''Life Classes'' is a 1987 Canadian

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by William D. MacGillivray.

Plot

Mary Cameron (Cormier) lives on the Canadian island of Cape Breton,

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native En ...

. There, she enjoys a warm relationship with an old woman she calls Nanny (Garbary), who regales her with stories of the

Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...

past. The rest of her time, when she isn't working at her father's

pharmacy Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medication, medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it ...

, she completes

paint by number Paint by number or painting by numbers are kits having a board on which light markings to indicate areas to paint, and each area has a number and a corresponding numbered paint to use. The kits come with little compartmentalised boxes where the ...

s artworks. On discovering that she is pregnant by her boyfriend, she decides to go to Halifax, to have her baby. After giving birth, she starts modeling for life-drawing classes and eventually picks up the skills of an artist herself. Soon, she has become a successful artist and moves back to the house her friend Nanny left her to fill an entirely new role in her community.

Cast

Jacinta Cormier Jacinta Cormier, sometimes credited as Jace Cormier, is a Canadian singer and actress from Newfoundland and Labrador.Ina Warren, "Sixteen years spent carving out a niche". ''The Globe and Mail'', April 27, 1988. She is most noted for her performanc ...

as Mary Cameron *

Leon Dubinsky Leon Dubinsky (4 July 1941 – 17 January 2023) was a Canadian actor, theatre director and composer from Sydney, Nova Scotia. Dubinsky first became prominent in music with the regional touring band Buddy and the Boys in the 1970s and 1980s,"St ...

as Earl * Leo Jessome as Mary's father * Frances Knickle as Gloria

Awards

* 1988 **

Genie Award for Best Motion Picture The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television presents an annual award for Best Motion Picture to the best Canadian film of the year.Maria Topalovich, ''And the Genie Goes To...: Celebrating 50 Years of the Canadian Film Awards''. Stoddart Publishi ...

- Nominated ( Stephen Reynolds) **

Genie Award for Best Original Song The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television presents an annual award for Best Achievement in Music: Original Song to the best original song in a Canadian motion picture. First presented at the 3rd Genie Awards in 1982, the award was presented a ...

- Nominated ( William D. MacGillivray) ** Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role - Nominated (

) ** Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role - Nominated (

) **

Genie Award for Best Original Screenplay The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television presents one or more annual awards for the Best Screenplay for a Canadian film. Originally presented in 1968 as part of the Canadian Film Awards, from 1980 until 2012 the award continued as part of the ...

- Nominated ( William D. MacGillivray) **

38th Berlin International Film Festival The 38th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 12 to 23 February 1988. The festival opened with musical film ''Linie 1'' by Reinhard Hauff. The Golden Bear was awarded to the Chinese film '' Red Sorghum'' directed by Zhang Yi ...

Golden Bear The Golden Bear (german: Goldener Bär) is the highest prize awarded for the best film at the Berlin International Film Festival. The bear is the heraldic animal of Berlin, featured on both the coat of arms and flag of Berlin. History The win ...

- Nominated * 1989 **

Istanbul International Film Festival The Istanbul Film Festival ( tr, İstanbul Film Festivali) is the first and oldest international film festival in Turkey, organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts. It is held every year in April in movie theaters in Istanbul, ...

Special Prize of the Jury - William D. MacGillivray - Won

References

External links

* * * 1987 films English-language Canadian films 1987 drama films Canadian drama films Films directed by William D. MacGillivray Films set in Nova Scotia Films shot in Nova Scotia 1980s English-language films 1980s Canadian films {{1980s-Canada-film-stub