Simon (2004)

A mild-mannered gay dentist and a hedonist womanizer rekindle their unlikely friendship when the latter's terminal cancer drives them back together after a decade apart.

Director:

Eddy Terstall

Writer:

Eddy Terstall (screenplay)

Stars:

Cees Geel, Marcel Hensema, Rifka Lodeizen

8 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Cees Geel	...	Simon Cohen
Marcel Hensema	...	Camiel Vrolijk
Rifka Lodeizen	...	Sharon
Nadja Hüpscher	...	Joy
Eva Duijvestein	...	Ellen
Daan Ekkel	...	Marco
Dirk Zeelenberg	...	Bram
Stijn Koomen	...	Nelson
Johnny de Mol	...	Floris (as Johnny de Mol jr.)
Maria Kooistra	...	Gwen
Femke Lakerveld	...	Adrienne
Natasja Loturco	...	Astrid, Camiel's Assistant
Araba Walton	...	Gisela
Medi Broekman	...	Priscilla
Dennis Rudge	...	Sjimmie

Storyline

Enterprising liberal Jew Simon Cohen is the lawless lord of an Amsterdam neighborhood, running a 'coffee' shop' (legal soft drugs sale). As soon as they bump into each-other, Simon fascinates gay, up to then conventionalist Jewish dentistry student Camiel Vrolijk and draws him into his libertine world, even all the way to Thailand for B-movie making. Having seduced Simon's whorish girl, embarrassed Simon leaves quietly. Ten years later, the dentist, now settled with a gay partner, lawyer Bram, meets the new cancer-terminal but affluent Simon again.

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Plot Keywords:

character name as title | one word title | forename as title | illegitimate child | buddha | 

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Taglines:

Hij verandert je leven (He will change your life)

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

TV-MA

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie's budget was so low, that many of the actors (personal friends of director Eddy Terstall) worked for free. Multiple scenes had to be filmed each day, so most scenes needed to be filmed in one take. According to Terstall, the scenes shot at the end of each day, when cast and crew started to get weary, were often of poorer quality as a result.

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Goofs

When Joy and Floris are descending the stairs at the wedding, he is on her right side, but in the next shot he is suddenly on her left.

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Connections

References Death Race 2000 (1975)

User Reviews

I love this guy

This movie is about an unlikely friendship. Right at the start of it you learn that one of them is gay and polite, and the other is an outspoken, humorous heterosexual that has cancer, and might die sometime soon. The movie then goes back and forth along some fourteen years, starting with the day these guys met.

Sounds simple? You are in for some surprises. This is not just a film about a guy that is quite obnoxious and irresistibly lovely at the same time. It is also about being yourself, shy or not, and living in a country that has more tolerance to cultural diversity. But mostly about this man that always tries to do the right thing, and enjoy his life, and have a laugh with his friends, even as it looks like death might come sooner than expected. I love this guy. And the Netherlands never looked that much beautiful on film.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Netherlands]

Country:

Netherlands

Language:

Dutch English German Thai

Release Date:

30 September 2004 (Netherlands)

Also Known As:

Симон

Filming Locations:

57 Van Eeghenstraat, Oud-Zuid, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Box Office

Budget:

EUR1,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,453, 9 April 2006

Gross USA:

$4,055

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,107,774

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fortissimo Films, Spaghetti Film, Vrijzinnig Protestantse Radio Omroep (VPRO)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1