La grande séduction (2003)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Jean-François Pouliot

Writer:

Ken Scott (writer)

Release Date:

26 March 2004 (Italy)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

A much-needed boost, in the form of a new factory, is promised to the residents of the tiny fishing village St. Marie-La-Mauderne, provided they can lure a doctor to take up full-time residency on the island. Inspired, the villagers devise a scheme to make Dr. Christopher Lewis a local.

Plot Keywords:

Doctor | Fishing | Island | Cricket | Boat

Awards:

15 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Raymond Bouchard	...	Germain Lesage
Dominic Michon-Dagenais	...	Germain Lesage enfant
Guy-Daniel Tremblay	...	Rolland Lesage
Nadia Drouin	...	Simone Lesage
Rita Lafontaine	...	Hélène Lesage
Roc LaFortune	...	Charles Campeau
Réal Bossé	...	Denis Lacoste
Guy Vaillancourt	...	Claude Larivée
Lucie Laurier	...	Eve Beauchemin
Pierre Collin	...	Yvon Brunet
Ken Scott	...	Richard Auger
Jean-Pierre Gonthier	...	Réal Fournier
Benoît Brière	...	Henri Giroux
Marc Legault	...	Marcel Sigouin
Caroline Girard	...	Lucie Giroux
Betty Jones	...	Marlène Giroux
Denis Houle	...	Barman
Claude Gasse	...	Serveuse du restaurant
Bruno Blanchet	...	Steve Laurin
Nadia Roswell	...	Valérie Fournier
Alexandrine Agostini	...	Francine Fournier
Gilles Pelletier	...	Alphonse Pinsonneault
Frédéric Desager	...	Dr. Paul Gosselin
David Boutin	...	Christopher Lewis
Philippe Daneault	...	Le coureur
Marie-France Lambert	...	Sylvie Auger
Louis-Philippe Dury	...	Jules Auger
Raphaël Grenier	...	Jacob Auger
Clémence DesRochers	...	Clothilde Brunet
Daniel Rousse	...	Marcel Thibodeau
Caroline Néron	...	Voix de Brigitte
Louis Wiriot	...	Cuisinier
Serge Christianssens	...	Monsieur Nadeau
Donald Pilon	...	Monsieur Dupré
Louis Philippe Dandenault	...	Bertrand Pitt
Manon Gauthier	...	Mireille Laurin
Véronique Pinette	...	Chloé Landry
Gisèle Trépanier	...	Denise Campeau
Nathalie Gascon	...	Madame Martin
Luc-Martial Dagenais	...	Avocat
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Alexander Bisping	...	Avocat
Caroline Bouchard	...	Lucie Giroux

Directed by
Jean-François Pouliot

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ken Scott		writer

Produced by
Roger Frappier	....	producer
Luc Vandal	....	producer

Original Music by
Jean-Marie Benoît

Cinematography by
Allen Smith

Film Editing by
Dominique Fortin

Casting by
Lucie Robitaille

Production Design by
Normand Sarazin

Set Decoration by
Daniel Hamelin
Ken Meany

Costume Design by
Louise Gagne

Makeup Department
Lorraine Craig	....	makeup artist
Sandro Di Gioacchino	....	hair stylist
Nadine Gilliot	....	key makeup artist
Gaétan Landry	....	key hair stylist
Christine Larocque	....	wig maker
Mathieu Tessier	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Sylvie De Grandpré	....	production manager
Jolaine S. Miron	....	assistant production manager
Glen Ransom	....	assistant unit manager
Bernard Vincent	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Yanick DiVito	....	additional third assistant director
Geneviéve Duguay	....	third assistant director
Mireille Goulet	....	first assistant director
Auree Tommi Lepage	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Robert Bourdeau	....	head painter
Denis Caspar	....	property master
Vincent Charbonneau	....	assistant property master
Anderson Daren	....	assistant carpenter
Gaetan Deaombre	....	construction
Bernard Dion	....	construction crew
Brian Foreman	....	assistant carpenter
Jeevan Fortier	....	painter
Pierre Girard	....	head carpenter
Erik Gosselin	....	special props
Olivier Hogue	....	construction crew
Renaud Hutter	....	carpenter
Alexandre Juneau	....	construction crew
Sylvain Lapointe	....	carpenter
David Laramy	....	assistant art director
David Laramy	....	assistant decorator
Alexis Lauzon	....	carpenter
Danny Lebel	....	construction crew
Geneviève Legault	....	art department coordinator
Geneviève Legault	....	construction coordinator
Antoine Mayer	....	carpenter
Régis Pelletier	....	painter
Bernard Proulx	....	carpenter
Dominic Proulx	....	carpenter
Christopher Roberts	....	assistant carpenter
Hollis Roberts	....	construction
Kevin Rowsell	....	carpenter
Yvan Synnet	....	carpenter
Gilbert Verreault	....	property master

