Marion Bridge (2002)

Director:

Wiebke von Carolsfeld

Writers:

Daniel MacIvor (play)
Daniel MacIvor

Release Date:

18 April 2003 (Canada)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Three estranged sisters reunite to care for their dying mother and old conflicts and secrets return to the surface.

Plot Keywords:

Dying | Secret | Alcoholic | Dying Mother | Recovering Alcoholic

Awards:

6 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Molly Parker	...	Agnes
Rebecca Jenkins	...	Theresa
Stacey Smith	...	Louise (as Stacy Smith)
Marguerite McNeil	...	Rose
Ellen Page	...	Joanie
Hollis McLaren	...	Chrissy
Emmy Alcorn	...	Dory
Joseph Rutten	...	Ken
Nicola Lipman	...	Valerie
Jackie Torrens	...	Marlene
Kevin Curran	...	Sandy
Ashley MacIsaac	...	Mickey
Heather Rankin	...	Sue
Linda Busby	...	Evie
Stephen Manuel	...	Tavern Bartender
Jim Swansburg	...	Airport Bartender
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Elissa Sursara	...	Sam (uncredited)

Directed by
Wiebke von Carolsfeld

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Daniel MacIvor		play
Daniel MacIvor

Produced by
Brent Barclay	....	co-producer
Jennifer Kawaja	....	producer
Bill Niven	....	producer
Julia Sereny	....	producer

Original Music by
Lesley Barber

Cinematography by
Stefan Ivanov		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Dean Soltys

Production Design by
William Fleming		(as Bill Fleming)

Set Decoration by
Ian Greig

Costume Design by
Martha Curry

Makeup Department
Nisha Dubey	....	assistant makeup artist
Barbi Jollota	....	assistant hair stylist
Kim Ross	....	key makeup artist
Joanne Stamp	....	key hair stylist (as Joanne M. Stamp)

Production Management
Craig Cameron	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Trent Hurry	....	first assistant director (as N. Trent Hurry)
Mary Reynolds	....	second assistant director
John Shurko	....	trainee assistant director
Bruce Zwicker	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Jeff Beanlands	....	carpenter
Marsha Cameron	....	lead painter (as Marsha M. Cameron)
Tom Cooper	....	lead carpenter (as Thomas H. Cooper)
Keith Currie	....	property master
Shane Gosse	....	carpenter
Randy Hardy	....	key scenic artist (as Randell Hardy)
Raymond MacDonald	....	set dresser
Karl McNutt	....	painter
Andy Miller	....	assistant props (as Andrew Miller)
Shelley Nieder	....	first assistant art director
Judy-Ann Obersi	....	second assistant art director
Andy Ropson	....	painter
Gordon Sangster	....	construction coordinator
Bruce C. Shephard	....	buyer
Roy Stewart	....	set dresser
Karen Toole	....	buyer

Sound Department
Paul Adlaf	....	sound mixer
Erik Culp	....	foley recordist
Roderick Deogrades	....	supervising sound editor
Joseph Doane	....	first assistant sound editor
Ronayne Higginson	....	dialogue editor
Gerry Jackman	....	boom operator
Graham Jones	....	dialogue editor
Garrett Kerr	....	supervising sound editor
Thomas Kodros	....	sound consultant: Dolby
Martin Lee	....	sound re-recording mixer
Sid Lieberman	....	foley artist
John MacDonald	....	assistant foley artist
Steven Nafshun	....	adr recordist (as Steve Nafshun)
Brian Power	....	adr recordist
Ian Rankin	....	adr recordist
Lou Solakofski	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jane Tattersall	....	sound effects editor
Robert Warchol	....	sound effects editor (as Robert 'Chip' Warchol)
David Yonson	....	adr recordist (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Nance Ackerman	....	still photographer
Chris Baxter	....	dolly grip (as Christopher Baxter)
Stanley Carll	....	grip
Will Fraser	....	photographer: epk
Gerald Gillis	....	best boy
Rick Gillis	....	key grip
Stephen Gillis	....	grip (as Steve Gillis)
Guy Godfree	....	second assistant camera
Stefan Ivanov	....	camera operator
Ruth Leggett	....	electrician
Wayne MacPherson	....	camera trainee
Gary Mitchell	....	electrician
Flora Planchat	....	studio gaffer
Christopher Porter	....	gaffer
Gareth Roberts	....	assistant camera (as Gareth J. Roberts)
Ross Sangster	....	best boy

Casting Department
Sheila Lane	....	preliminary casting
Jenny Lewis	....	casting: Toronto (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Melinda Cook	....	costume set supervisor
Linda Elliot	....	costume truck supervisor (as Linda Elliott)
Linda Elliot	....	set costumer (as Linda Elliott)

Editorial Department
Tracey Boulton	....	post-production coordinator
Peter Korsitzke	....	colorist
Colin Moore	....	film transfer: Magnetic North
Susan Shipton	....	consulting editor
Dev Singh	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Lesley Barber	....	orchestrator
Sarah Barber	....	assistant to composer
Collin Barrett	....	musician: bass
Thorben Bieger	....	additional music recordist
Roman Borys	....	musician: cello
Al Cross	....	musician: drums
Alex Dean	....	musician: saxophone
Dustin Harris	....	assistant music mixer
Dustin Harris	....	assistant music scoring engineer
Bridget Hunt	....	musician: violin
Fujiko Imajishi	....	musician: violin
David Longenecker	....	musician: bass
Brian Nevin	....	music scoring engineer
Annalee Patipatanakoon	....	musician: violin
Douglas Perry	....	musician: viola
Peter Rapson	....	musician: cello
André Savoie	....	musician: violin (as Marc-Andre Savoie)
Kent Teeple	....	musician: viola
Tim Welch	....	musician: guitar
Tony Zorzi	....	musician: guitar

