Family Viewing (1988)

Van's father, Stan, is fond of video, always taping scenes of daily family life. But he does not take care of Van's grandmother, Armen. Although he could afford having her at home, she is ... See full summary »

Director:

Atom Egoyan

Writer:

Atom Egoyan

Stars:

David Hemblen, Aidan Tierney, Gabrielle Rose

3 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
David Hemblen	...	Stan
Aidan Tierney	...	Van
Gabrielle Rose	...	Sandra
Arsinée Khanjian	...	Aline
Selma Keklikian	...	Armen
Jeanne Sabourin	...	Aline's Mother
Rose Sarkisyan	...	Van's Mother
Vasag Baghboudarian	...	Young Van
David MacKay	...	Man Behind Counter
Hrant Alianak	...	Administrator
John Shafer	...	Private Detective
Garfield Andrews	...	Hotel Bellboy
Edwin Stephenson	...	Video Salesman
Aino Pirskanen	...	Mistaken Woman
Souren Chekijian	...	Priest at Funeral

Storyline

Van's father, Stan, is fond of video, always taping scenes of daily family life. But he does not take care of Van's grandmother, Armen. Although he could afford having her at home, she is spending her days watching TV in an old people's home. Van often visits her. He meets Aline, whose mother is in the next bed. Van wants to get his grandma out of the old people's home. Aline will help. Actually, Van, whose mother left, years ago, is looking for a real family life.

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Plot Keywords:

grandmother | television | dysfunctional family | home movie | phone sex | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 September 1988 (Australia)

Also Known As:

Black Comedy...

Filming Locations:

The Arts Television Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

CAD 160,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Canada Council for the Arts, Ego Film Arts, Ontario Arts Council

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in Yperoha plasmata: Tis Aristeras kai tis Proodou... (2008)

User Reviews

smartly directed audio-visual satire

The breakthrough film by the most stylish and original critic of the audio/visual age is a sophisticated mock soap opera charting the corrosive influence of TV and video on the fabric of modern family life. With astonishing versatility and a grab-bag of black comic gestures, writer director Atom Egoyan injects an air of deadpan, dispassionate humor into a convoluted melodrama which is less kinky than it sounds: a young man, finding his family identity threatened, rescues some nostalgic home videos before his father can erase them with homemade S&M porn, and then 'kidnaps' his neglected grandmother from her nursing home with the help of a sympathetic woman who earns a living selling phone sex. The screenplay shows a tendency toward over plotting (which should be obvious from even this thumbnail synopsis), but Egoyan unravels the many narrative knots with a rare technical and creative dexterity that earned his film the honor of being the best Canadian film of the year.