Next of Kin (1984)

Twenty-three-year old Peter Foster is an only child who lives at home, where he constantly hears his parents arguing. Because Peter does nothing all day, the family goes to a clinic where a... See full summary »

Director:

Atom Egoyan

Writer:

Atom Egoyan

Stars:

Patrick Tierney, Berj Fazalian, Sirvart Fazlian

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Patrick Tierney	...	Peter Foster / Bedros Deryan
Berj Fazalian	...	George Deryan
Sirvart Fazlian	...	Sonya Deryan
Arsinée Khanjian	...	Azah Deryan
Margaret Loveys	...	Mrs. Foster
Thomas Tierney	...	Mr. Foster
Phil Rash	...	Foster Counsellor
Paul Babiak	...	Deryan Counsellor
Constantino Magnatta	...	Video Operator (as Tino Magnatta)
Andrew Coyne	...	Counsellor in Elevator
Peg Christopherson	...	Counsellor in Elevator
Linzee Collins	...	Receptionist
Robert Kosoy	...	Boy in Store
Charmaine Lord	...	Stripper
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hagop Apkarian

Storyline

Twenty-three-year old Peter Foster is an only child who lives at home, where he constantly hears his parents arguing. Because Peter does nothing all day, the family goes to a clinic where a therapist videotapes them. After Peter watches his tape, he views the tape of a troubled Armenian family, who gave their only son away for adoption when they arrived in Canada. Peter decides to visit this family, and he pretends to be their son, Bedros Deryan. The Deryan family welcomes him with open arms, and Peter tries to patch up the poor relationship between George Deryan and his daughter Azah.

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Plot Keywords:

adoption | videotape | armenian | surprise party | teddy bear | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Details

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 November 1984 (Canada)

Also Known As:

Közeli rokon

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

CAD 37,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ego Film Arts

Technical Specs

Runtime:

70 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Atom Egoyan:  a guest in Bedros' birthday party

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Connections

References The Graduate (1967)

User Reviews

a promising debut

Perhaps true family ties are only possible with someone else's family; that's the premise behind writer/director Atom Egoyan's disarming feature debut. The film itself is admittedly slim, running only 72 minutes and resting on the most slender thread of a plot, in which the disenchanted only son of an alienated Anglo Saxon household 'adopts' an Armenian family by posing as their long-lost son, becoming so enriched by the experience he decides to make it a permanent arrangement. Nothing much else happens, but Egoyan fleshes out the skeletal framework with plenty of tender, funny observations, minimizing the video-age pretensions that would mark his subsequent features. In this slight, engaging fable the director exhibits all the earmarks of an embryonic talent taking his first, assured steps.