Sound Department
Normand Bélanger	....	assistant adr editor
Monique Bisson	....	assistant adr editor
Jocelyn Caron	....	foley recordist
Claudine Carpentier	....	sound post-production coordinator
Claudine Carpentier	....	sound recording studio supervisor
Alain Chenier	....	sound technician: Radio Canada
Michel Descombes	....	sound
Guy Francoeur	....	foley artist
Phillipe Frumignac	....	assistant foley artist
Carole Gagnon	....	dialogue editor
Yannick Gauthier	....	recording assistant: strings
Claude Hazanavicius	....	sound recordist
Marc Hazanavicius	....	boom operator
Réjean Juteau	....	sound mixer
Réjean Juteau	....	sound re-recording mixer
Pierre Laroche	....	sound
Benoit Leduc	....	adr recording engineer
Martin Léveillée	....	sound technician: Radio Canada
Antoine Morin	....	sound effects editor
Dominik Pagacz	....	sound effects editor
Jacques Planck	....	supervising adr editor
Jacques Plante	....	post-synchronisation editor
Marcel Pothier	....	sound designer
Steve F.B. Smith	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Michael Willis	....	assistant dialogue editor

Visual Effects by
Martin Beaudoin	....	3D modeler
Martin Beaudoin	....	lead animator
Sébastien Bergeron	....	visual effects supervisor
Xavier Bourque	....	digital compositor: Hybride Technologies
Caroline Brien	....	visual effects production assistant
Wayne Brinton	....	digital compositor
Yves Clément	....	CG artist
Anouk Deveault-Moreau	....	visual effects coordinator: Hybride
Gael Hollard	....	digital compositor
Evelyne Leblond	....	visual effects production assistant
Francois Leduc	....	digital compositor: Hybride (as François Leduc)
Steve Pelchat	....	digital artist: Hybride
Martin Pelletier	....	digital effects artist
Pierre Raymond	....	visual effects producer
Marie-Chantale Savard-Côté	....	visual effects coordinator: Hybride
Gaetan Thiffault	....	lead animator
Jessy Veilleux	....	matte painter
Yanick Wilisky	....	computer graphics supervisor

Camera and Electrical Department
Geoffroy Beauchemin	....	underwater camera operator
Eric Béliveau	....	additional grip
Christian Bergeron	....	electrician
Ivanoh Demers	....	still photographer
Franck Develey	....	additional grip
David Dinel	....	grip
Stéphanie Doré-Bertet	....	Steadicam operator
Paul Duchesne	....	grip
Dominique Fortier	....	best boy
Jacob Fortier	....	best boy
Jacques Fortier	....	gaffer
Claude Fortin	....	grip
Alexandre Gazé	....	electrician
Claude Gervais	....	best boy
Robert Grenier	....	grip
Serge Grenier	....	key grip
Laurent Alexis Guertin	....	camera trainee (as Laurent-Alex Guertin)
Robert Guertin	....	camera operator: second unit
Maxime Imbeau	....	grip
Christian Lanctôt	....	additional grip
Martine Leclerc	....	focus puller
Isabelle Marcoux	....	electrician
Yves Nault	....	generator operator
Marie-Andrée Paquet	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Mandy Rowsell	....	Steadicam operator
Mike Sallustio	....	electrician
Geoffroy St-Hilaire	....	second assistant camera
André Tisseur	....	additional grip

Casting Department
Sylvie Richard	....	extras casting
Tristan Thibaudeau	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Linda Aubuchon	....	costume aging
Flavie Bergeron	....	assistant costumer
Caroline Bréard	....	costumer
Lynn Charette	....	costumer
Nathalie Chretien	....	key wardrobe (as Nathalie Chrétien)
Sofi Dagenais	....	costume aging
Marie-Josée Dumont	....	costume aging
Sylvie Gagnon	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Karina Baccanale	....	first assistant editor
Claudine Blain	....	negative cutter
Francine Gauthier	....	color timer
Sylvie Lacoste	....	post-production coordinator
Suzanne Laverdière	....	commissioning editor: Radio-Canada
François Lessard	....	editorial coordinator

