Childstar (2004)

Director:

Don McKellar

Writers:

Michael Goldbach (writer)
Don McKellar (writer)

Release Date:

11 June 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

When you're only famous for fifteen minutes, every second counts.

Plot:

Taylor Brandon Burns, a conflicted twelve-year-old TV star from the U.S., runs away from the set - and his problems...

Plot Keywords:

Film Within A Film | Mother Son Relationship | Teenage Boy | Underage Drinking | Child Actor

Awards:

6 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Don McKellar	...	Rick
Peter Paige	...	Tim
Gil Bellows	...	Isaac
Victoria Fodor	...	Enthusiastic Agent
Patrick Garrow	...	P.R. Agent
Alan Thicke	...	J.R.
Mark Rendall	...	Taylor Brandon Burns
Pamela Redfern	...	Stewardess (as Pam Redfern)
Jennifer Jason Leigh	...	Suzanne
Danielle Miller	...	Fangirl
Michael Murphy	...	Reed Harrison
Brendan Fehr	...	Chip Metzger
Noam Jenkins	...	Sydney Mehta
Jeanie Calleja	...	Jane - 3rd A.D.
Dave Foley	...	Philip Templeman

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some sexual content.

Runtime:

98 min | Canada:100 min (Ontario)

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:14A (Ontario) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Rhombus Media

Trivia:

The movie's producer, Niv Fichman, can be seen sitting in the audience towards the end of the movie, right after Taylor says to Rick, "Your introduction is longer than your film." He is sitting on the left.

Quotes:

[Natalie and Taylor have snuck onto the White House set to have sex]
Taylor Brandon Burns: So where do you want to do it? The Oval Office, The Greenroom, the Lincoln Bedroom ?
Natalie: It's your fantasy; I'm Canadian.

Movie Connections:

Spoofs "Diff'rent Strokes" (1978)

Soundtrack:

Samba Tokyo

Great film!! Lots of laughs

(Spoilers are quotes from movie) I loved this movie so much I watched it all over again the minute it ended. What a funny, intelligent film. A biting commentary on the film industry -- one of the (many) best scenes is when Rick deals with studio "heavies" who attempt to threaten him late in the film -- an absolutely hilarious hospital bed performance from writer/director/lead Don McKellar. Jennifer Jason Leigh is phenomenal as a cagey, manipulative childstar mother-- another actress might not have been able to pull off such a loathsome character who somehow captivates and charms us. Great Canada jokes (well more like US jokes really) throughout. Great scene in the beginning as writers pitch the script to the studio - I can't give it away but the scene is hilarious from start to end with lines like "Are they funny terrorists?" and in reply to "It's patriotic as s**t" -- the producer replies "It shoots in Canada".

See this flick!!