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THE GRAND SEDUCTION

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Grand Seduction
Directed byDon McKellar
Written byKen Scott
Michael Dowse
Produced byBarbara Doran
Roger Frappier
Jeff Sackman
StarringBrendan Gleeson
Taylor Kitsch
Gordon Pinsent
Liane Balaban
Mark Critch
Peter Keleghan
Mary Walsh
Margaret Killingbeck
Cathy Jones
Matt Watts
CinematographyDouglas Koch
Edited byDominique Fortin
Music byFrancois-Pierre Lue
Maxime Barzel
Paul-Étienne Côté
Production
companies		Voltage PicturesMax FilmsMorag Loves Company
Distributed byEntertainment One
Release dates8 September 2013 (TIFF)30 May 2014 (Canada)
Running time115 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish
Budget$12.7 million[1]
Box office$4.3 million[2]

The Grand Seduction is a 2013 Canadian comedy film directed by Don McKellar and written by Ken Scott and Michael Dowse. The film stars Taylor Kitsch, Brendan Gleeson, Liane Balaban and Gordon Pinsent. It is based on a 2003 French-Canadian film, La Grande Séduction.

The film was nominated in four categories for the Canadian Screen Awards, with Pinsent winning the award for Actor in a Supporting Role at the March 2014 ceremony.[3]

Plot

As a boy, Murray French tells the story of his father, a fisherman in the small community of Tickle Head, Newfoundland and Labrador. Murray feels the community has a shared sense of purpose and good work ethics, and he notes his parents’ domestic bliss.

Decades later, Murray is one of many men who receive welfare cheques from Kathleen, the clerk at the post office, and cash them with Henry Tilley, manager of the bank. Adding to the indignity, his wife is leaving him for a job in St. John’s. At a town meeting, he learns from the mayor that a petrochemical company is negotiating to build a factory. The company requires communities it operates in to have a resident doctor, and Tickle Head has failed to find one for the last eight years. Murray concludes that a factory is what the town needs, and a resident doctor is the solution.

The mayor and his family leave for St. John’s, where he becomes a customs agent at the airport. He finds cocaine in the baggage of Paul Lewis, a plastic surgeon, and makes a deal: in exchange for Lewis’s criminality being ignored, he will live in Tickle Head for a month. Murray arranges for the “seduction” of Lewis to a long-term contract, lying to the townspeople that this will guarantee that the factory is built in Tickle Head. He gets the townspeople to feign a game of cricket, Lewis’s favourite sport, and taps Lewis’s phone to learn more ways to entice him to stay.

The executive of the petrochemical company visits Tickle Head, telling Murray, posing as the mayor, that nearby St. Anne has made a more attractive offer, including a bribe. The executive demands another bribe of $100,000 to build the plant in Tickle Head, expressing concern that it is too small for a factory. At the bank, Murray applies for a loan to cover this amount, and is denied. He successfully pressures Henry into reconsidering, risking his job, by telling him that he could be easily be replaced by an ATM.

Lewis is persuaded to stay by the townsfolk’s deception and favourable attention, and the discovery that he has been cheated on with his best friend by his fiancée. When he agrees to become the resident doctor, giving a speech to the town where he praises their authenticity and integrity, Murray lies that another doctor has accepted the position. Afterwards, Kathleen tells the truth, causing him to confront Murray as the executive is signing the paperwork for the factory. Passionately convinced by Murray, Lewis concedes, and the paperwork is signed.

Later, the factory opens, bringing dignity back to Tickle Head. Murray reunites with his wife, and Henry, fired and replaced by an ATM, has found a new job. The film ends with a satisfied ending similar to the opening flashback.

Cast

Production

The Grand Seduction is based on the 2003 film Seducing Doctor Lewis (original French title La grande séduction). Shortly after it came out at Sundance Film Festival, an English-speaking version of the film was recommended. South Korea, Spain and Canada were all interested in doing a remake but only Canada, France and Italy ultimately developed remakes.[4] Initially, Michael Dowse was to direct the film but he dropped out due to “artistic differences” with producer Roger Frappier. Ken Scott, who wrote the original script, was then attached at the direction of the film.[5] He and Frappier planned the remake to be 80 per cent the same as the original. The film was expected to start shooting on 28 August 2011, but it got delayed.[6] In April 2012, Scott left the project to focus on the remaking of his Starbuck film.[7] In May 2012, Don McKellar came on board as director.[8] Jeff Sackman is credited as executive Producer.[9]

In 2011, there had been talks to have Robin Williams in the film but scheduling conflicts got in the way.[5] Taylor Kitsch‘s and Brendan Gleeson‘s participation was confirmed in July 2012.[1] Set in the fictional harbour of Tickle Head, principal photography started on 30 July 2012 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador.[10] The film was also shot in Red Cliffe, Bonavista Bay and in Trinity Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador.[11] Filming wrapped in September 2012.[12]

