Reviews & Ratings for
Flower & Garnet More at IMDbPro »

14 out of 15 people found the following review useful:
Powerful story of a broken family, 7 April 2003
Author: Howard Schumann from Vancouver, B.C.

Flower and Garnet, the first feature-length film by B.C. director Keith Behrman, is the powerful story of a broken family that is forced to confront problems that have gone on for too many years. The film shows the effect of a father's unexpressed grief on his eight-year old son, Garnet (Colin Roberts), whose mother died giving him birth. Set in the rural Cache Creek area in British Columbia, Canada, it is a subtle and deeply moving portrait of a family that lives in an emotional no-man's land. The father Ed (Callum Keith Rennie) is uncommunicative with both his family and his ladyfriend Barb (Kristen Thomson). Constantly downing cans of beer, he only relates to the boy with silence, self-hatred, and sudden explosions of violence. He tries to school him in typical macho activities, taking him fishing, driving, and shooting on an improvised pistol range, but is unable to provide any real love or understanding.

The years have turned Garnet into a sullen withdrawn child. Vancouver actor Colin Roberts, who received a Genie nomination for Best Actor for his first acting performance, is so natural as Garnet that you can literally hear his thoughts and feel his feelings above the long, awkward silences. Ed tries to right things by giving Garnet a BB gun for his birthday but he uses it to take out his aggression on animals. When his beautiful 16-year old sister Flower (Jane McGregor) has an affair with local teen Carl (Craig Olejnik) and becomes pregnant, Ed compounds the problem by forcing her out of the house. The loss of his sister plus an anticipated rival for his sister's affections pushes Garnet close to the edge. The final breakthrough is so unsuspected that it comes with a sudden jolt.

11 out of 13 people found the following review useful:
Flower and Garnet Worth a go a subtle family drama, 4 March 2003
Author: darmillar from Victoria, Canada

Flower and Garnet is a gritty movie that, I think, captures aspects of small town Canadian life perfectly. That is not to say that every Canadian family is as dysfunctional as Ed's family. But this movie is an engaging drama. It holds itself unique than other family melodrama's in that it does not suck. Granted, the movie is very sublime and there is not much in the way of action or direct conflict but the turmoil of Ed's family is expertly conveyed through stunning performances of the lead actors. Callum Keith Rennie is great, as par for his career, Jane Macgregor, who plays Flower, turns in a solid performance. However the person who really shines through is Colin Roberts in the role of Garnet. The story centers around and is seen through the eyes of eight-year old Garnet. Colin carries the movie effortlessly on his shoulders, never once betraying a false moment. If you need one reason to see this film, it would be to watch this kid struggle through confusion and loss as he tries desperately to cope with his family dynamics.

6 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
Very moving film, 30 January 2006

Author: oliviatocali from Canada

If you want a little background information on this film, read the other users' comments. I am just going to explain my view on this movie :)

Overall, it has spectacular cinematography. It deals with grippingly real issues. You are able to connect with and understand the characters. The actors are really perfect for their roles - individually and as a family (played by Callum Keith Rennie, Jane McGregor, and Colin Roberts).

All in all, I appreciate that I got to see the film. It is definitely an improvement from mainstream media that is constantly coming out. (Not to say there isn't any good mainstream movies, I'm just saying this in a general sense).

Beware for those of you with short attention spans! (I blame the fast-paced mainstream media, he he). I mean, I am also a little impatient but I didn't find myself squirming even once! It had my full focus and attention. You will feel for the story.

I recommend it for just about anyone (more so those who are in their mid-teens and up).

If you are into the art of film, you will appreciate seeing "Flower & Garnet".

3 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
(Review), 18 January 2008

Author: yukari_888 from United States

I didn't have any high expectations for this film, because I knew absolutely zero about it at the time. I had no idea what to expect, but it caught my interest right away with the beginning scene. I loved how at the beginning when you don't know what's going on at all, but you slowly learn more and more as you keep watching. This is one of those movies that has numerous layers to it, and the way it goes about telling the story is expertly done.

For a film that's about simple, everyday life, it was very climatic at the end, and very realistic. You'll never see another film like it. It's breathtaking. Not in the way you would think either, but that's partly what is most unique about it.

4 out of 7 people found the following review useful:
A dysfunctional family hits a crisis when the teenaged daughter gives birth, 31 March 2003

Author: Bill Marles from Vancouver, Canada

This film is getting a lot of press in Vancouver. This is not only because it is locally made, but also because it is very well executed. I was tempted to dismiss it as just another Canadian slice-of-life film. It is that, but it is a superb example of the genre. The characters grew on me and a lot is communicated from the looks on their faces. This film is worth seeing, even if you're not Canadian.

