''Extraordinary Visitor'' is a Canadian comedy film, directed by John W. Doyle and released in 1998.
["Low-key Visitor a quiet chuckle". '']The Province
''The Province'' is a daily newspaper published in tabloid format in British Columbia by Pacific Newspaper Group, a division of Postmedia Network, alongside the ''Vancouver Sun'' broadsheet newspaper. Together, they are British Columbia's onl ...
'', February 8, 1999. The film stars
Raoul Bhaneja
Raoul Bhaneja is an English-Canadian actor, musician, writer and producer.
Early life and studies
Bhaneja was born in Manchester. His father is an Indian Sindhi and mother is Irish. A graduate of The National Theatre School of Canada and ...
as
John the Baptist
John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...
, sent on a mission from God to find a reason to spare the world from destruction. Ending up in
St. John's,
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...
, he becomes embroiled in the lives of Rick (
Andy Jones), a junk salesman and conspiracy theorist, and his wife Marietta (
Mary Walsh), a local
public access talk show host.
The film also stars Janet Michael as
Mary
Mary may refer to:
People
* Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name)
Religious contexts
* New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below
* Mary, mother of Jesus, also call ...
, Rick Boland as Pope Innocent XVI,
Greg Malone as Cardinal Vignetti,
Bryan Hennessey as Archbishop Devine and
Jordan Canning
Jordan Canning is a Canadian director for film and television. She is known for her independent feature films '' We Were Wolves'' (2014) and '' Suck It Up'' (2017), as well as her work directing on television series ''Baroness Von Sketch Show,'' ...
as Alison, and features cameo appearances by
Mark Critch
Mark Critch (born May 14, 1974) is a Canadian comedian, actor, and writer. He is best known for his work on the comedy series ''This Hour Has 22 Minutes'', initially as a writer and then as a regular cast member beginning in 2003.
Career
Critc ...
as a hot dog vendor and
Pamela Wallin
Pamela Wallin (born April 10, 1953) is a Canadian senator, former television journalist, and diplomat. She was appointed to the senate on January 2, 2009, where she initially sat as a Conservative.
Early life and career
Wallin was born in ...
as a newscaster.
The film premiered at the
Montreal World Film Festival
The Montreal World Film Festival (WFF; french: le Festival des Films du Monde) was one of Canada's oldest international film festivals and the only competitive film festival in North America accredited by the FIAPF (although the Toronto Interna ...
on September 2, 1998, and was screened at the
1998 Toronto International Film Festival
The 23rd Toronto International Film Festival ran from September 10 to September 19, 1998. A total of 311 films were screened during the ten-day festival, commencing with the opening gala, ''The Red Violin''.
Awards
Programmes
Gala Opening Nigh ...
, the
Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival
Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival, also known as Cinéfest and Cinéfest Sudbury is an annual film festival in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada,"Cinefest provides cultural landmark". ''Sudbury Star'', September 16, 1999. held over nin ...
, the
Vancouver International Film Festival
The Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) is an annual film festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, for two weeks in late September and early October.
The festival is operated by the Greater Vancouver International Film Fest ...
and the
Atlantic Film Festival
FIN: Atlantic International Film Festival (known as The Atlantic International Film Festival until 2017) is a major international film festival held annually in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada since 1980. FIN is the largest Canadian film festival ...
before going into general theatrical release in early 1999.
[
The film won the Audience Award at the ]Dances With Films
Dances With Films is an annual independent film festival located in Los Angeles, California and was founded by Leslee Scallon and Michael Trent.
Lineup
Taking place every year since 1998, the festival is dedicated to representing true indepen ...
festival in 1999, and composers Eric Cadesky and Nick Dyer received a 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 ...
nomination for Best Original Score at the 20th Genie Awards
The 20th Genie Awards were held on January 30, 2000, by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, to honour films released in 1999. The ceremony aired live on CBC Television, and a post-event highlights show aired on Radio Canada.Maria Topalo ...
. It was broadcast by CBC Television
CBC Television (also known as CBC TV) is a Canadian English-language broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster. The network began operations on September 6, 1952. Its French- ...
on December 30, 1999.["John the Baptist visits Newfoundland in drama". '']Victoria Times-Colonist
The ''Times Colonist'' is an English-language daily newspaper in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It was formed by the Sept. 2, 1980 merger of the ''Victoria Daily Times'', established in 1884, and the ''British Colonist'' (later the ''Daily C ...
'', December 22, 1999.
References
External links
* {{IMDb title, 0139185
1998 films
Canadian comedy films
English-language Canadian films
Films set in Newfoundland and Labrador
Films shot in Newfoundland and Labrador
1990s English-language films
1990s Canadian films