Plot
A young man is rocked by two announcements from his elderly father: that he has terminal cancer, and that he has a young male lover.
Release Year: 2010
Rating: 7.2/10 (17,918 voted)
Critic's Score: 81/100
Director:
Mike Mills
Stars: Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, Mélanie Laurent
Storyline It's 2003. Thirty-eight year old graphic artist Oliver Fields has just lost his father Hal Fields to cancer, after Oliver's mother Georgia Fields passed away five years earlier. Oliver is naturally a sullen man due to his growing up relationship with his parents (his mother who had a unique view on life) and watching his parents' cordial but somewhat distant relationship with each other, but is more so now because of his personal family loss. Oliver embarks on a relationship with Anna, a French actress. Oliver is hoping that his re-energized relationship with Hal following Georgia's death and Hal's new outlook on life during that time will show Oliver how to act in a loving relationship. After Georgia's death, Hal came out of the closet and began to live with a joie de vivre that did not exist before, which included an open relationship with a much younger man named Andy...
Cast: Ewan McGregor
-
Oliver Fields
Christopher Plummer
-
Hal Fields
Mélanie Laurent
-
Anna
Goran Visnjic
-
Andy
Kai Lennox
-
Elliot
Mary Page Keller
-
Georgia
Keegan Boos
-
Young Oliver Fields
China Shavers
-
Shauna
Melissa Tang
-
Liz
Amanda Payton
-
Party Person
Luke Diliberto
-
Green Witch
Lou Taylor Pucci
-
Magician
Bambadjan Bamba
-
The Sads
Hana Jane
-
The Sads
(as Hana Hwang)
Samuel T. Ritter
-
The Sads
Filming Locations: Akbar - 4356 Sunset Boulevard, Silver Lake, Los Angeles, California, USA
Box Office Details
Budget: $3,200,000
(estimated)
Opening Weekend: $141,340
(USA)
(5 June 2011)
(5 Screens)
Gross: $14,183,325
(Worldwide)
(8 September 2011)
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia:
At 82 years of age, Christopher Plummer won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for this film, and became the oldest person to ever win an Oscar for acting.
Quotes: Oliver:
[voiceover]
Six months later, my father told me he was gay. He had just turned 75. I always remember him wearing a purple sweater when he told me this but actually he wore a robe.
User Review
A Beautiful Film
Rating: 10/10
I was able to see the world premiere of Beginners at the Toronto
International Film Festival this weekend, and it completely took me by
surprise. It was a bit of a last minute pick, and it has been my
favourite film so far, and probably one of my favourite films in
general. To be simple, I will just say that this film is about life and
the emotions and experiences that we all go through within it.
Christopher Plummer plays a 75 year old man who after the death of his
wife is finally able to explore his homosexuality, and we see him come
to life through this experience. It is not only about him, but mainly
about his son played by Ewan McGregor, whose relationships with both
his mother and father shape him as a person. These relationships and
his own romantic relationships make up the core of his character, and
it is through love, loss and discovery that the three main characters
display an authentic view of humanity. It is an original film, and
requires a certain audience, but I recommend that everyone should see
this true gem.
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