Oh, Canada | |
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Directed by | Paul Schrader |
Screenplay by | Paul Schrader |
Based on | Foregone by Russell Banks |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Andrew Wonder |
Edited by | Benjamin Rodriguez Jr. |
Music by | Phosphorescent |
Production companies |
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Release date |
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Running time | 91 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Oh, Canada is a 2024 American drama film written and directed by Paul Schrader, based on the 2021 novel Foregone by Russell Banks. It stars Richard Gere, Uma Thurman, Michael Imperioli, Jacob Elordi, Victoria Hill, and Kristine Froseth.[1] This marked the second collaboration between Gere and Schrader after American Gigolo as well as Schrader's second adaptation of a novel by Banks after 1997's Affliction.
The film had its world premiere at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on May 17, 2024.[2]
The story delves into the life of a tormented writer on the brink of death, a Canadian-American leftist who fled to Canada to avoid the Vietnam War draft.[3]
Leonard Fife (Richard Gere in the modern day, Jacob Elordi in flashbacks) is a terminally ill writer and filmmaker who has agreed to have his final testament of his life filmed by documentary filmmakers Malcolm (Michael Imperioli) and Diana (Victoria Hill), but proves to be an unreliable narrator due to his failing and distorted memory.[4]
The production received a SAG-AFTRA exemption and began filming in New York City in September 2023. It wrapped production three weeks later in October.[5][6] In December 2023, it was announced Kristine Froseth, Michael Imperioli, and Uma Thurman had joined the cast of the film.[7][8][9] Robert De Niro turned down Gere's part due to the low salary.[10] Arclight Films, after producing Schrader's First Reformed, agreed to finance and represent sales of the movie at the European Film Market.[11]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 70% of 33 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.7/10.[12] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 59 out of 100, based on 17 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[13]