Release

The film was premiered at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).[13][14] It was also selected as the opening film of the Atlantic Film Festival and the Calgary International Film Festival.[15][16]

Upon the screening at TIFF, The Hollywood Reporter‘s John DeFore described the film as a “charming, wholly commercial little comedy” that is “formulaic but pleasing”, and praised Gleeson’s performance.[17] In her overview of the films shown at TIFF, Monika Bartyzel of The Week wrote: “The Grand Seduction is a super-sweet community tale sparked by the inclusion of McKellar’s wry humor. It’s a film overflowing with charm from end to end.”[18]

Home media

The Grand Seduction was released on Blu-ray on 16 September 2014 and DVD on 7 October 2014.

Reception

Overall critical reception to the film has been mixed. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 61% based on reviews from 71 critics. The website’s consensus reads, “The Grand Seduction can’t quite live up to the classic dramedies it seems to consciously evoke, but ambles sweetly enough to charm viewers in its own right.”[19] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 57/100, indicating mixed or average reviews, based on 20 critical reviews.[20]

Box office

In its opening weekend, the film grossed $323,743 in 94 theatres in the United States, ranking #17 at the box office. By the end of its run, The Grand Seduction grossed $3,878,262.[2]

Awards and accolades

YearResultAwardCategoryRecipients
2013NominatedTallinn Black Nights Film FestivalBest North American Independent FilmDon McKellar
2014NominatedGenie AwardsBest Motion PictureRoger Frappier, Barbara Doran
NominatedBest Adapted ScreenplayKen Scott, Michael Dowse
NominatedBest Performance by an Actor in a Leading RoleBrendan Gleeson
WonBest Performance by an Actor in a Supporting RoleGordon Pinsent
WonDirectors Guild of CanadaDirection – Feature FilmDon McKellar
NominatedProduction Design – Feature FilmGuy Lalande
NominatedFeature FilmDon McKellar, Guy Lalande, François Sénécal, Lynn Andrews
NominatedCanadian Screen AwardsMotion PictureRoger Frappier, Barbara Doran

Musical adaptation

In 2022, Tell Tale Harbour, a musical based on the film premiered at the Charlottetown Festival. The musical starred Alan Doyle.[21]

References

  1.  Fleming, Mike (30 July 2012). “Brendan Gleeson, Taylor Kitsch Find ‘The Grand Seduction'”. Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  2.  “The Grand Seduction (2014)”. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  3.  “Canadian Screen Awards: Orphan Black, Less Than Kind, Enemy nominated”. CBC News, 13 January 2014.
  4.  “Quebec film La Grande Seduction gets triple remake”. CBC News. 21 June 2011. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  5.  Kelly, Brendan (20 June 2011). “Ken Scott to direct English remake of the 2003 Quebec film hit La grande seduction”. Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  6.  Bradbury, Tara (22 June 2011). “Major film remake to be shot in Trinity Bight”. The Telegram. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  7.  Kelly, Brendan (24 April 2012). “Producer Roger Frappier “flabbergasted” that Ken Scott has dropped out of The Grand Seduction”. Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  8.  Kelly, Brendan (2 May 2012). “Don McKellar to direct The Grand Seduction”. Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  9.  “Jeff Sackman”. BondIt LLC. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  10.  Dunlevy, T’Cha (30 July 2012). “Gleeson, Kitsch to star in The Grand Seduction; shooting starts today”. Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  11.  “Trinity Bay seduces Hollywood stars for film remake”. CBC News. 22 August 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  12.  “DOUGLAS KOCH WRAPS ‘THE GRAND SEDUCTION'”. Sesler & Company. 20 September 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  13.  “”The Grand Seduction” premiered at 2013 Toronto International Film Festival”. upandcomers.net. 23 July 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
  14.  “Toronto film festival 2013: the full line-up”. The Guardian. London. 23 July 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
  15.  “The Grand Seduction to open Atlantic film fest”. CBC News. 23 July 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  16.  Volmers, Eric (19 September 2013). “The Grand Seduction a decidedly Canadian way to open the Calgary International Film Festival”. Calgary Herald. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  17.  DeFore, John (11 September 2013). “The Grand Seduction: Toronto Review”. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  18.  Bartyzel, Monika (18 September 2013). “Toronto International Film Festival: 7 more movies you should know about”. The Week. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  19.  “The Grand Seduction”. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  20.  “The Grand Seduction Reviews – Metacritic”. Metacritic. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  21.  Smellie, Sarah (16 November 2021). “Alan Doyle to star in musical ‘Tell Tale Harbour’ headlining Charlottetown Festival”. Toronto Star. Retrieved 27 December 2024.

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