Bliss (1997)

Director:

Lance Young

Writer:

Lance Young (written by)

Release Date:

14 April 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Love is only the beginning.

Plot:

Joseph and Maria are married for six months and Maria still has never had an orgasm with her husband...

Plot Keywords:

Ecstasy | Doctor | Orgasm | Sex | Telescope

Cast

Craig Sheffer	...	Joseph
Sheryl Lee	...	Maria
Terence Stamp	...	Baltazar
Casey Siemaszko	...	Tanner
Spalding Gray	...	Alfred
Leigh Taylor-Young	...	Redhead
Lois Chiles	...	Eva
Blu Mankuma	...	Nick
Ken Camroux	...	Hank
Pamela Perry	...	Dottie
Eli Gabay	...	Carlos
Molly Parker	...	Connie
Hiro Kanagawa	...	Doctor
Merrilyn Gann	...	Motel Woman
Gillian Barber	...	Therapist
Peter Kelamis	...	Neighbor
Norman Armour	...	Patient
David Glyn-Jones	...	Priest
Quincy Welch	...	Boy (as Quincy)
Carson Welch	...	Boy
Serena Bodnar	...	Girl
Kristin Lehman	...	Scope / Steps Woman
Akesh Gill	...	Therapy Woman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jennifer-Juniper Angeli	...	Tanner's Girlfriend (uncredited)

Directed by
Lance Young

Writing credits
Lance Young		(written by)

Produced by
Matthew O'Connor	....	executive producer
Allyn Stewart	....	producer
Lisa Towers	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Jan A.P. Kaczmarek

Cinematography by
Mike Molloy

Film Editing by
Allan Lee

Casting by
Glenn Daniels

Production Design by
David Fischer		(as David Lloyd Fischer)
John Willett

Art Direction by
William Heslup
Eric Norlin

Set Decoration by
Barry Kemp
Mary-Lou Storey

Costume Design by
Heidi Ross
Jori Woodman

Makeup Department
James D. Brown	....	hair stylist (as James Brown)
Marianne Coates	....	assistant makeup artist
Rosalina Da Silva	....	makeup artist
Gina Sherritt	....	assistant hair stylist

Production Management
Lisa Towers	....	production manager
Essy Niknejad	....	post-production supervisor (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jack Hardy	....	first assistant director
Carl Mason	....	trainee assistant director
Shirley-Anne Parsons	....	second assistant director (as Shirley Parsons)
Roger Scott Russell	....	third assistant director (as Roger Russell)
Carie Wallis	....	trainee assistant director (as Carrie Wallis)

Art Department
Sandy Arthur	....	set decorator buyer
David Asmodeus	....	assistant property master
Mario Battista	....	assistant set dresser
Frank Bodeck	....	dresser
Nicole Chorney	....	set decorator buyer
Janet Clark	....	assistant set decorator
Diarmuid Conway	....	on-set dresser (as Dermuid Conway)
Grant Cotterall	....	scenic carpenter
Sean DeSalliers	....	laborer
Mitch Devon	....	carpenter helper
Mark Ennis	....	carpenter helper
Debbie Erhardt	....	assistant property master
R.D. 'Luther' Fairbairn	....	property master (as R. D. Luther Fairbairn)
Daniel Frisk	....	laborer
Erik Gerlund	....	assistant set decorator (as Erik Rene Gerlund)
Dan Hanen	....	lead hand
Jennifer Hill	....	property buyer
Ed Jensen	....	dresser
Alex Kameniczky	....	draftsman (as Alexander Kameniczky)
P.K. MacCarthy	....	storyboard artist (as Kevin McCarthy)
Malcolm MacLean	....	paint coordinator
Francis Mallette	....	scenic painter (as Frances Mallette)
Steve Martin	....	scenic carpenter (as Steven Martin)
Mark McDermott	....	scenic carpenter
Sam McMaster	....	construction foreman
Tony Moscovitch	....	scenic carpenter
Gillian Murray	....	set decorator buyer
Michael Nemirsky	....	draftsman
Peter Prince	....	scenic carpenter
James Purvis	....	dresser (as Jim Purvis)
Michael Raycevick	....	plasterer
Jan Reeves	....	painter foreman
Grace Rourke	....	scenic artist
Jenny Seinen	....	scenic painter
Brian Shell	....	construction coordinator
Macleod Sinclaire	....	on-set dresser
Peter Sysoev	....	scenic painter
Ray Taylor	....	lead hand (as Ray 'Skippy' Taylor)
Eileen Telfer Rennick	....	scenic painter (as Eileen Telfer Rennich)
Elmar Theissen	....	lead painter
Bart Uphill	....	scenic painter
David Webber	....	location lead carpenter
Peggy Allen Winslow	....	head greens person
Frank Haddad	....	head greensman (uncredited)

