Wedding in White (1972)

Director:

William Fruet

Writers:

William Fruet (play)
William Fruet (screenplay)

Release Date:

20 October 1972 (Canada)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A young girl's brother comes home from the army, and brings an army buddy with him. The three of them go out that night to celebrate...

Plot Keywords:

Army | Rape | Family Crisis | Father Daughter Relationship | Teenager

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Carol Kane	...	Jeannie Dougall
Donald Pleasence	...	Jim Dougall, Sr.
Doris Petrie	...	Mary Dougall
Leo Phillips	...	Sandy
Christine Thomas	...	Sarah McCarver
Paul Bradley	...	Jimmie Dougall
Doug McGrath	...	Billy
Bonnie Carol Case	...	Dolly

Also Known As:

Mariage en blanc (Canada: French title)

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Cinépix Film Properties (CFP)

Authentic and Deliberate

8 out of 10

A shy 16 year old girl (Kane) living in a small, bleak Canadian town just after the war becomes raped by her older brothers army buddy. The parents respond as if it is all her fault and resort to some extreme even shocking measures in order to save the 'family honor'.

Solid little drama with good scene construction. The pacing is deliberate with a final that really packs a wallop. The sets and location really look authentic for the period. The characters also look and act believable. Kane's friend Sara seems like a very typical teenager no matter what time period. Her interactions with Kane shows the realities of teenage friendships and makes for an interesting sidelight from the main story.

Kane is impressive acting in a style you never seen from her before. Pleasance is solid as usual. His Canadian accent sounds almost authentic, but it is a bit overdone. Petrie is also quite good as the mother. She really brings to surface a character that is so cloistered she is unable to make any clear decision for herself.

The story itself is the real strong point. It is convincing, insightful, and well crafted. It brings out a sort of darkness and 'evil' that can come from 'wholesome small towns' and 'God fearing people'. It shows how having a rigid morality can sometimes create a sort of immorality. It also shows the lies people wish to live by and how at times it can cloud their better judgement. Most of all it shows how easily sensitive, fragile people can get sucked away and how sadly common it is.

This is a film designed to leave you feeling shocked, angered, saddened, and maybe even a little repulsed. This is quality viewing and really deserves more attention.