My American Cousin is a 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...

 drama film, released in 1985. Written and directed by Sandy Wilson

Sandy Wilson (director)

Sandra "Sandy" Wilson is a Canadian film director and screenwriter. She is best known for her films My American Cousin and Harmony Cats. Harmony Cats was nominated for the Genie Award for Best Achievement in Direction and the Genie Award for Best Motion Picture...

 based on her own childhood, the film stars Margaret Langrick

Margaret Langrick

Margaret Langrick is a Canadian actress. She won a 1986 Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for My American Cousin and was also nominated in the same category in 1990 for Cold Comfort. She was also nominated for a Gemini Award in 1987 for Best Guest Performance in a...

 as Sandy Wilcox, a pre-teen girl growing up on a ranch in rural Penticton, British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

 in the late 1950s. Sandy's longing to be treated as an adult is roused even further when her older American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 cousin Butch Walker (John Wildman

John Wildman (actor)

-Acting career:He is best known for his roles in the 1985 film My American Cousin and its sequel American Boyfriends, and the TV series The Campbells. He won a Genie Award for Best Actor for his performance in My American Cousin.-External links:...

) comes for a visit. The cast also includes Richard Donat

Richard Donat

Richard Donat is a Canadian actor known for his roles in Canadian and American television. He is currently into his second season as a cast member of the Canadian-American TV series, Haven...

, Jane Mortifee, Babz Chula

Babz Chula

Babz Chula was an American-born actress, permanent resident in Canada.-Life and career:Chula was born as Barbara Ellen Zuckerman in Springfield, Massachusetts. She was raised in Jamaica, New York...

 and Camille Henderson

Camille Henderson

Camille Henderson , is a Canadian pop singer.She played the role of Shirley in the classic Canadian movie My American Cousin in 1985, and then went on to become part of the Vancouver-based pop group West End Girls from 1991 to 1993...

.

A 2006 On Screen! documentary about the film featured interviews with director Sandy Wilson and leading actress Margaret Langrick.

Awards

My American Cousin won six awards at the 7th Genie Awards

7th Genie Awards

The 7th Genie Awards were held March 20, 1986 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. It was co-hosted by Leslie Nielsen and Catherine Mary Stewart.-Award winners:Best Motion PictureWinner: My American Cousin, Peter O'BrianOther Nominees:...

, including Best Picture, Best Director (Wilson), Best Original Screenplay (Wilson), Best Actor (Wildman), Best Actress (Langrick) and Best Film Editing (Haida Paul).

The film was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor (Donat), Best Sound, Best Sound Editing, Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design, but did not win those awards.