Love That Boy
Encyclopedia
Love That Boy is a 2003 Canadian film and romantic comedy
directed by Andrea Dorfman and starring Nadia Litz
and Adrien Dixon. It is about a woman in love with a younger teenage boy. In French
the film is called J'aime ce garçon.
) is madly in love with him, and his younger quirky sister Bugs (PJ Crosby) provides Frazer with insightful advice on his love problems.
Director Andrea Dorfman told the press that in her work, she tried to adapt reality with character-based style, and would "look at things from a different perspective." Dorfman co-wrote the screenplay
, placing the character Phoebe in university because Dorfman saw herself as overconfident of her knowledge when she went to college. The point would then be to demonstrate that studying is not complete knowledge. Dorfman also claims that the low budget was because larger companies would want to change the story so that Frazer and Phoebe become lovers, while the actual points of the film were reaching maturity and friendship.
to audition in person. Dorfman also found Dixon to be "an old soul."
on September 19, 2003. The film was re-released on November 7 of that year. On January 24, 2004, it played in Oxford Cinema in Halifax, which the press claimed marked the first time the film would be screened where it had been shot.
," but rather just a statement of how love can be perplexing. This critic complimented Litz and Dixon's acting, and called Love That Boy "a little gem of a film." Katherine Monk of The Ottawa Citizen also addressed the subject matter, saying that the film is "a little bizarre- not to mention disconcerting... the film rides the edge of ickiness." However, Monk credited Dorfman and Litz with "charm" and "style" that eased these factors. Litz herself acknowledged that sex
between the main characters "would be gross."
Monk also said that Litz "makes us believe in the near-cartoon
ish Phoebe by giving her moments of vulnerability and compassion." For this film, the Vancouver Film Critics Circle nominated Litz as Best Actress of the year in Canadian cinema, but she lost to Sarah Polley
in My Life Without Me
.
However, another critic wrote that "The whole thing is charming to look at, wise and funny- but, alas, slim. Slight." Columnist David Spaner disapproved of Dixon's acting, although he felt Litz and Barnett were good, and found the writing poor in places. He doubted the film's wisdom because he felt lines like "I am too much and not enough at the same time" had been done before and were incomprehensible.
Romantic comedy film
Romantic comedy films are films with light-hearted, humorous plotlines, centered on romantic ideals such as that true love is able to surmount most obstacles. One dictionary definition is "a funny movie, play, or television program about a love story that ends happily"...
directed by Andrea Dorfman and starring Nadia Litz
Nadia Litz
-Biography:She was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. A former child actor, she has described herself as somewhat ambitious. She is of Russian, Polish and British descent, and the press has noted her small physical stature...
and Adrien Dixon. It is about a woman in love with a younger teenage boy. In French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
the film is called J'aime ce garçon.
Plot
Robin (Nikki Barnett) encourages her roommate Phoebe (Litz), an ambitious 21-year-old university student, to find a boyfriend. Phoebe does not manage to find a love interest among her fellow-university students, but instead takes interest in a 14-year-old boy named Frazer (Dixon). Frazer's crazy next door neighbour Suzanna (Ellen PageEllen Page
Ellen Philpotts-Page , known professionally as Ellen Page, is a Canadian actress. Page received both Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for Best Actress for her role as the title character in the film Juno...
) is madly in love with him, and his younger quirky sister Bugs (PJ Crosby) provides Frazer with insightful advice on his love problems.
Production
Love That Boy was filmed in Halifax, Nova Scotia. One critic speculated the budget was low, but that that was used as an advantage, saying a "slightly cheesy look and sound of everything in Phoebe's life... justifies good old Canuck cheapness as a point of comedy."Director Andrea Dorfman told the press that in her work, she tried to adapt reality with character-based style, and would "look at things from a different perspective." Dorfman co-wrote the screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
, placing the character Phoebe in university because Dorfman saw herself as overconfident of her knowledge when she went to college. The point would then be to demonstrate that studying is not complete knowledge. Dorfman also claims that the low budget was because larger companies would want to change the story so that Frazer and Phoebe become lovers, while the actual points of the film were reaching maturity and friendship.
Casting
Dorfman had previously made a film entitled Parsley Days. That film had impressed Litz, and Litz felt that anything else by Dorfman would be good. Thus, when Litz was informed by her agent that she could audition by videotape for a film by Dorfman, Litz opted instead to fly from Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
to audition in person. Dorfman also found Dixon to be "an old soul."
Release
The film was first run at the Atlantic Film FestivalAtlantic Film Festival
The Atlantic Film Festival is an international film festival held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.Held annually, the ten-day celebration of film and video from Atlantic Canada and around the world is committed to screening an inspiring and engaging collection of films and videos from Canada and the...
on September 19, 2003. The film was re-released on November 7 of that year. On January 24, 2004, it played in Oxford Cinema in Halifax, which the press claimed marked the first time the film would be screened where it had been shot.
Reception
Despite the similarity in the subject matter, one critic asserted that Love That Boy is not a "male version of LolitaLolita
Lolita is a novel by Vladimir Nabokov, first written in English and published in 1955 in Paris and 1958 in New York, and later translated by the author into Russian...
," but rather just a statement of how love can be perplexing. This critic complimented Litz and Dixon's acting, and called Love That Boy "a little gem of a film." Katherine Monk of The Ottawa Citizen also addressed the subject matter, saying that the film is "a little bizarre- not to mention disconcerting... the film rides the edge of ickiness." However, Monk credited Dorfman and Litz with "charm" and "style" that eased these factors. Litz herself acknowledged that sex
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
between the main characters "would be gross."
Monk also said that Litz "makes us believe in the near-cartoon
Cartoon
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
ish Phoebe by giving her moments of vulnerability and compassion." For this film, the Vancouver Film Critics Circle nominated Litz as Best Actress of the year in Canadian cinema, but she lost to Sarah Polley
Sarah Polley
Sarah Polley is a Canadian actress, singer, film director, and screenwriter. Polley first attained notice in her role as Sara Stanley in the Canadian television series, Road to Avonlea...
in My Life Without Me
My Life Without Me
My Life Without Me is a 2003 Spanish/Canadian film directed by Isabel Coixet and starring Sarah Polley, Mark Ruffalo, Scott Speedman, and Leonor Watling. Based on the book Pretending the Bed Is a Raft by Nanci Kincaid, it tells a story of the dying process of a 23-year-old woman who has a husband...
.
However, another critic wrote that "The whole thing is charming to look at, wise and funny- but, alas, slim. Slight." Columnist David Spaner disapproved of Dixon's acting, although he felt Litz and Barnett were good, and found the writing poor in places. He doubted the film's wisdom because he felt lines like "I am too much and not enough at the same time" had been done before and were incomprehensible.
External links
- Love That Boy at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...