Review: C.R.A.Z.Y.

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The coming-of-age film C.R.A.Z.Y., which launched the career of director Jean-Marc Vallée (Dallas Buyers Club, Big Little Lies), is a story set in Quebec in the 60s and 70s, where conservative parents Gervais and Laurianne raise their five boys.  Much of the film is centered around their fourth son Zachary coming to terms with his sexuality, and his relationship with his father.

Zachary longs for his father’s acceptance, even though he rejects the macho image his father represents. Gervais struggles with the fact that his family hasn’t turned out the way he had planned.

Great art direction and a soundtrack that includes Quebec classics alongside Patsy Cline, and rock legends Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, and David Bowie, show the way Québecois culture blended with anglophone pop culture in that demographic.

Even though the family dynamic is complicated and messy, the film is ultimately heartwarming, funny and endearing, and well worth checking out. The film is marking its 20th anniversary this year.

C.R.A.Z.Y. was the third biggest film of 2005 in Quebec (after Star Wars Episode III and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire).  It grossed $6.2 million in the province, was nominated for a record 45 awards in the two-year span following its release and it won 38 of them, including 10 Genie Awards (the precursor to the Canadian Screen Awards) and the award for Best Canadian Feature at TIFF in 2005.   In fact, TIFF included it in its list of the 10 best Canadian films of all time (published in 2015). It finally enjoyed a commercial theatrical run of the film in the US in 2022, 17 years after its Canadian premiere.

More info & links:

  • Director: Jean-Marc Vallée
  • Cast: Marc-André Grodin, Michel Coté, Danielle Proulx
  • C.R.A.Z.Y. on IMDB

Jith Paul

Web Designer, Editor, Film Reviewer

Jith Paul is an independent filmmaker based in Ottawa. While pursuing a career as a software engineer, he decided to take a detour to follow his passion for film and filmmaking, establishing Treepot Media in 2010.

He is a co-founder of the Ottawa Canadian Film Festival, and editor of the film613 blog.

When he is not busy fighting crime, he coordinates the efforts of an international team of software developers and service providers as the Team Lead for Digital Development at CPAC, the Cable Public Affairs Channel.

jithpaul.com