Next of Kin (1984)

Unhappy living with his loveless parents, a young man convinces a family of Armenian immigrants that he's their long-lost son and moves in with them, improving all of their lives in the process.

Director:

Atom Egoyan

Writer:

Atom Egoyan

Stars:

Patrick Tierney, Berj Fazlian, Sirvart Fazlian

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Patrick Tierney	...	Peter Foster
Berj Fazlian	...	George Deryan (as Berj Fazalian)
Sirvart Fazlian	...	Sonya Deryan
Arsinée Khanjian	...	Azah Deryan
Margaret Loveys	...	Mrs. Foster
Thomas Tierney	...	Mr. Foster
Phil Rash	...	Foster Counsellor
Paul Babiak	...	Deryan Counsellor
Constantino Magnatta	...	Video Operator (as Tino Magnatta)
Andrew Coyne	...	Counsellor in Elevator
Peg Christopherson	...	Counsellor in Elevator
Linzee Collins	...	Receptionist
Robert Kosoy	...	Boy in Store
Charmaine Lord	...	Stripper
Hagop Apkarian

Storyline

Twenty-three year old Peter Foster, who still lives at home, used to find it entertaining to hear his parents continually argue in not liking each other very much. He no longer finds the situation entertaining, he coping by sleeping long hours, and retreating into a world of make believe. As Peter has been caught a few times in that fantasy world, his parents decide to deal with it by entering into family counseling, the sessions which are to be videotaped and to be viewed by each individual family member on their own before the subsequent session to view themselves objectively. After the first session, Peter is able to convince the counselor that part of his individual therapy should be to go away for a week, which Mr. Foster gladly pays for for the greater good of the family. Peter is to keep a diary, written or audio recorded, each day of his time away. What Peter really has in mind is to delve deeper into that world of make believe. He has learned of an immigrant family in Toronto...

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Plot Keywords:

videotape | armenian | talking to the camera | search for identity | role playing therapy | 

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Taglines:

Peter wasn't happy with his family, so he found a new one

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

First feature film directed by Atom Egoyan. Prior to this film, he had only made short films.

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Connections

References The Graduate (1967)

User Reviews

Excellent!

Atom Egoyan proves early on his talent as a story-teller in this 1984 Drama/Comedy about a man searching for an identity. The premise is a lot like that of The Graduate, a young man not sure where is future lies, although the way they go about it is completely opposite, the beginning definitely reminds me of "The Graduate"

Peter Foster is a 23 year old man still living with his controlling parents. With no ambition in his life, the Foster family visits a therapist, hoping that they can be helped. While viewing the video-recording of his therapy session, he puts in another tape of an Armenian family seeking therapy. It is revealed that this Armenian family had given up a son for adoption early on. Peter comes up with a plan where he will "pretend" (a theme which comes up often in the film) to be Bedros, the long lost son of this elderly couple. The story is told well, in the trademark Egoyan style. The film mixes comedy with drama, containing beautiful artistic elements that we can definitely associate with Atom Egoyan. The simple fact where there are no subtitles is interesting in itself, because Peter doesn't know what is being said, why should the audience? (Although this is only a few seconds here and there, it doesn't take away at all from the film) If you are a fan of Atom Egoyan I highly recommend seeing this film, enjoy!

Details

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 November 1984 (Canada)

Also Known As:

Közeli rokon

Filming Locations:

Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

CAD37,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ego Film Arts

Technical Specs

Runtime:

70 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1