Music Department
François Arbour	....	music mixer
Brian Bacon	....	musician: alto
Jacques Beaudoin	....	musician: double bass
Kathy Chasles Belec	....	string recording assistant
Marc Béliveau	....	musician: first violin
Jean-Marie Benoît	....	conductor
Jean-Marie Benoît	....	musician: guitars, accordion and bombardon
Jean-Marie Benoît	....	orchestrator
Christopher Best	....	musician: cello
Chantal Boivin	....	musician: alto
Eric Chapell	....	musician: double bass
Marie-Andrée Cheurette	....	musician: second violin
Ann Chow	....	musician: second violin
Jonathan Crow	....	musician: first violin
Marianne Dugal	....	musician: first violin
Sophie Dugas	....	musician: first violin
Philippe Dunnigan	....	musician: first violin
Nicolo Eugelmi	....	musician: alto
Jean Fortin	....	musician: alto
Martin Foster	....	musician: first violin
Marcel Gauthier	....	music copyist: Notason
Wilma Hos	....	musician: alto
Eugène Husaruk	....	musician: first violin
Vanessa Husaruk	....	musician: first violin
Ramsey Husser	....	musician: first violin
Johannes Jansonius	....	musician: second violin
Marie Lacasse	....	musician: first violin
Sylvie Lambert	....	musician: cello
Reynald L'Archevêque	....	musician: double bass
Alain Leblanc	....	string recording consultant
Jean-Marc Leblanc	....	musician: first violin
Isabelle Lessard	....	musician: second violin
Alison Mah-Poy	....	musician: second violin
Brian Manker	....	musician: cello
Katherine Manker	....	musician: first violin
Lindsey Meagher	....	musician: double bass
Sylvain Murray	....	musician: cello
Katherine Palyga	....	musician: second violin
Peter Parthun	....	musician: cello
Monique Poitras	....	musician: second violin
Véronique Poivin	....	musician: alto
Susan Pulliam	....	musician: first violin
David Quinn	....	musician: alto
Natalie Racine	....	musician: alto
Molly Read	....	musician: cello
Viviane Roberge	....	musician: second violin
Bertrand Robin	....	musician: alto
Brian Robinson	....	musician: double bass
Brigitte Rolland	....	musician: second violin
Gary Russell	....	musician: cello
Edward Wingell	....	musician: double bass
David Woodwater	....	string recording assistant
Daniel Yakymyshn	....	musician: second violin

Transportation Department
Audrey Beuzet	....	driver
Wilson Evans	....	driver
Kim Gendron	....	driver
Benoît Houle	....	driver
Pierre Lussier	....	driver
Andy Ransoon	....	taxi boat driver

Other crew
Lynn Anderson	....	additional assistant
Suzette Aranda	....	assistant caterer
Sébastien Authier	....	assistant accountant
Charles Barbeau	....	additional music copyist: Outreson
Louise Bedard	....	location manager (as Louise Bédard)
Steeve Bouchard	....	production accountant
Claude Brunet	....	production coordinator
Dominique Brunet	....	assistant to producers
Maxime Cantin	....	production assistant
Sylvie Champagne	....	production administrator
July Côté	....	production assistant
Martin Couture	....	production assistant
Eric Cox	....	additional assistant
Lise Dagenais	....	title designer
Normand Demers	....	security
Pierre Demers	....	security
Judith Dubeau	....	publicist
Pierre Duceppe	....	administrator
Isabelle Dupuis	....	image consultant
Jean-Guy Gagné	....	laboratory chief
Monique Gervais	....	script supervisor
Robert Gray	....	subtitler
Diane Grenier	....	librarian
Brigitte Henry	....	assistant location manager
Alain Lacombe	....	caterer
Sylvie Lacoste	....	production assistant
Robert Lacoursière	....	security
Yvon Leblanc	....	production assistant
Brigitte Lévesque	....	location manager
Daniel Lord	....	video transfer
Serge Nadeau	....	director of services
Conrad Perrault	....	image consultant
Marc Salouze	....	project manager
Louis-Charles Sarrazin	....	assistant location manager
Annie Simard	....	assistant accountant
Henry Welsh	....	publicist