Sound Department
Anke Bakker	....	sound editor
Marc Chiasson	....	adr editor
Mark Cookson	....	sound editor
Serge Djang	....	foley actor
Dean Drabin	....	adr mixer
Ezra Dweck	....	sound re-recording mixer
Robert W. Glass Jr.	....	sound re-recording mixer
Vincent Guisetti	....	foley actor
Steve Hollenbeck	....	sound editor (as Steven Hollenbeck)
Dessie Markovsky	....	sound designer
Dessie Markovsky	....	supervising sound editor
Michael McGee	....	sound mixer
T.A. Moore Jr.	....	foley mixer (as Tom A. Moore Jr.)
T.A. Moore Jr.	....	sound effects mixer (as Tom A. Moore Jr.)
Charles O'Shea	....	boom operator
Iain Pattison	....	group adr recordist
Mark Seagraves	....	adr editor
Xavier Sol	....	sound editor
Brent D. Winter	....	sound editor
Kris Fenske	....	assistant dialogue editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Mark Mentiply	....	special effects assistant
Randy Shymkiw	....	special effects coordinator
Scott R. Treliving	....	special effects rigger (as Scott Treliving)
Keith Wardlow	....	special effects assistant
Jak Osmond	....	special effects first assistant (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Joe Fisher	....	production coordinator: Rainmaker Imaging Co.
Ken Hayward	....	digital artist: Rainmaker Imaging Co.
Christine Petrov	....	digital artist: Rainmaker Imaging Co.
Gary Walker	....	digital compositing supervisor: Rainmaker Imaging Co. (as Gary L. Walker)
Bruce Woloshyn	....	digital artist: Rainmaker Imaging Co. (as Bruce G. Woloshyn)

Stunts
Jim Dunn	....	stunt coordinator
Jim Dunn	....	stunt double: Craig Sheffer (uncredited)
Jacob Rupp	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Jim Barber	....	rigging grip
Fraser Boyle	....	best boy
Richard Buckmaster	....	lamp operator
Cory Budney	....	camera trainee
Stephen S. Campanelli	....	Steadicam operator (as Steve Campanelli)
John Clothier	....	Steadicam operator
John Clothier	....	camera operator
Barry Donlevy	....	gaffer
Attila Fritz	....	camera trainee
David Goyer	....	lamp operator
Brenda Haggerty	....	underwater second assistant camera
R.K. Hill	....	key grip (as R. K. Hill)
Pierre Hubert	....	dolly grip
Christina Kasperczyk	....	second assistant camera
John Kuchera	....	dolly grip (as Brent J. Kuchera)
Doug Lavender	....	second assistant camera
Vince Laxton	....	rigging gaffer
Alan Markfield	....	still photographer
Richard G. Mason	....	underwater camera operator (as Richard Mason)
Nathaniel Massey	....	Steadicam operator
Blair McDonald	....	best boy
Klaus Melchior	....	video playback
Cam North	....	underwater first assistant camera
Tobias A. Schliessler	....	additional photography (as Tobias Schliessler)
Trig Singer	....	camera operator
Vince Uytdehaag	....	generator operator (as Vincent A. Uytdehaag)
Mark Willis	....	grip
Darren Wong	....	grip
Michael Wrinch	....	focus
Sarah Baldwin	....	remote head technician (uncredited)
Chris Cochrane	....	generator operator (uncredited)
Stewart Hadley	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Sam Osborne	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)

