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Turning Paige

Play trailer Poster for Turning Paige 2001 1h 52m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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A teenager (Katharine Isabelle) tries to relate to her alcoholic father (Nicholas Campbell), her brutish brother (Philip DeWilde) and a writing teacher.

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Turning Paige

Audience Reviews

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steve d Katharine Isabelle gives her best performance in a film almost no one will ever get to see. Powerful film, Isabelle should be a star. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member I am a huge fan of Katie from her roles in Ginger Snaps, falling angels, and pretty much everything she's ever stared in. I really want to see this but cannot seem to find it anywhere. Sadly it's not on DVD. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/23/23 Full Review Audience Member Quirky personal-growth story about a girl prompted by her brother to finally come to terms with the suicide of her mother - and the devastating consequences that the memory has had on the personal lives of both herself and her father. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Audience Member Turning Paige was filmed with a huge amount of snowfall as a backdrop, which Director Robert Cuffey describes as another "character" in the film. The storyline, which originally was based on the author's impression of human insensitivity to human suffering, focuses on the dysfunctional nature of the Fleming family. Paige's first full line is somewhat of a narrative of the movie, "it's not what you think you see, let me tell you about my friend Chet". Chet is the main character in the story which is presently being composed by the young author. Toward the end of the movie, the film reveals that Chet is based on an unknown person that Paige sees everyday on the local bus. The movie begins somewhat comical, the mother absent and not even mentioned for the first half of the film (reminiscent of the Andy Griffith show). The movie, however, slowly descends into dramatic rapture. The storyline to the movie At Shepard Park is almost poetic in its analogies to life and death, with the plot of the movie almost seemingly in rhyme with Paige's ongoing composition. One of the beginning scenes is that of icicles melting off the side of a building, possibly foreshadowing the thaw of feelings that will eventually begin to emerge at the Fleming household. The opening scenes are filled with views of urban decay (a broken unused toilet lies in the snow; a strip joint advertises male dancers). We are first introduced to Paige's composition in "three dimension" when we view the character of "the Queen" (a man dressed as a woman metaphorically symbolizing female aggression?), who is at first served on hand and foot unflinchingly by "Chet", but is then rejected by Paige's main character. "Chet walked" Paige explains to an audience listening to her composition - in that same manner, Paige's "stalker" boyfriend (Brendan Fletcher) would eventually choose to walk away from her, gaining Paige's respect for him. Paige's mother only appears as a fantasy representation posed by a woman freezing out in the snow who becomes "wounded" by an unknown assailant. Chet asks the woman for help, but the help is refused, as the woman later becomes "just a mound of dirt" with a shovel on top; a representation of the final destiny of all humans. "Those who refuse to accept help don't deserve the time of the day, generally speaking", Paige bitterly composes; a possible analogy to her deceased mother's untreated alcoholism. The tone of mood at the Fleming household quickly changes from apathy to emotional chaos with the arrival of Paige's disowned brother (Philip DeWilde), whose indulgence in emotional grief counters Paige and Ross Fleming's (the father played by Nicholas Campbell) refusal to even acknowledge their own feelings of grief. It is at this point in the story that the plot begins to draw attention to the struggle these three family members must undertake to "turn the page" and move on from the tragedy that occurred years earlier. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/02/23 Full Review Audience Member Very powerful performances by Katharine Isabelle and the rest of the cast! The storyline is poetically lined with analogies and symbolism, yet the plot is still easy to follow - an unknown movie classic!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/15/23 Full Review Audience Member Great Canadian film that never had a fair shot in the cinemas and was never released on dvd which was a load of sh*T thanks to the distributors. I was nominated for a best actor at the genie awards(Canada's Oscars?) in 2003. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/15/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Turning Paige

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Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis A teenager (Katharine Isabelle) tries to relate to her alcoholic father (Nicholas Campbell), her brutish brother (Philip DeWilde) and a writing teacher.
Director
Robert Cuffley
Producer
Carolyn McMaster
Screenwriter
Robert Cuffley, Jason Long
Production Co
Miramax
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 30, 2020
Runtime
1h 52m
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