''Eighteen'' is a 2005 Canadian drama film written and directed by Richard Bell.

Plot

The film follows Pip, a street kid who is meeting life head-on in the big city. On his eighteenth birthday he receives his grandfather's

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

memoirs on audio cassette, a gift that awakens the ghost of the long lost world. His grandfather relates the story of the day he turned eighteen, fleeing German forces through the woods of France with a dying comrade hanging on for life. In Pip's own and contemporary way, he begins to live the parallel life of his grandfather, both lost in their environments and generations. Along Pip's path he stumbles into an unlikely alliance with Clark, a gay street hustler on the make, and Jenny, an aspiring social worker who tempts Pip with feelings of love and domesticity. He also forges a small but important relationship with a local priest, in whom he confides his deepest secret: the death of his brother and the heinous act his father committed against him before his passing.

Cast and characters

* Paul Anthony as Pip Anders Pip is a streetkid who turns eighteen as the story begins. His tortured spirit simmers beneath his punky and sarcastic surface. *

Brendan Fletcher Brendan Fletcher (born December 15, 1981) is a Canadian actor. He first gained recognition as a child actor, winning a Leo Award and being nominated for a Gemini Award his acting debut in the made-for-television film ''Little Criminals''. He ...

as Private Jason Anders Jason Anders is a wide-eyed, eighteen-year-old Coldstream Guard soldier who has been dropped in the middle of the battle. He is conflicted between his duty and his natural impulse to run away. * Clarence Sponagle as Clark Clark is a gay hustler who, between keeping a regular clientele to go-go dancing to selling videos of himself "jerkin’", has created a comfortable life for himself. A life that is thrown upside down when he meets Pip. *

Carly Pope Carly Pope (born August 28, 1980) is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her roles on The WB's drama series ''Popular'' (1999–2001), supernatural drama series ''The Collector'' (2004–2005), USA Network's legal drama series '' Suits'' ...

as Jenny Jenny is a sensitive, selfless young spirit who is an aspiring social worker. When it comes to dating troubled men, she has no qualms about rushing in where angels fear to tread. * Mark Hildreth as Corporal Phillip Macauley Macauley is a medic who has seen so much blood and war he has developed a secret and deadly coping method. He spends the entire story with a bullet in his gut. * David Beazely as Jeff Jeff is an affable gas station attendant who is spectacularly in love with Clark. *

Thea Gill Thea may refer to: * Thea (name), a given name * Ancient Greek term for goddess, including an alternative spelling of Theia * ''Thea'', the former name of the tea plant genus, now included in ''Camellia'' * Thea, a village in the municipal unit Mes ...

as Hannah, a WWII chanteuse Hannah is beautiful and breathless WWII entertainer. She smokes, sings, and delights in giving private encores to lucky privates. *

Alan Cumming Alan Cumming (born 27 January 1965) is a British actor. His London stage appearances include ''Hamlet'', the Maniac in '' Accidental Death of an Anarchist'' (for which he received an Olivier Award), the lead in '' Bent'', The National Theatre ...

as Father Chris Father Chris is a priest who chooses to pound the pavement rather than preach at a pulpit. A kindred spirit, he feeds and befriends the troubled souls of the street. *

Ian McKellen Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. His career spans seven decades, having performed in genres ranging from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. Regarded as a British cultural i ...

as the elderly Jason Anders (in voice)

Music

The soundtrack was written by British-born, Canadian composer

Bramwell Tovey Bramwell Tovey (11 July 1953 – 12 July 2022) was a British conductor and composer. Life and career Tovey was educated at Ilford County High School, the Royal Academy of Music and the University of London. His formal music education was as ...

and performed by the

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) is a Canadian orchestra based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The VSO performs at the Orpheum, which has been the orchestra's permanent home since 1977. With an annual operating budget of $16 million, it is ...

. Tovey was nominated, in tandem with lyricist Richard Bell, for the Best Original Song

Genie Award The Genie Awards were given out annually by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to recognize the best of Canadian cinema from 1980–2012. They succeeded the Canadian Film Awards (1949–1978; also known as the "Etrog Awards," for sc ...

for "In a Heartbeat", which appears in the World War II thread of the film.

Release

Because it featured both straight and gay characters, ''Eighteen'' appeared at numerous mainstream and gay film festivals. It premiered on June 16, 2006 in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. ...

, where it had a brief theatrical run; it was released that same month on DVD in the U.S. ''Eighteen'' was broadcast on

Movie Central Movie Central (occasionally abbreviated as "MC", mostly in program guides) was a Canadian English language Category A premium cable and satellite television channel that was owned by Corus Entertainment. Movie Central was designated to opera ...

The Movie Network Crave (formerly The Movie Network or TMN) is a Canadian premium television network and streaming service owned by the Bell Media subsidiary of BCE Inc. Launched in 1983 as the national service First Choice, early difficulties and a subsequent ...

, City TV, and Bravo in Canada, and on

Here TV Here TV is an American premium television network targeting LGBT audiences. Launched in 2002, Here TV is available nationwide on all major cable systems, fiber optics systems, and Internet TV providers as either a 24/7 premium subscription channe ...

in the United States. On 27 July 2009, the DVD was released in Europe. In September 2010, it became available on

iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mu ...

in the United States; in October, it came to iTunes Canada.

References

External links

*
Telefilm: Eighteen

Bell's Eighteen with McKellen Voice-Over
Gary Kramer, San Francisco Bay Times * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Eighteen (Film) 2005 films Canadian drama films 2005 drama films Gay-related films Canadian LGBT-related films LGBT-related drama films 2005 LGBT-related films English-language Canadian films 2000s English-language films 2000s Canadian films