Casting Department
Stuart Aikins	....	casting: Canada
Sandra Couldwell	....	extras casting
Michael Greer	....	casting associate: USA
William Haines	....	casting associate: Canada
Candace S. McPherson	....	extras casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Tess Brummitt	....	set costumer (as Teresa Brummitt)
Jennifer Grossman	....	costume set supervisor
Heidi Ross	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Gay Black	....	negative cutter
Bruce Giesbrecht	....	first assistant editor
Ellen Gram	....	second assistant editor (as Ellen G. Shumiatcher)
Caroline Hardon	....	first assistant editor
Mo Henry	....	negative cutter
Nancy Elizabeth McKenzie	....	post-production coordinator (as Nancy McKenzie)
Lorie Olson	....	film conformer
David Orr	....	color timer
Michael Smith	....	film conformer (as Mike Smith)
Bonni Devlin	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Marta Boberska	....	soprano
Krzesimir Debski	....	composer: additional music
Krzesimir Debski	....	conductor: Sinfonia Varsovia
Krzesimir Debski	....	musician: violin
Krzesimir Debski	....	orchestrations
Mark Ferris	....	violin consultant
Andrzej Jagodzinski	....	musician: piano
Jan A.P. Kaczmarek	....	music producer (as Jan A. P. Kaczmarek)
Christopher Kennedy	....	music editor
Pawel Losakiewicz	....	musician: solo violin
Rafal Paczkowski	....	score mixer
Rafal Paczkowski	....	score recordist
Jacek Urbaniak	....	musician: flute
Sinfonia Varsovia	....	music performers
Zbigniew Zbrowski	....	orchestra contractor
Richard Ziegler	....	assistant music editor (uncredited)

Transportation Department
David R. Anderson	....	transportation captain (as David Anderson)
Elaine Barrett	....	transportation co-captain (as E. A. Barrett)
Mark Boiko	....	camera car driver
Bill Bowe	....	driver
Brad Bowe	....	driver: grip / electric
Dave Bowe	....	transportation coordinator
Brian Boyer	....	driver: camera truck (as Brian J. Boyer)
Sean Brennan	....	driver: hair / MU / wardrobe (as Shaun Brennan)
Duncan Callander	....	driver: set decorating (as Duncan Callendar)
Tony Hadzis	....	driver: construction
Lee Harris	....	driver
Ron Lacroix	....	driver: cable truck (as Ron Locroix)
Keith Noble	....	driver: honeywagon
Jan Tayler	....	driver: cast
Lorrie Ward	....	camera car driver

Other crew
Colette Aubin	....	second assistant production coordinator
Pam Bailey	....	chef: Reel Appetites Ltd.
Paul Barkin	....	location scout
Glenn Bottomley	....	location production assistant
Kerri Boyce	....	accounting clerk
Bill Burns	....	location scout
Lynda Chapple	....	location scout
Dixie Cutler	....	unit publicist
Mark Dumas	....	animal coordinator (as Mark Weiner Dumas)
Truddi Forrest	....	choreographer (as Trudi Forrest)
Gisele Fredette	....	craft service (as Giselle Fredette)
Gisele Fredette	....	first aid (as Giselle Fredette)
Janice Frome	....	location manager
Philip Fuldauer	....	assistant production coordinator
Benjamin Glenday	....	stand-in (as Ben Glenday)
Anne Gordon	....	fly wrangler
Carole Jensson	....	assistant chef: Reel Appetites Ltd. (as Carol Jensson)
Sue Kittler	....	location production assistant
Jake Klein	....	assistant: Sheryl Lee
Christine Lalande	....	script supervisor (as Christine LaLande)
Matreya Langton	....	stand-in
Kevin 'C.D.' Lawton	....	office production assistant (as Kevin [C. D.] Lawton)
Norman Leggatt	....	dance instructor
Deanna MacCarthur	....	location production assistant
Bill Marlor	....	security captain (as William Marlor)
Doreen Marlor	....	dance instructor
Lloyd Marlor	....	security
Carl Mason	....	location production assistant
Colin L. McCarthy	....	assistant location manager
Wayne McDonell	....	location scout
Nancy Elizabeth McKenzie	....	second assistant production coordinator (as Nancy McKenzie)
Bernadette Meyers	....	location scout
Woodrow Morrison	....	location production assistant
Julia Neville	....	production coordinator
Michael O'Connor	....	assistant: Matthew O'Connor (as T. Michael O'Connor)
Patrick O'Neal	....	assistant: Lance Young
John Pantages	....	group adr: The Background
Stephanie Rossel	....	script supervisor
Lizzie Scheck	....	assistant: Allyn Stewart
Gwyn E. Shipman	....	assistant location manager (as Gwyn Shipman)
Eleanor Simpson	....	assistant chef: Reel Appetites Ltd.
Rachael Taylor	....	location production assistant
John Tierney	....	stand-in
Mary Anne Waterhouse	....	production accountant (as Mary Anne McCarthy)
Patricia D. Williams	....	assistant production accountant
Francis Yehoun	....	location production assistant
Ian Doig	....	animal trainer (uncredited)
Tim Moshansky	....	location scout (uncredited)
Simon St. Laurent	....	opticals: Film Opticals (uncredited)

