Aurora Borealis (2005)

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

Director:

James C.E. Burke

Writer:

Brent Boyd

Stars:

Joshua Jackson, Steven Pasquale, Donald Sutherland

7 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Duncan is a depressed 20-something who has just lost another job. He makes extra money by letting out his flat for his brother's romantic trysts, but when a job comes up as a caretaker in his grandparent's building he takes it. His grandfather has Parkinson's Disease and he and his wife have a caregiver whom Duncan finds compellingly upbeat. As they begin a tentative romance, and Duncan spends more time with his grandparents, he begins to face his feelings about the early loss of his father. A moving drama, set in a frigid Minnesota landscape.

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Plot Keywords:

first kiss | san diego california | gas station | autograph | thanksgiving | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Details

Official Sites:

Entitled Entertainment Regent Releasing

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 April 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

Aurora boreal

Filming Locations:

Hennepin Avenue Bridge, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$4,321 (USA) (15 September 2006)

Gross:

$60,552 (USA) (1 December 2006)

Company Credits

Production Co:

entitled entertainment, Rick Bieber Productions, Front & Centre Prod. Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the scene were Ronald introduces Kate to Duncan he tells her what a good hockey player Duncan is. He comments that Duncan is almost as good as a Canuck. 'Canuck' is a slang term for someone from Canada. Joshua Jackson, the actor who plays Duncan, is actually from Vancouver, BC.

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Connections

References The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)

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Soundtracks

"Everything Is Broken"
Written and Performed by Bob Dylan
Courtesy of Columbia Records
By Arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

User Reviews

Oscar-worthy performance by Donald Sutherland

I had never seen Joshua Jackson before. What a talent, and what a nice surprise. His is a masterful performance of a young man turning the corner from being mired in his thinking to one who awakens before our eyes. This cast is absolutely perfect, from Juliette Lewis' free spirit, to Louise Fletcher's supportive, but somewhat helpless grandmother, to an absolute, don't-miss-this Oscar performance by Donald Sutherland as the aging grandfather whose illness is getting the best of him. Roger Ebert & Richard Roeper have talked about their hope Sutherland gets another good role, because he's such a fine actor. This is the role, this is the year, and I hope the world discovers this little gem of a movie in the glut of big studio releases and marketing. It's rated R for language, but it's barely an R. Because of the discussion of suicide, it's really just a PG-13. Find this movie. You'll have to look for it, because it's being released in the small indie art house market. It should be in every multiplex in America.