Aurora Borealis (2005)

Director:

James C.E. Burke

Writer (WGA):

Brent Boyd (written by)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Love is the hardest job to hold. Love. The only job worth holding.

Plot:

A troubled young man struggling to right himself after the premature death of his father. |

Plot Keywords:

Grandparents | Dying Man | Frozen Lake | Group Of Friends | Claw Hammer

Awards:

7 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Joshua Jackson	...	Duncan Shorter
Steven Pasquale	...	Jacob Shorter
Katie Griffin	...	Sandy
Zack Ward	...	Lindstrom
Tyler Labine	...	Finn
Donald Sutherland	...	Ronald Shorter
Louise Fletcher	...	Ruth Shorter
Mark Andrada	...	Clerk
Juliette Lewis	...	Kate
Jim Feather	...	Mr. Gunderson
Judy Sinclair	...	Linda Shorter
Welcome Ngozi	...	Hamit Arfaya
John Kapelos	...	Stu
Dorion Davis	...	Lucy
Timm Sharp	...	Hacksetter

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R

Filming Locations:

Hennepin Avenue Bridge, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Company:

entitled entertainment

Movie Connections:

References "Today" (1982)

Soundtrack:

Breath In Time

Moving story about a man trying to deal with his life and his family

I saw this film at the Watefront Film Festival in Saugatuck, Michigan. Directed by James Burke, the film is about unemployable Duncan Shorter (played by Joshua Jackson, making an impressive break from his usual teen and college aimed roles) who gets a new job as a handyman so he can be near his grandparents Ronald and Ruth (Donald Sutherland and Louise Fletcher). Juliette Lewis plays Kate, the home assistant of the grandparents, helping Ronald deal with his Alzheimer's disease. Duncan and Kate meet and quickly form a relationship. Set in the winter of Minnesota, the film is a touching story about a man trying to cope with the death of his father and trying to break free from his fears of the past, present, and future.

I really enjoyed this movie, the acting was wonderful. Donald Sutherland gives a heartbreaking performance as the deteriorating grandfather, it's not over the top, it's just true and believable, proving again why he is one of the greatest actors working today. It's nice to see Louise Fletcher in this giving another one of her great role, even if she doesn't get much screen time. Juliette Lewis also does a nice job, even though it does seem like a typical Lewis performance. And I really enjoyed Joshua Jackson, this is the first adult role I've seen him play and was very impressed. I'm really looking forward to seeing Jackson's future roles, now that I know he has this kind of range.

Overall, it was a nice film, worth watching just for the performances. I wish everybody involved with the making of it the best of luck.