Themes: Golden Years, Families in Crisis, Sibling Relationships
Main Cast: Ian McKellen, Deborah Kara Unger, Theo Crane
Release Year: 2003
Country: CA
Run Time: 95 minutes
Plot
Independent Canadian filmmaker Carl Bessai directs Emile, the final entry in his identity trilogy that started with Johnny and Lola. Ian McKellen plays Emile, a retired university professor who travels from England to his hometown in Canada in order to accept an educational honor. Visiting the family farm in Saskatchewan, he recalls his childhood relationships with brothers Freddy (Tygh Runyan) and Carl (Chris William Martin). He stays with his grown-up niece, Nadia (Deborah Kara Unger), who still hasn't forgiven him for his misdeeds of the past. Trying to make up for abandoning her, Emile develops an emotional bond with her daughter, Maria (Theo Crane). Emile premiered at the 2003 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
Emile is a Canadian film made in 2003 by Carl Bessai but not released widely until 2004. The cast included Ian McKellen and Deborah Kara Unger. The film received 2 Genie Award nominations for Best Achievement in Overall Sound and Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for Ian McKellen in 2005.