Never Too Late (1997)

Director:

Giles Walker

Writer:

Donald Martin (writer)

Genre:

Drama | Comedy

Plot:

Four old friends reunite to investigate the death of a good friend. |

Plot Keywords:

Aspiring Actor | Retiree | Independent Film

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Olympia Dukakis	...	Rose
Jean Lapointe	...	Woody
Jan Rubes	...	Joseph
Cloris Leachman	...	Olive
Corey Haim	...	Max
Matt Craven	...	Carl
Ellen Dubin	...	Carolyn
Chip Chuipka	...	Tom
Joan Orenstein	...	Joy
Helen Hughes	...	Eunice
Frances Bay	...	Elisabeth Kronner
Jane Wheeler	...	Bank Manager
Catherine Colvey	...	Dr. Smith
Norris Domingue	...	Bob
Roger Garceau	...	Male Resident #1
Babs Gadbois	...	Female Resident #2
Victor Knight	...	Justice of the Peace
Bruce Dinsmore	...	Jerry Corcoran
Vanya Rose	...	Juliet
Miriam Samuels	...	Secretary
Gouchy Boy	...	Steve
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Stefan Wodoslawsky

Directed by
Giles Walker

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Donald Martin		writer

Produced by
Tom Berry	....	producer
Pierre David	....	co-producer
Sam Grana	....	co-producer
Jan Rubes	....	associate producer
Susan Douglas Rubes	....	associate producer
Stefan Wodoslawsky	....	producer

Original Music by
Normand Corbeil

Cinematography by
Savas Kalogeras

Film Editing by
Ion Webster

Production Design by
Paola Ridolfi

Art Direction by
David Blanchard

Costume Design by
Janet Campbell

Makeup Department
Antoine Bergeron	....	key hair stylist
Tom Brumberger	....	hair stylist: Ms. Dukakis
Tom Brumberger	....	makeup artist: Ms. Dukakis
Manon Parisien	....	key makeup artist
Marie Régimbald	....	first assistant makeup artist
Hanna Yee	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Josée Bernard	....	executive in charge of production
Renaud Mathieu	....	production manager
Alain Thériault	....	assistant unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Normand Bourgie	....	first assistant director
Claude Dallaire	....	third assistant director
Danielle Ste-Marie	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Bernard Comte	....	property master
Luc Gagnier	....	first art swing gang
Alain Giguère	....	key scenic artist
Marc LeClerc	....	property assistant
Lyne Rancourt	....	property buyer
Julie Robert	....	art department assistant

Sound Department
Mark Battenberg	....	assistant foley artist
François Béland	....	boom operator
Michel Descombes	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jacques Drouin	....	location sound mixer
Gavin Fernandes	....	sound re-recording mixer
Natalie Fleurant	....	adr editor
André Galbrand	....	supervising sound editor
Bradford L. Hohle	....	stereo sound consultant
Wojtek Klis	....	dialogue editor
Sid Lieberman	....	foley artist

Stunts
William Washington	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Fabrice Barrilliet	....	electrician
Kristen Dolenko	....	second assistant camera
Emeric Grunebaum	....	key grip
Sylvain Hardy	....	best boy grip
Marc Hénaut	....	best boy electric
Mark Hoffman	....	first assistant camera
Walter Klymkiw	....	gaffer
François Lacasse	....	electrician
Keith McKenzie	....	electrician
Chloë Mercier	....	assistant camera: second unit
Bill Muloin	....	electrician
Kent Nason	....	camera operator
Bruno Philip	....	director of photography: second unit
Simon Prévost	....	electrician
Jan Thijs	....	still photographer
Sydney Watkins	....	electrician
Brahms Yaiche	....	grip trainee

