Love and Human Remains
Encyclopedia
Love and Human Remains is a 1993
Canadian
film directed by Denys Arcand
and based on Brad Fraser
's stage play Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love
. Fraser also wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation. The film version follows the storyline of the original play fairly closely: a gay
man and his straight, female roommate try to find love and sexual gratification in Toronto
, as a serial killer
is loose in the city.
While the film was shot on location in Montreal, Quebec
, the original stage play and the screenplay are both set in Edmonton, Alberta
. There are attempts made in the dialogue, props and background film footage to identify the city as Edmonton, as in David's remark, "Let's order a Rosebowl pizza and discuss your sexual crises" (Rose Bowl Pizza is a well-known restaurant and bar in Edmonton). In another scene, the TV news reporter signs off from "CFR-" and gets cut off by the TV remote control before she can say "-N," the final call letter of Edmonton's CTV affiliate station
. Sal's remark, "It's chicken night at Flash," is an allusion to Flashbacks, a long-gone Edmonton gay bar. There's also repeated use of a Sun newspaper (the Edmonton Sun
is one of the city's major daily newspapers, although the city's name is not included in the masthead of the prop paper) and CBC
-TV Canadian Football League
footage of an Edmonton Eskimos
game.
Fraser won a Genie Award
for his adapted screenplay, while stars Mia Kirshner
, Joanne Vannicola
, and Matthew Ferguson
received acting nominations.
It has not been released as a Region 1
DVD
, although it is available in the UK on a Region 0 ("region-free") PAL
DVD issued by Arrow Films
.
1993 in film
The year 1993 in film involved many significant films, including the blockbuster hits Jurassic Park, The Fugitive and The Firm. -Events:...
Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
film directed by Denys Arcand
Denys Arcand
Georges-Henri Denys Arcand, is a Canadian film director, screenwriter and producer. He has won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film in 2004 for The Barbarian Invasions...
and based on Brad Fraser
Brad Fraser
Brad Fraser is a Canadian playwright, screenwriter and cultural commentator. He is one of the most widely produced Canadian playwrights both in Canada and internationally. Fraser's plays typically feature a harsh yet comical view of contemporary life in Canada, including frank depictions of...
's stage play Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love
Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love
Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love is a 1989 stage play written by Canadian playwright Brad Fraser. Set in Edmonton, Alberta, the comedy-drama follows the lives of several sexually frustrated "thirty-somethings" who try to learn the meaning of love — during a time in which...
. Fraser also wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation. The film version follows the storyline of the original play fairly closely: a gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
man and his straight, female roommate try to find love and sexual gratification in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, as a serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
is loose in the city.
While the film was shot on location in Montreal, Quebec
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, the original stage play and the screenplay are both set in Edmonton, Alberta
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
. There are attempts made in the dialogue, props and background film footage to identify the city as Edmonton, as in David's remark, "Let's order a Rosebowl pizza and discuss your sexual crises" (Rose Bowl Pizza is a well-known restaurant and bar in Edmonton). In another scene, the TV news reporter signs off from "CFR-" and gets cut off by the TV remote control before she can say "-N," the final call letter of Edmonton's CTV affiliate station
CFRN-TV
CFRN-DT is a Canadian television station, broadcasting in Edmonton, Alberta. It is an owned and operated station of the CTV Television Network....
. Sal's remark, "It's chicken night at Flash," is an allusion to Flashbacks, a long-gone Edmonton gay bar. There's also repeated use of a Sun newspaper (the Edmonton Sun
Edmonton Sun
The Edmonton Sun is a daily newspaper published in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It is a division of Sun Media, a Quebecor company.It began publishing in 1978 and shares many characteristics typical of Sun Media tabloids, including an emphasis on local news stories, its conservative editorial stance,...
is one of the city's major daily newspapers, although the city's name is not included in the masthead of the prop paper) and CBC
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
-TV Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
footage of an Edmonton Eskimos
Edmonton Eskimos
The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
game.
Fraser won a Genie Award
Genie Award
Genie Awards are given out to recognize the best of Canadian cinema by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. From 1949-1979, the awards were named the Canadian Film Awards...
for his adapted screenplay, while stars Mia Kirshner
Mia Kirshner
Mia Kirshner is a Canadian actress and social activist who works in movies and television series. She is best known for her portrayal of Jenny Schecter on The L Word and for her role in the 2006 crime film The Black Dahlia as Elizabeth Short.- Early life :Kirshner was born in Toronto, Ontario,...
, Joanne Vannicola
Joanne Vannicola
Joanne Vannicola is a Canadian actress, born in Montreal, Quebec. She is most notable for her role as Dr. Mia Stone in PSI Factor and as the voice of Willy Zilla in Gene Simmons' animated television show My Dad the Rock Star....
, and Matthew Ferguson
Matthew Ferguson
Matthew Ferguson is an actor born on 3 April 1973 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He graduated from the Claude Watson School for the Performing Arts.-Performances:...
received acting nominations.
It has not been released as a Region 1
DVD region code
DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region...
DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
, although it is available in the UK on a Region 0 ("region-free") PAL
PAL
PAL, short for Phase Alternating Line, is an analogue television colour encoding system used in broadcast television systems in many countries. Other common analogue television systems are NTSC and SECAM. This page primarily discusses the PAL colour encoding system...
DVD issued by Arrow Films
Arrow Films
Arrow Films is a UK distributor of classic, horror, and cult films on Blu-ray and DVD.-Arrow Films:Arrow Films is one of the UK's leading independent distributors of world cinema, arthouse, horror and classic films...
.
Cast
- Thomas GibsonThomas GibsonThomas Ellis Gibson is an American actor who is perhaps best known for his roles as Daniel Nyland in the Medical drama series Chicago Hope, as Greg Montgomery in the comedy series Dharma & Greg, and as Supervisory Special Agent Aaron "Hotch" Hotchner in the highly-popular CBS drama, Criminal...
as David - Ruth MarshallRuth MarshallRuth Marshall is a Canadian actress from Toronto, Ontario. She is best known for her role in the hit television series Flashpoint. She graduated with a degree in English from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec and then returned to Toronto to pursue a career in acting.She has appeared the...
as Candy - Cameron BancroftCameron BancroftCameron Bancroft , sometimes credited as Cam Bancroft is an actor known for playing Joe Bradley on the TV Series Beverly Hills, 90210. He was on the show from 1995 to 1996....
as Bernie - Mia KirshnerMia KirshnerMia Kirshner is a Canadian actress and social activist who works in movies and television series. She is best known for her portrayal of Jenny Schecter on The L Word and for her role in the 2006 crime film The Black Dahlia as Elizabeth Short.- Early life :Kirshner was born in Toronto, Ontario,...
as Benita - Joanne VannicolaJoanne VannicolaJoanne Vannicola is a Canadian actress, born in Montreal, Quebec. She is most notable for her role as Dr. Mia Stone in PSI Factor and as the voice of Willy Zilla in Gene Simmons' animated television show My Dad the Rock Star....
as Jerri - Matthew FergusonMatthew FergusonMatthew Ferguson is an actor born on 3 April 1973 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He graduated from the Claude Watson School for the Performing Arts.-Performances:...
as Kane - Aidan DevineAidan DevineAidan Devine is a Canadian film actor. He was born in England and immigrated with his family to Canada at the age of 15. He studied at Dawson College's Dome Theatre in Montreal, Quebec and began his acting career in Montreal. He would later relocate to Toronto. His 1993 breakout role came in...
as Sal