''Crazy Moon'' is a 1987

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles. Ro ...

film directed by

Allan Eastman Haldon Darryl Allan Eastman (born July 6, 1948) is a Canadian television director and executive producer. Born in Manitoba, Eastman received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Manitoba in 1971. He then studied at the Film School of ...

and written by Tom Berry and Stefan Wodoslawsky. Starring

Kiefer Sutherland Kiefer William Frederick Dempsey George Rufus Sutherland (born 21 December 1966) is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his starring role as Jack Bauer in the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox drama series ''24 (TV series), 24'' (2001–2010, 20 ...

and Vanessa Vaughan, it follows the relationship between a deaf woman and an offbeat hearing man. ''Crazy Moon'' was produced with the participation of

Telefilm Canada Telefilm Canada is a Canadian Crown corporation that supports Canada's audiovisual industry. Headquartered in Montreal, Telefilm Canada provides services to the Canadian audiovisual industry with four regional offices in Vancouver, British Colu ...

and the

National Film Board of Canada The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; ) is a Canadian public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary films, animation, web documentaries, and altern ...

Miramax Films Miramax, LLC, formerly known as Miramax Films, is an American independent film and television production and distribution company owned by beIN Media Group and Paramount Global. Based in Los Angeles, California, it was founded on December 19, ...

acquired the distribution rights and released the film in the United States on December 11, 1987.

Plot

Brooks is a misfit teenager and

kleptomaniac Kleptomania is the inability to resist the urge to steal items, usually for reasons other than personal use or financial gain. First described in 1816, kleptomania is classified in psychiatry as an impulse-control disorder. Some of the main cha ...

who has an affinity for

Big Band music A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and ...

and the

1940s File:1940s decade montage.png, Above title bar: events during World War II (1939–1945): From left to right: Troops in an LCVP landing craft approaching Omaha Beach on Normandy landings, D-Day; Adolf Hitler visits Paris, soon after the Battle of ...

-era style of dressing. He clashes with his wealthy, straight-laced father and is looked down on by his older brother Cleveland. One day, Brooks goes to a sporting goods store to steal a mannequin. He catches the attention of Anne, a young deaf woman who works at the store. Brooks and Anne begin a relationship in which each teaches the other to confront a personal fear; Anne shows Brooks how to overcome his fear of swimming, and Brooks coaches Anne on how to improve her speech.

Cast

as Brooks *Vanessa Vaughan as Anne * Peter Spence as Cleveland * Ken Pogue as Alec *Eve Napier as Mimi * Sean McCann as Anne's Father *

Bronwen Mantel Bronwen Mantel (born 29 October 1948) is a Canadian actress. Mantel has appeared in numerous movies and has done extensive voice acting in animated films and television series. Early life and career Mantel was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. ...

as Anne's Mother * Terri Hawkes as Pamela

Critical reception

''Crazy Moon'' received mixed critical reviews. Caryn James of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' said the film "keeps threatening to become " Children of a Lesser God Goes to High School", but Sutherland and "his co-star, Vanessa Vaughan, save 'Crazy Moon' from its own worst tendencies". James added the film "glosses over the difference between learning to swim - no matter how deep Brooks's fears - and adjusting as a deaf person in a hearing world. It diminishes the problems of both characters, and cheapens the film's message." Of Vaughan, James said she "acts defiantly against this dreadful script, and gives Anne remarkable composure; she is the most level-headed, engaging character." Michael Walsh of ''Reeling Back'' also praised Vaughn, saying "she steals the show with her performance and provides Eastman's picture with its best moments." Shaun Lang of ''Hollywood North Magazine'' wrote the film "is a light, quirky romance that mixes just the right amount of classic

screwball comedy Screwball comedy is a film subgenre of the romantic comedy genre that became popular during the Great Depression, beginning in the early 1930s and thriving until the early 1950s, that satirizes the traditional love story. It has secondary charact ...

with the spirit of

John Hughes John Hughes may refer to: Arts and Entertainment Literature *John Hughes (poet) (1677–1720), English poet *John Hughes (1790–1857), English author *John Ceiriog Hughes (1832–1887), Welsh poet *John Hughes (writer) (born 1961), Australian au ...

References

External links

* *{{Rotten Tomatoes, crazy_moon 1987 films 1987 comedy-drama films 1980s teen romance films 1980s Canadian films 1980s romantic comedy-drama films Canadian romantic comedy-drama films Canadian teen comedy films Canadian teen drama films Films directed by Allan Eastman Miramax films Films about disability in Canada Films about deaf people Films set in Montreal Films shot in Montreal English-language Canadian films 1980s English-language films English-language romantic comedy-drama films

Plot

Cast

Critical reception

See also

References

External links