Big emotions in a small town setting make for impressive feature film debut, 2 October 2009

Author: wonderdawg from Duncan, Canada

Vancouver writer/director Keith Behrman has a feel for small town life. It's there in every frame of this finely crafted drama about a dysfunctional family living in Cache Creek, in the British Columbia interior. That's right, dysfunctional, it's a five dollar word meaning these folks have a lot of problems. The father, Ed (Callum Keith Rennie) has been having an empty affair with a local woman (Kristin Thomsen) who deserves better. The man has kept his emotions in cold storage since his wife died eight years ago while giving birth to Garnet (Colin Roberts). Deep down inside he blames his son for the tragedy. That's a heavy burden for a kid to bear and it shows in his sad eyes. Garnet may not talk much but he's thinking all the time. He's especially curious about nature, the whole cycle of birth and death going on around him. (Reminds me of young Brian in W.O. Mitchell's classic Canadian novel "Who Has Seen the Wind") Garnet's sister, Flower (Jane McGregor), who is eight years older, has been like a mom to him. Now, after a fling with an irresponsible local Romeo, she's about to have a child of her own. Naturally, Ed flips out, afraid history is gonna repeat itself. There's a bitter argument. Flower moves out. Left to his own devices Garnet begins to "act out" in increasingly creepy ways. I could picture this kid showing up at school with a rifle in a few years. The movie shows the circumstances that can lead up to it. I'm not saying he will. In fact, the people in this film rarely do what you expect them to do. The movie takes its time about revealing its mysteries. The clues come in looks and gestures, bits of dialogue, an accumulation of seemingly unremarkable details. (This movie is not for short attention spans.) It's like being in a strange town. It takes awhile to get the lay of the land and meet the neighbours. Behrman proves to be an astute observer of human behaviour and he has pulled some wonderfully restrained performances from his cast. This may be Rennie's best work to date. And that's saying a lot. If you've seen Hard Core Logo or Suspicious River you already know his range. Roberts is a real find and based on her work here McGregor should really stop wasting her talent in piffle like 2002's Slap Her … She's French.

Behrman makes good use of landscape to define character and sustain mood. The remoteness of the rural BC locations echoes the emotional isolation of the central characters. Growing up in the small Saskatchewan farming community of Shaunavon has obviously given him a special appreciation for the stark visual poetry in those wide open spaces. Judging from his feature film debut the sky is the limit.

Flower and Garnet 2002, 30 December 2008

Author: eschmidtty from United States

This film rivals the Swedish film My Life as a Dog. Seen through a young boy's eyes, in each case, a boy struggles to understand what the adults around them are doing. Everyone deals with grief and loss in unique ways. Colin Roberts's young, expressive features carry the entire film. I cannot agree with those who wrote about this film to complain about a slow pace. Admittedly, one needs to have a better attention span than is required by films depicting wholesale violence and vast destruction. ---The destruction and restoration of the individual spirit are equally important in contrast to the usual, blank destruction of sets, buildings, bridges, fires and explosions of empty action films. Flower and Garnet unfolds inexorably at an artistic pace that is right for this story. It is a film that should be seen and will last.

2 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
Slow, very slow......., 30 March 2005

Author: gazebo from New York City

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

It's not a bad film. The acting is very good and the characters are moving. But, jeez, man, the pacing, the pacing is so slow! I lost my concentration several times viewing this film.

Extremely good performances by the actors that play Ed, Flower and Garnet. Ed is so emotionally constipated that he could not give of himself to his children. He lives in a state of constant anger and sorrow because his wife passed away in childbirth. His cold and disinterested behavior affects his teenage daughter and young son. I felt angry enough to want to reach into the film and punch out Ed because of how he treats his children with indifference and being stupid enough to go buy his young son a BB gun. His son, Garnet is such a lonely child who plays by himself constantly. His only connection to anyone is with his beautiful teenage sister, Flower. Flower, who is pretty much belligerent towards Ed because he is a crappy dad, gets pregnant and leave the house. Now Garnet is alone and he tries to bond with his father who has deep emotional problems of his own. Lately, Garnet has been going around shooting at animals with his gun.........

I was creeped out to see a young child shooting a gun. With all the crap about kids going into schools and shooting up the place, well, it just made me feel ill. Can Ed reach his son before it's too late? This movie is too slow. I blame the director. However, I feel the climax (towards the very end of the movie) almost makes it well worth watching this long, long film. Mr. Callum Keith Rennie (who plays Ed) is mesmerizing to watch and his little emotional breakdown is very, very moving.

After seeing this film, there will be no way in heck I'd want to go live in a small town in Canada. I'd get cabin fever real fast! It's an okay film. Nothing too special.

2 out of 7 people found the following review useful:
Beautiful, 17 November 2005

Author: barkermike from United Kingdom

A beautifully observed film. Elegant, calm, composed and real. I hope this guy gets to make more movies.

The performances in this film are so complete. The young Callum Keith Rennie is quite outstanding as the son of a man unable to connect, unable to reach out and touch his son. Jane McGegor deserves to have a fabulous career and I have no doubt she will find her way to big things. She is a beautiful young actress with real range. I found this movie way after the event, and I hope many other people discover it to. It is well worth it. I have to have ten lines I've said enough No wonder people write so much rubbish on these notice boards I have to make it up to ten line I have tried all ways of getting to the end with flashes lines and stars. I've said enough already but have to keep going so that the bloody computer will take what I thought would be a simple line review.

2 out of 14 people found the following review useful:
Nice Canadian film about lose & isolation, 22 June 2003

Author: Kitty Lester from Vancouver, Canada

This film is another nice canadian movie. It doesn't offend or really do anything much at all. It just drifts along nicely. The acting is good and solid. Technically it is sound. It just doesn't take any chances or make any real comment on anything. It is another movie about the human condition (yawn!).

Add another review

Related Links