Casting Department
Andrea Kenyon	....	casting: Montréal
Myriam Vézina	....	casting: Montréal
Randi Wells	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Susan Lamond	....	wardrobe assistant
Martine Picard	....	key costumer
Mary Jane Wallace	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Richard Bélanger	....	post-production coordinator
Claudette Champagne	....	negative cutter
François Grondin	....	assistant film editor
Diane Leroux	....	negative cutter
Vladimir Zabransky	....	color timer

Music Department
Ranee Lee	....	main title vocalist

Other crew
Grace Avrith	....	nfb supervisor
Marie-Elaine Bailly	....	production secretary
Rachèle Bélanger	....	assistant: Ms. Bernard
Carole Castonguay	....	craft service
Olivier Chouinard	....	production assistant
Didier Communaux	....	production assistant
Donna Croce	....	assistant: Mr. Wodoslawsky
Mathieu Donkin	....	nfb coordinator
Martha Fernandez	....	production coordinator
Anne Frank	....	story consultant
René Fréchette	....	production assistant
François Gosselin	....	second art swing gang
Joanne T. Harwood	....	continuity
François Lacasse	....	production assistant
Paul Lemaire	....	first art swing gang
Julie Matlin	....	assistant: Mr. Berry
Elissa McBride	....	liaison: Los Angeles
Ric Nish	....	location manager
Claude Paiement	....	location manager
Clark Peterson	....	image project executive
Daniel Plante	....	location scout
Ellie Presner	....	script revisor
Laura Lee Rhoades	....	production assistant
Rudolph Thuaud	....	second art swing gang

Production Companies

• Allegro Film Productions III Inc.
• Téléfilm Canada

Distributors

• Allegro Distribution U.S.
• MTI Home Video (1999) (USA) (video)

Also Known As:

Jamais trop tard (Canada: French title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for thematic elements, sensuality and mild language.

Runtime:

USA:96 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Taiwan:GP | USA:PG | Canada:PG

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Company:

Allegro Film Productions III Inc.

Soundtrack:

Blame It On The Bossa Nova

Wonderful Ensemble Cast!

I was lucky enough to learn that this Canadian-made movie was going to air on a local station a few months back. After watching it, I am glad I make sure I check out what that station airs in the earliest hours of the morning. `Never Too Late' features a cast of veteran actors, a rare thing in these modern times when our older stars are often ignored. The four leads are Jan Rubes, Olympia Dukakis, Cloris Leachman, and Jean Lapointe as retirees. They get together to play cards and talk about good old days, and Dukakis is the newest member of the group following the death of the other three's friend. Jan Rubes is hard-nosed, cranky, and stubborn, resisting the presence of Dukakis. She, on the other hand, is stubborn too, and gives him guff to the point where Rubes is speechless. These are the films best moments, giving too good actors a chance to really show emotion. I could tell that Rubes' character was not one that was used to being talked back to. Of course, all their bickering means that they really like each other and have no other way of expressing it. Seeing this develop is a real treat.

The main plot of the movie involves a local retirement home that Lapointe is living in. It is run by a shady Matt Craven, who the group believes to be embezzling the money the residents are paying him. After a rather bad confrontation with Craven, Lapointe has a stroke and is hospitalized. The others, smelling something funny, wants to stop Craven from leaving the country with all the people's money. To do this they send in Dukakis as a decoy, pretending that she is filthy rich to keep Craven around until he makes a move on her phantom money. This ploy, while sometimes confusing (it was hard to understand the computer aspect of Craven's fraudulent scheme), is a delight.

One of the reasons I saw this film is because Corey Haim, who I have always liked, has a part in it. He plays Rubes' grandson, aspiring to be an actor. Rubes is disgusted by Haim, who can only get work in a very seedy play. When Haim invites the old folks to the play, it is a sight to behold. I was laughing hard. For the rest of the movie, I was laughing at what I was supposed to be laughing at and grinning at everything else. This is a good movie that sadly will not be seen by many. It gives a great ensemble cast a chance to really show people what they can do. Lets hope these actors are given more chances before they are no longer with us. It's never too late to try. Zantara's score: 7 out of 10.