C.R.A.Z.Y. (2005)

A young French-Canadian, growing up in the 1960s and 1970s, struggles to reconcile his emerging homosexuality with his father's conservative values and his own Catholic beliefs.

Director:

Jean-Marc Vallée

Writers:

François Boulay, Jean-Marc Vallée

Stars:

Michel Côté, Marc-André Grondin, Danielle Proulx

38 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michel Côté	...	Gervais Beaulieu
Marc-André Grondin	...	Zachary Beaulieu 15 à 21 ans
Danielle Proulx	...	Laurianne Beaulieu
Émile Vallée	...	Zachary Beaulieu 6 à 8 ans
Pierre-Luc Brillant	...	Raymond Beaulieu 22 à 28 ans
Maxime Tremblay	...	Christian Beaulieu 24 à 30 ans
Alex Gravel	...	Antoine Beaulieu 21 à 27 ans
Natasha Thompson	...	Michelle 15 à 22 ans
Johanne Lebrun	...	Doris
Mariloup Wolfe	...	Brigitte 15 à 20 ans
Francis Ducharme	...	Paul
Hélène Grégoire	...	Madame Chose
Michel Laperrière	...	Psychothérapeute
Jean-Louis Roux	...	Prêtre
Mohamed Majd	...	Bédouin

Storyline

Born Christmas Day 1960, Zac Beaulieu is the fourth of five sons of Gervais and Laurianne Beaulieu. Zac feels somewhat disconnected to his brothers, all of whom are different from each other. They include the bookworm Christian who is the eldest, the dumb jock Antoine who is third, and the youngest Yvan. But Zac has the most contempt for his second eldest brother, the shiftless druggie Raymond. To his devout Catholic mother, Zac is her miracle son, both for being born the same day as Jesus Christ (a fact which Zac has always hated), and because a Tupperware-selling mystic once told her that he has the power to heal. Laurianne has always coddled Zac, the two who have a special if unspoken bond. But Zac wants more to please his father, who wants more than anything in his sons that they grow up to be man's men and not sissies. As Zac goes through his mid-teens to early twenties, Zac isn't sure if he can live up to the ideals of either his mother or especially his father. A young man with...

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Plot Keywords:

punctuation in title | gay brother | closeted homosexual | death by overdose | drug overdose | 

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Taglines:

Growing up in this family, you'd have to be... C.R.A.Z.Y.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Canada

Language:

French English German Spanish Polish

Release Date:

3 March 2006 (Italy)

Also Known As:

C.R.A.Z.Y.

Filming Locations:

Essaouira, Morocco

Box Office

Budget:

CAD 6,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Téléfilm Canada, Québec Crédit d'Impôt Cinéma et Télévison, Government of Canada - Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit Program

Technical Specs

Runtime:

127 min (Québec) 127 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Black and White (flashback scenes) Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was the official Canadian entry for the "Best Foreign Language Film" category at the 2005 Academy Awards, but it did not end up as one of the five foreign language films to be nominated.

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Goofs

For Christmas 1967, and also at a later Christmas party, the father sings to a Charles Aznavour record. The Barclay label on the record in the film was not used until sometime during the '70s or '80s.

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Quotes

Zachary Beaulieu 15 à 21 ans: You seem to be sniffing a lot for someone in detox.
Raymond Beaulieu: Socking cock's made you a prick.
Zachary Beaulieu 15 à 21 ans: [reminding Raymond his journey in jail] Your ass must've been raw after prison.
Raymond Beaulieu: You would have enjoyed that, huh?

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Crazy Credits

The end titles finish showing the first names of the five sons in capital letters in the order of birth: Christian . Raymond . Antoine . Zacharie . Yvan . Then all the letters dissolve, with the exception of each first letters, thus creating (and explaining) the title of the film: C.R.A.Z.Y.

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Connections

References Enter the Dragon (1973)

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Soundtracks

Dell'elisir mirabile
from the opera "L'Elisir d'Amore"
Composed by Gaetano Donizetti
Performed by les Petits Chanteurs du Mont-Royal

User Reviews

Crazy for C.R.A.Z.Y!

Tell you what, if C.R.A.Z.Y. doesn't win the all the Geminis (the Oscars in Canada) it deserves, and doesn't get at least a nomination for the Academy Award for best foreign language film, there's something seriously wrong. This emotional roller-coaster, which I had the opportunity to see this year at the Vancouver International Film Festival is WONDERFUL! The director has blended together a gay coming-of-age story that is not exclusive to gay audiences, anyone can see this and relate to the family functions and dysfunctions on view here. The acting, everyone from Emile Vallee who plays the young Zach (actually the director's son) to a awesome performance by Michel Cote as the father of the family, is also wonderful. This movie had me in tears.. TEARS! at the end of it. How often can I say that happens? Hardly ever! Finally, like Dear Wendy, the other movie I liked during this festival (though no one else I talk to seems to like it hmmm..) the meaning of the title is JUST too precious to spoil for you. You'll probably figure it out by the movie's end. I'm asking, no, BEGGING, everyone to see this.