Thanks
Ma Jaya Bhagavati	....	special thanks
Ivana Chubbuck	....	special thanks (as Ivanna Chubbuck)
Tim Ford	....	special thanks
David Hauka	....	special thanks
Evan Katz	....	special thanks
Jeff Kleeman	....	special thanks
Christopher Meledandri	....	special thanks (as Chris Meledandri)
Lynn O'Hare	....	special thanks
Steve Rabineau	....	special thanks
Kate Simmons	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Triumph Films (presents)
• Stewart Pictures (producer)
• Pacific Motion Pictures Corporation (produced in association with) (as Pacific Motion Pictures Corp.)
• Triumph Enterprises Inc.

Distributors

• Columbia TriStar Films (????) (France) (theatrical)
• Triumph Films (1997) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Video (????) (Japan) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Rainmaker Digital Imaging (digital visual effects) (as Rainmaker Imaging Co.)
• Cinema Research (optical effects) (as Cinema Research Corporation)

Other Companies

• Reel Appetites  catering by
• Background, The  group adr
• Polish Radio Studios, The  score recorded and mixed at (as Polish Radio Studios)
• Studio Buffo  score recorded and mixed at (as Studio Buffo, Warsaw)
• Reel Music  music clearances
• Turbosound  sound services by (as Turbo Sound Inc.)
• Olympic Sound Studios  rerecording facilities
• Sharpe Sound Studios  additional sound services
• Gastown Post and Transfer  video (as Gastown Post)
• Northern Lights Equipment Inc.  grip and electric equipment
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• Bull, Houser and Tupper  legal services: Vancouver (as Bull, Housser, & Tupper)
• O'Melveny & Myers  legal services: Los Angeles
• Ellis Foster  financial services
• Canadian Helicopters  helicopters
• California Camera Cars  camera cars
• West Coast Camera Cars  camera cars
• Heads Up Camera  crane and power pod
• Fuji Photo Film  film stock (as Fuji Photo Film Canada)
• Sedgwick Insurance  insurance (as Sedgwick James Ltd.)
• TVD Televector Enterprises  payroll services
• Canada Wide Communications  walkie talkies
• Cerruti 1881  special costumes: for Terence Stamp (as Cerruti 1881 Paris)
• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)  this picture made under the jurisdiction of (as I.A.T.S.E.®)
• Directors Guild of Canada  acknowledgment
• Union of B.C. Performers  acknowledgment
• Teamsters Local 155  acknowledgment
• American Humane Association, The  animal action monitoring
• B.C.S.P.C.A.  animal action monitoring: on-set supervision (as the British Columbia S.P.C.A.)

Also Known As:

"Hard Technique" - Japan (English title) (video title)

MPAA:

Rated R for graphic sex scenes with strong sex-related dialogue, and for language (edited for re-rating)

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Australia:R | Germany:16 | Mexico:C | Spain:18 | USA:NC-17 (original cut) | USA:R (edited for re-rating) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Iceland:16 | UK:18 | New Zealand:R18

Filming Locations:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Triumph Films

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Siskel & Ebert: Speed 2/Broken English/Ulee's Gold/Temptress Moon/Wedding Bell Blues" (1997)

Soundtrack:

Nocturne OP. 28 No. 1

Great movie.

I ended up hiring this movie because it stars the very beautiful Sheryl Lee, but I liked it when it was over.

Everyone in this film gives a great performance, particularly Stamp and Lee. Sheffer is adequade and Spalding Gray is boring as he always is.

I found it hard to feel unmoved by the scene in which Maria (Lee) explains to her husband why she has problems. It is very sad that someone has to go through all that pain and suffering.

I see this film as more that "a quest for an orgasm", as my friend put it, but a well acted drama that is also very entertaining and somewhat educational.

As for the sex scenes, they are very well handled and they are not dirty. There isn't much nudity (the video cover is very misleading) and people in it talk more about sex than they do it.

Great film, it should be more well known and recognized. Everyone, tell your friends to watch Bliss. It makes you think about how your partner really feels in bed....