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The Death & Life of John F. Donovan (2018)

14A | | Drama | 13 March 2019 (France)
Trailer
2:51 | Trailer
A decade after the death of an American television star, a young actor reminisces about the written correspondence he shared with him, as well as the impact those letters had on both their lives.

Director:

Xavier Dolan
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Popularity
3,977 ( 364)
2 wins & 6 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kit Harington ... John F. Donovan
Natalie Portman ... Sam Turner
Jacob Tremblay ... Rupert Turner
Susan Sarandon ... Grace Donovan
Kathy Bates ... Barbara Haggermaker
Ben Schnetzer ... Rupert Turner (21 Y.O.)
Thandie Newton ... Journalist
Jared Keeso ... James Donovan
Chris Zylka ... Will Jefford Jr.
Amara Karan ... Mrs. Kureishi
Emily Hampshire ... Amy Bosworth
Michael Gambon ... Man in Diner
Sarah Gadon ... Liz Jones
Susan Almgren Susan Almgren ... Aunt Faith
Jane Wheeler Jane Wheeler ... Aunt Anne
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Storyline

A decade after the death of an American television star, a young actor reminisces about the written correspondence he shared with him, as well as the impact those letters had on both their lives.

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Genres:

Drama

Certificate:

14A | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Jessica Chastain filmed scenes as a villain-type character, which were cut from the completed movie due to timing and pacing. One of her scenes appears as a bonus feature on the DVD. See more »

Quotes

Audrey Newhouse: This last letter suggests he was full of hope...
Rupert Turner: Which is why I am sure you will understand that, for obvious reasons, that is the version that I chose to believe.
See more »


Soundtracks

Bitter Sweet Symphony
Written by Richard Ashcroft, Martin "Youth" Glover, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards
Performed by The Verve
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User Reviews

 
Overblown and over-wrought
13 September 2019 | by ozjosh03See all my reviews

Dolan's movie creaks and groans and ultimately fizzles under the weight of it's own enormous ambition. And, to be fair, it's beautifully directed. Dolan has great visual stye, invests scenes with great energy and emotion, and gets wonderful performances from a very impressive cast. You can see why Sarandon and Bates and Portman would have placed their faith in him. Unfortunately, the script is too slight to withstand the epic treatment it's given, and the movie runs out of steam before even the halfway mark. It's at least 20 minutes, probably 30 minutes too long. But even a good hard edit wouldn't have saved it. Dolan is certainly a director to watch, but he's going to need better material than this.


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Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan]

Country:

UK | Canada

Language:

English | Czech

Release Date:

13 March 2019 (France) See more »

Also Known As:

The Death and Life of John F. Donovan See more »

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA See more »

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Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$33,340, 25 August 2019

Gross USA:

$152,713

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,326,364
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
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