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IMDb > The Straitjacket Lottery (2004)

The Straitjacket Lottery (2004) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
6.6/10   26 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 89% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Sierra Bellows (story)
Doug Karr (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Straitjacket Lottery on IMDbPro.
Genre:
Tagline:
It's a long ride back to mental health
Plot:
When Boris Durban loses a busload of mental health patients, he'll resort to any means in order to get them back. This comedic short is a window into the erratic world of mental health and the thin line between idiosyncrasy and insanity. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
User Comments:
Smart, funny and a little frightening. more (3 total)

Cast

  (Credited cast)
Andy Jones ... Boris Durban
David Huband ... Ralph Stipes
Tara Slone ... Nancy Leah
Joe Cobden ... Angus Weir
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Deborah Allen ... Mrs. Gould
Sierra Bellows ... Mental Health Patient

Stephen Coats ... Jared
Richard Collins ... Peter Flemming
John Davie ... Donald Hunter
Corey Janes ... Dean

John Maclaren ... Lance Chancery
Kathryn MacLellan ... Janet Knight (as Kathryn Maclellan)
Stephen Manuel ... Jim Bostock
Nancy Marshall ... Lucy
Daniel Matmor ... Howard Blantyre

Sonja O'Hara ... Mental Health Patient

Cindy Sampson ... Sophie
Chris Sheppard ... Lane
Stacey Smith ... Francine Leslie
Andrew Tench ... Elmsdale Orderly 2

Rory Young ... Elmsdale Orderly 1
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Additional Details

Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.78 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Filming Locations:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Nominated - Best Comedy - Canada Golden Sheaf Awards, 2004 more

FAQ

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful.
Smart, funny and a little frightening., 30 August 2004
Author: Impudentcakes (louise_charlebois@yahoo.ca) from Toronto, ON, Canada

This film is a very cool find. It follows the misadventures of a bus driver as he attempts to transfer a group of mental patients to a different hospital. Naturally, things go wrong. This is a smart satire of the trust we place in authority figures. We assume that someone in charge is someone to listen to and believe blindly, sometimes to our detriment. The opposite is true, too: will anyone believe what a crazy person says? I really connected with the sense of absurdity, which the filmmakers balance with the appearance of reality. This isn't something easy to achieve, so it was really satisfying to see it pulled off. The use of mental illness classifications on screen, probably inspired by the DSM-IV, was a nice touch. It gave insight into all of the characters, while parodying the urge to categorize every single personality quirk. How crazy does someone have to be to be labeled insane, and what differentiates the insane from everyone else? The cast is really good too, especially Andy Jones (of Codco fame.) His character goes through several emotional changes, and he manages to keep each one consistent and believable. I would be interested in seeing what could happen next with these characters, although it isn't actually necessary. This film stands well as it is, with a satisfying ending. I look forward to seeing what comes next from Doug Karr and Sierra Bellows.

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Full cast and crew Company credits IMDb Comedy section
IMDb Canada section Add this title to MyMovies

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