Thanks
Gilles Courteau	....	special thanks
Suzanne Laverdière	....	special thanks
Larry Ransom	....	special thanks
Paul Roussell	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit (CPTC) (participation)
• Crédit d'Impôt Cinéma et Télévision (participation)
• Fonds de télévision et de câblodistribution pour la porduction d'émissions canadiennes (participation)
• Max Films Productions
• Movie Picture, The (participation)
• Musique Plus (participation)
• Radio Canada Télévision (participation)
• Société de Développement des Entreprises Culturelles (SODEC) (participation)
• Super Écran (participation)
• Téléfilm Canada (participation)

Distributors

• Alliance Atlantis Vivafilm (2003) (Canada) (theatrical)
• BIM Distribuzione (2004) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Bazuca Films (2005) (Chile) (theatrical)
• Crest International (2005) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Distribution Company (2005) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Happinet Corporation (2005) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Max Films International (2003) (worldwide) (theatrical)
• Monopole-Pathé (2004) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Wellspring Media (2004) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Dogwoof Pictures (2005) (UK) (all media)
• EuroVideo (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Gaumont Buena Vista International (GBVI) (France)
• Gaumont Home Vidéo (200?) (France) (DVD)
• Vivafilm

Special Effects

• Hybride Technologies (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Ateliers Grand Cirque Inc.  props
• G. I. D. C. Mécatina  special thanks
• Génératrices Star  generators
• Ixion Communications  publicity
• Kodak Canada  film stock
• Ligue de Hockey Junior du Québec  special thanks
• Location Michel Trudel Inc.  camera and lighting equipment
• Location Michel Trudel Inc.  camera equipment
• Machinéma  grip provided by
• Marko Audio Post-Production  music mixing studio
• Modulations  sound editing
• National Bank of Canada  banking services
• Population of Harrington Harbor, The  special thanks
• Production Vincenti  props
• Sennheiser  M-150 mikes courtesy of
• Services Créatifs  sound post-production
• Société Radio-Canada  film score recording
• Splice  editorial facilities
• Squat / JMB  music publisher
• Studio 12  film score recording
• Studio du Sanctuaire  film score recording
• Taillefer Desjardins  insurance
• Technicolor  laboratory services
• VDM  subtitles

Also Known As:

Seducing Doctor Lewis (International: English title)
Seducing Dr. Lewis (International: English title) (poster title)

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Ireland:12A | South Korea:All | Canada:G (Québec) | Germany:o.Al. | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | USA:Unrated | Australia:M | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Fox Island, Canada

Company:

Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit (CPTC)

Trivia:

When the factory agent returns to the restaurant to retrieve his hat, he inquires where all the townspeople have gone, and is told by the banker (according to the subtitles), "It's 7 o'clock, they have gone home to watch ET." Actually he says that as it is 7 o'clock, they have gone home to watch "Virginie", a French-Canadian serial drama.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the men come up to the top of the hill, the cricket pitch that Steve has laid out is horribly crooked, but when they begin to practice, it is perfectly straight.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in JCVD (2008)

A Witty, French Movie Gem

Listening to the movie's director, Jean-François Pouliot, talk about himself, La Grande seduction (or "Seducing Doctor Lewis" as it is being titled at the Sundance Film Festival) is his first full-length featured film with his past credits according him are 30-second commercials. Based on the nearly sold-out house at the Perry Egyptian Theater in Ogden, Utah his movie was easily a hit. The English subtitles seemed to fade away part way through the movie, always a good sign and the laughter and chuckles for the witty comedic vehicle were plenty. Deliberately the director and scriptwriter agreed on very little sex and romance and instead this film delivered its message in the most difficult of ways - using true irony and sensitive ethical reflection. The cursing, even was held to a minimum, as the predominate cursing word used in the film were actually made up by the film crew. This "Doc Hollywood" feeling movie adds a much more geniune flavor of true isolated, fishing community out of work nuances that "Doc Hollywood" failed to capture and went more towards the typical Hollywood approach. Seducing Doctor Lewis bring a whole different texture to comedy with charming, intelligent openness and candor often overlooked in American theater. Except for the miscue in the creation of cricket game field lines as admitted by the director, and in my opinion a sudden turn of events at the end (without the more delicious build up with Eve and the Doctor), this movie shines to find an American film distributor so that Americans can have an opportunity to see this fun and delightful, entertaining bit of country charm. Eight out of ten stars.