Next of Kin (1984)

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 ... See full summary »

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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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Atom Egoyan: a guest in Bedros' birthday party

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Connections

References The Graduate (1967)

User Reviews

The Graduate meets Harold and Maude in Canada!

I had never heard of Atom Egoyan, a Canadian-Armenian director, when I bought a box set of his films from the UK because they were on sale and sounded cool. It has been sitting on my shelf for at least a year. The other night, I cracked it open, put "Next of Kin" on and was blown away. "Next of Kin" is an astonishing first feature length film, both in script (which Egoyan wrote) and direction.

It is a story of a rich young man trying to find purpose in life, much like "The Graduate" and "Harold and Maude". He is 23, lived at home his whole life, and amused himself by "watching my parents dislike each other." They take him to therapy, he plays with them psychologically, but then by chance discovers an Armenian family who lost a son and proceeds to contact them and pretend to be their long lost boy.

It is wacky, it is funny, it is weird, it is thought provoking. It is an insightful look at culture and family and our willingness to accept anything when in psychological need. There is some plot structure and cinematography that is amazing. A remarkable first film that is almost unknown. Delighted to have it my collection. I can't wait to see the rest of the films in the set.

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