Main Cast: David Hemblen, Aidan Tierney, Gabrielle Rose, Arsinée Khanjian, Selma Keklikian
Release Year: 1987
Country: CA
Run Time: 92 minutes
MPAA Rating: NR
Plot
Ignore the title: Family Viewing makes for fascinating viewing, though it is not designed as entertainment for the whole family. This Canadian film stars David Hemblen as Stan, a profoundly disturbed young man. Upon the disappearance of his mother, Stan feverishly tries to piece together existing clues. He's not sure he likes the outcome, but given the extent to which his family has disintegrated, he's not surprised, either. Family Viewing was expertly filmed on a wafer-thin budget by independent Canadian director Atom Egoyan. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
Family Viewing is one of the first films from the Armenian-Canadian director Atom Egoyan to make an impact, though that impact was primarily confined to film critics. Egoyan's work is not conventionally entertaining, though this story of a dysfunctional family whose life revolves around television has its moments of hilarity. Mostly, however, it is a wry and acerbic commentary on the media age, shot in Egoyan's developing style of deadpan dialogue and voyeuristic, semi-documentary mise en scene. The cast include Egoyan's wife Arsinee Khanjian and others of his regular troupe. Family Viewing's importance grew in retrospect as Egoyan's following increased after Exotica and The Sweet Hereafter, and more critics and fans sought out his early film experiments. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
Jeanne Sabourin - Aline's mother; Rose Sarkisyan - Van's Mother; Vasag Baghboudarian - Young Van; David MacKay - Man Behind Counter; Hrant Alianak - Administrator; John Shafer - Private Detective; Garfield Andrews - Hotel Bellboy; Edwin Stephenson - Video Salesman; Aino Pirskanen - Mistaken Woman; Souren Chekijian - Priest at Funeral; Johnnie Eisen - Aline's Client; John Pellatt - Television Voice-Over
Credit
Linda Del Rosario - Art Director, Nancy Duggan - Costume Designer, Atom Egoyan - Director, Atom Egoyan - Editor, Bruce MacDonald - Editor, Mychael Danna - Composer (Music Score), Matti Sevink - Makeup, Robert MacDonald - Cinematographer, Peter Mettler - Cinematographer, Atom Egoyan - Producer, Steve Munro - Sound/Sound Designer, Ross Redfern - Sound/Sound Designer, Atom Egoyan - Screenwriter
David Hemblen
Aidan Tierney Gabrielle Rose Arsinée Khanjian
Selma Keklikian
Jeanne Sabourin
Rose Sarkisyan
Vasag Baghboudarian
David MacKay Hrant Alianak
John Shafer
Garfield Andrews
Edwin Stephenson
Aino Pirskanen
Souren Chekijian
Johnnie Eisen
John Pellatt
Van's (Tierney) father, Stan (Hemblen), is fond of video, always taping scenes of daily family life. But he does not take care of Van's grandmother, Armen (Keklikian). Although he could afford having her at home, she is spending her days watching TV in an old people's home. Van often visits her. He meets Aline (Khanjian), whose mother is in the next bed. Van wants to get his grandmother out of the old people's home. Aline will help Van, whose mother left years ago and is looking for a real family life.
In This Corner (1985) ·Gross Misconduct (1993) ·Sarabande (1997) ·Krapp's Last Tape (2000) ·
Short Films
Howard in Particular (1979) ·After Grad with Dad (1980) ·Peep Show (1981) ·Open House (1982) ·Men: A Passion Playground (1985) ·Looking for Nothing (1988) ·Montréal vu par... / Montreal Sextet segment: En passant (In Passing) (1991) ·A Portrait of Arshile (1995) ·The Line (2000) ·Diaspora (2001) ·Chacun son cinéma / To Each His Cinema segment: Artaud Double Bill (2007) ·
