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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Distributed by | Kino Lorber |
Release dates |
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Running time | 91 minutes |
Countries | United States Israel |
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. This marked the second collaboration between Gere and Schrader after American Gigolo (1980) 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.[1] It is scheduled to be released on December 6, 2024, by Kino Lorber.[2]
The story delves into the life of a tormented documentary filmmaker on the brink of death, an American who fled to Canada during the Vietnam War.
Leonard Fife (Richard Gere and Jacob Elordi) 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.[3]
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.[4] In December 2023, it was announced Kristine Froseth, Michael Imperioli, and Uma Thurman had joined the cast of the film.[5][6][7] Robert De Niro turned down Gere's part due to the low salary.[8] Arclight Films, after producing Schrader's First Reformed, agreed to finance and represent sales of the movie at the European Film Market.[9]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 67% of 45 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.1/10. The website's consensus reads: "Anchored by Richard Gere's egoless performance, Oh Canada is a thorny and sometimes muddled memory play that fits solidly into director Paul Schrader's self-reflective filmography."[10] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 59 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[11]