Son of the Sunshine (2009)

A socially disconnected young man with Tourette's Syndrome undergoes an experimental surgery to correct his disorder, but as his symptoms start to fade so does his ability to heal the sick and dying.

Director:

Ryan Ward

Writers:

Ryan Ward, Matthew Heiti

Stars:

Ryan Ward, Rebecca McMahon, Shantelle Canzanese

13 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Ryan Ward	...	Sonny Johnns
Rebecca McMahon	...	Arielle
Shantelle Canzanese	...	Meryl Johnns
JoAnn Nordstrom	...	Liz Johnns
Craig Porritt	...	John
Steven L. Bird	...	Leonard Johnns
Robert Skeates	...	Jackie
Jordan Duarte	...	Doug
Don Tjart	...	Dr. Morgan
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Alyssa Abernot	...	Unicorn Girl
Gal Amit	...	Sonny age 11
Zahir Gilani	...	Thug
Paul Nicholls	...	Arielle's Uncle
Pamela Palsat	...	Nurse
Jesse Potter	...	Sonny age 5

Storyline

Immersed in the dingy world of low-income housing and diagnosed at age 11 with Coprolalia Tourette's Syndrome, Sonny Johnns cries out to a world that has left him by the wayside. Using money saved from years of government disability he takes part in an experimental surgery promising to rid him of his violent outbursts. With his symptoms eradicated Sonny feels he is finally experiencing life for the first time. But as his disorder begins to vanish so too does a divine ability of which only he and his sister Meryl are aware; an ability that saved his sister's life and upon which Sonny may need to call again.

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Plot Keywords:

tourette's syndrome | outsider | independent film

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Taglines:

Love heals.

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 October 2011 (Canada)

Box Office

Budget:

CAD 100,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Heart Shaped Movies, Pangaea Pictures, Last Call Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

User Reviews

Fantastic Indie!

I felt the need to create an IMDb account to respond to one viewer's comments regarding this amazing film. I had the pleasure of seeing "Son of the Sunshine" on Saturday, September 5th at the Montreal World Film Festival. It completely floored me.

I had heard about the film through the Montreal Gazette which totally hyped the film for me. I was not disappointed. The acting is amazing, especially the lead Ryan Ward - who also directs the film. His portrayal of a man with Tourette's Syndrome was intense and really believable.

Another thing that I really enjoyed about the film was its originality. First of all, I had never heard of a film handing this disorder in a dramatic way. My cousin suffers from a mild form of Tourette's and I was worried that I would be offended. But Ward's portrayal is not a caricature, and he never over-acts. I will not give anything away relating to the plot, but I will say that I have never seen a narrative drama pieced together so interestingly and originally. The film is like a poem.

As far as the technical concerns the other viewer mentioned, when I saw the film, everything looked great. There were some focus issues during one scene, but according to IMDb, the budget on this was 100K. And it was shot on film. That is like Linklater's "SLACKER" if you adjust for inflation – and this film had a way bigger cast and way more locations. I also thought the cinematography was great! Really gave the film a gritty feeling, while the flares of light also gave it a beauty.

I looked at the film's poster after I saw the film and it is playing in a whole bunch of good festivals including Vancouver. So I guess other people are really enjoying it too. Not having any stars in the film might stop it from being seen by a wider audience, but I hope they come out with a DVD. I think it is a fantastic piece of independent film-making. A must see - especially if you are Canadian! Not too many films like this come out of this country.