Transportation Department
Lori Ann Bellefontaine	....	head driver (as Lori Bellefontaine)
Jannette Joudrey	....	driver
Bob Meade	....	driver
Lee Stanley	....	transportation coordinator
John van Noord	....	transportation captain (as Jon J. Van Noord)

Other crew
Robert Aske	....	legal counsel: Stewart McKelvey Stirling Scales
Lisa Barrie	....	caterer
Shauna Barry	....	caterer
Sue Bennett	....	production assistant
Sandie Bornstein	....	bookkeeper: Sienna Films
William Cameron	....	main title designer: Gamma Studios
Paolo Colbertaldo	....	caterer
Jeff Corkum	....	post-production accountant
Karin Dayton	....	assistant to director
Michell Desnoyers	....	assistant location manager (as Michelle Desnoyers)
Tony Duarte	....	legal counsel
Lisa Fennell	....	craft service
William Gamache	....	security (as Bill Gamache)
Paul Graves	....	security
Ulo Greer	....	daily production assistant
Shauna Hatt	....	production coordinator
Alan Hollett	....	craft service
Robin P.G. Joost	....	craft service (as Robin Joost)
Elizabeth Kavanagh	....	production accountant
Angie Kokic	....	bookkeeper: Idlewild Films
Kyle Kurts	....	location security
Ken MacIntosh	....	financial services: RBC Financial Group
Sharon McEwan	....	security (as Sharon McEwen)
Kate Miles	....	assistant to writer
Margo Mosher	....	location manager
Rodger Pike	....	craft service
Lisa Shamata	....	unit publicist
Catherine Stuart	....	completion bond: The Completion Guarantors
Maggie Thomas	....	script supervisor
Amos Walsh	....	production secretary
Kelly Woodill	....	assistant accountant

Thanks
Atom Egoyan	....	thanks
Jane Tattersall	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Mongrel Media (presents)
• Sienna Films (co-production)
• Idlewild Films (co-production)
• Téléfilm Canada (with the participation of)
• Canadian Television Film (with the participation of)
• Astral Media (with the participation of)
• Nova Scotia Film Development Corporation (with the participation of)
• Movie Network, The (TMN) (in association with)
• Super Écran (in association with)
• Movie Central (in association with)
• Corus (in association with)
• Chum Television (in association with)
• Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit (CPTC) (with the assistance of)
• Nova Scotia Film Industry Tax Credit (with the assistance of)
• Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit, The (with the assistance of)

Distributors

• Cinemien (2003) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Film Movement (2003) (USA) (theatrical)
• Mongrel Media (2002) (Canada) (theatrical)
• ABC Distribution Co.
• Film Movement (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Homescreen (2003) (Netherlands) (video)
• Mongrel Media (2003) (Canada) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Film Effects (titles and opticals)

Other Companies

• Completion Guarantors, The  completion bond
• Eastern Script Service Inc.  clearances
• Entertainment Partners Canada  payroll services
• Fearless Films  editing facilities
• Francont Film  negative cutting
• Fuji Photo Film  film stock
• Gamma Studios  main title design
• Harnish Bruce Shupe  auditor
• Hillard-Forde & Lewis  casting: Toronto
• M.M.I. Product Placement  product placement (as MMI Product Placement)
• Magnetic North, The  film transfer
• McClear Digital  music recorded at
• P.S. Atlantic  lighting: grip & camera equipment (as PS Atlantic)
• Prime Insurance Agency  insurance
• RBC Financial Group  financial services
• Salter Street Digital  editing facilities
• Stewart McKelvey Stirling Scales  legal counsel
• Tattersall Casablanca  sound post-production

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M | Canada:14A | Netherlands:12 | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Company:

Mongrel Media

Trivia:

Agnes, Theresa and Louise are watching the movie The Five Senses (1999) on television. The particular scene of the movie shown solely features actor Daniel MacIvor. Daniel MacIvor is the screenwriter for this movie.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Weird Sex and Snowshoes: A Trek Through the Canadian Cinematic Psyche (2004) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Down the Burn, Davie Lad

Powerful Family Drama

Daniel McIvor (THE FIVE SENSES; BEEFCAKE) has written an extraordinary family drama involving three sisters trying to deal with their dying mother and the shared secrets of their past. Surely a recipe for mawkish, formula family drama, MARION BRIDGE succeeds wonderfully thanks to McIvor's sharp, funny screenplay, strong performances by Parker, Jenkins, Smith and youngster Ellen Page, and an assured directorial hand by first-timer von Carolsfeld. BRIDGE is filled with laugh-out-loud humor and powerful emotion as Parker's middle sister Agnes returns to her rural, Cape Breton hometown after living wild in Toronto. Her two sister Theresa and Louise view her return skeptically, but Agnes insists she's given up the booze and drugs she once played heavily with, and takes charge of their mother's care. Yet as in any family drama, those secrets preferred left undiscussed rear their ugly head. The sweeping Nova Scotia landscape echoes the arc of emotions of this troubled family dredged once more to the surface. A stand out film.