/v5zvoQSSdXVfY7OQy79zOCF1XuM.jpg
DramaRomanceComedy

Beginners

- This is what love feels like.

Oliver meets the irreverent and unpredictable Anna only months after his father Hal Fields has passed away. This new love floods Oliver with memories of his father, who, following the death of his wife of 44 years, came out of the closet at age 75 to live a full, energized, and wonderfully tumultuous gay life – which included a younger boyfriend.

Release Date : 2011-06-03

Language :EnglishFrench

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Parts & LaborOlympus PicturesNorthwood Productions

Production Country : CanadaUnited States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Ewan McGregor

Character Name : Oliver Fields

Original Name : Ewan McGregor

Gender : Male

Christopher Plummer

Character Name : Hal Fields

Original Name : Christopher Plummer

Gender : Male

Mélanie Laurent

Character Name : Anna Wallace

Original Name : Mélanie Laurent

Gender : Female

Goran Višnjić

Character Name : Andy

Original Name : Goran Višnjić

Gender : Male

Kai Lennox

Character Name : Elliot

Original Name : Kai Lennox

Gender : Male

Mary Page Keller

Character Name : Georgia Fields

Original Name : Mary Page Keller

Gender : Female

Keegan Boos

Character Name : Young Oliver

Original Name : Keegan Boos

Gender : Male

China Shavers

Character Name : Shauna

Original Name : China Shavers

Gender : Female

Melissa Tang

Character Name : Liz

Original Name : Melissa Tang

Gender : Female

Amanda Payton

Character Name : Party Person

Original Name : Amanda Payton

Gender : Female

Luke Diliberto

Character Name : Green Witch

Original Name : Luke Diliberto

Gender : Male

Lou Taylor Pucci

Character Name : Magician

Original Name : Lou Taylor Pucci

Gender : Male

Jennifer Lauren Grant

Character Name : Record Company Rep

Original Name : Jennifer Lauren Grant

Gender : Male

Reynaldo Pacheco

Character Name : Julio

Original Name : Reynaldo Pacheco

Gender : Male

Jodi Long

Character Name : Dr. Long

Original Name : Jodi Long

Gender : Female

Bruce French

Character Name : Dr. Wright

Original Name : Bruce French

Gender : Male

Leslie Shea

Character Name : ICU Nurse #1

Original Name : Leslie Shea

Gender : Male

Michael Chieffo

Character Name : Hal's Priest

Original Name : Michael Chieffo

Gender : Male

Jennifer Hasty

Character Name : Secretary

Original Name : Jennifer Hasty

Gender : Female

June Saunders

Character Name : 1978 Fancy Woman

Original Name : June Saunders

Gender : Male

Catherine McGoohan

Character Name : 1978 Older Woman

Original Name : Catherine McGoohan

Gender : Female

Terry Walters

Character Name : Terse Nurse

Original Name : Terry Walters

Gender : Female

Lana Young

Character Name : ICU Nurse #2

Original Name : Lana Young

Gender : Female

AlgeRita Wynn

Character Name : Nice Nurse

Original Name : AlgeRita Wynn

Gender : Female

Regine Redwing

Character Name : Strict Nurse

Original Name : Regine Redwing

Gender : Male

Sunday Burke

Character Name : Home Nurse #1

Original Name : Sunday Burke

Gender : Male

Patrick Birkett

Character Name : Hal Look-Alike

Original Name : Patrick Birkett

Gender : Male

Sabera Wise

Character Name : Skating Rink Manager

Original Name : Sabera Wise

Gender : Male

Rafael J. Noble

Character Name : Brian

Original Name : Rafael J. Noble

Gender : Male

Jose Yenque

Character Name : Robert

Original Name : Jose Yenque

Gender : Male

Rodney Saulsberry

Character Name : 1978 Museum Staff

Original Name : Rodney Saulsberry

Gender : Male

Bambadjan Bamba

Character Name : The Sads

Original Name : Bambadjan Bamba

Gender : Male

Hana Hwang

Character Name : The Sads

Original Name : Hana Hwang

Gender : Female

Reviews

A

Andres Gomez

@tanty

2021-06-23

A really delightful drama with superb performances and a great editing.

F

Filipe Manuel Neto

@FilipeManuelNeto

2022-09-06

**The movie works well, but there are some details in the story told that, to me, make little sense. Am sorry.** Generally, I don't really like films that are too apologetic, that is, films that use cinema to advocate and defend causes, political ideas, social movements. It's OK to be part of the plot of a movie, but to make a movie for defense/publicity of these ideas is another very different thing. When I started to see this movie, I was scared to find just another movie defending the gay lobby, and its social and political flags. Well, now that I'm done, I'm relieved that my fears didn't go beyond that. The film has a fairly regular script, which seeks to tell an interesting story, focused on how a man begins a very passionate relationship with a charming Frenchwoman he has just met. He was very depressed because of the recent death of his father, and while the film tells us how the couple evolves in their new relationship, it also tells us how was, lately, the relationship between him and his father who, shortly after widowing, decides to tell his son that he is sick and is going to die of cancer and, moreover, that despite having been married, he has been a homosexual all his life, suffering at the cost of that secret and having a secret boyfriend. The strong point of the film is not only the dramatic story told (I never felt it was a comedy, as some say, despite having few funny moments in between), but also the original way in which it is told to us, with flashbacks and in a very visual way, using photographs and a very visual and interesting narrative style. There are certain moments when I felt that the narrator (the son) was actually presenting slides to the audience, which is us. And with that, I felt that Mike Mills, the director, took a calculated risk, and it turned out very well. Unfortunately, I felt that the homosexual subplot is not as credible. I simply cannot conceive how such a sick and elderly man would be in a loving relationship with someone who is almost his son's age. It's not a situation I can believe in… not because it's a gay relationship… but because of the age difference and health situation. In addition to the good story and the elegant way in which it is told, the film brings us a luxurious cast of great actors, with an evident highlight for the veteran Christopher Plummer, who gives us a moving and extremely worthy portrait of that father. By his side, and equally impactful and powerful, Ewan McGregor, in one of the strongest works I remember seeing him do. And this is not an understatement, as we know that McGregor is a great actor, and he has already proved to us what he can do on other occasions. Melanie Laurent, fresh out of "Inglorious Bast…ds”, has another excellent work here, although her character is not as remarkable and interesting as the two male leads. Goran Visnjic, unfortunately, has the most thankless role. I felt like he's really the most in the movie. Technically, the film is discreet, but effective, and bets a lot on interesting and well-crafted cinematography, with visuals that we can appreciate as the film unfolds. The editing is good, the pace is pleasant, and the sets and costumes are within what we could have expected to find. The soundtrack doesn't stand out or stand out.