall." Tom has long talks about Nitzche while Lon keeps turning the subject back to sex. Lon finds sanctuary in the family bomb shelter in the back yard.
The youngest sister is Sandy played by Kristin Adams who was in "Where the Truth Lies" with Kevin Bacon & Colin Firth. She is obsessed with feminine beauty, sewing stylish clothes and makeup applied with perfection. She attracts a 38-year old married shoe salesman Tom, played by Mark McKinney who won his Best Supporting Actor Genie for "Dog Park." Young as she is, Sandy believes it to be true love until Tom unveils his New Year's surprise. Pregnant, Sandy expects a ring & a proposal but winds up with a twin brother in a local motel and an offer for in-family group sex.
The film begins quickly and then moves into flashback until the final frames. Rennie's hilarious reaction to his wife drunk on the roof is to point a shotgun at her in classic black comedy mode. Director Esta Spalding handles the pacing well and does an excellent job with this sparkling comedy from Canada. Bravo!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Film of the decade on family tragedy.
5 Mar 2009
Format:DVD
This film is fabulous. Perhpas the perverse Darwin payout of growing up with a parent having a mental health crisis is the unique resilence it developes. The sisters experience is stunning and heroic. The portrayal of the whole family is done so very well. There is so much to identify with -- I could see myself in each sister. It is a perfect portrayal of isolation that leads to preventable tradegy. Everyone in mental health should see this film! It is so on target and yet not overly devastating. Bravo!
Bittersweet Film. Absolutely Enjoyable.
30 Sep 2011
I enjoyed everything about this movie. Underneath its quirky, comedic moments lie many an issue about family dynamics. The acting was totally enjoyable, as was the nostalgia of the times captured accurately. The plot held what was for me a big surprise at the end as I had no clue who really threw the falling angel. Totally enjoyed this film.
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
