I Killed My Mother

J'ai tué ma mère
Directed by	Xavier Dolan
Produced by	Xavier Dolan (producer) Carole Mondello (executive producer) Daniel Morin (associate producer)
Written by	Xavier Dolan
Starring	Xavier Dolan Anne Dorval Suzanne Clément François Arnaud
Music by	Nicholas Savard-L'Herbier
Cinematography	Stéphanie Weber Biron, Nicolas Canniccioni
Editing by	Hélène Girard
Release date(s)	May 18, 2009 (2009-05-18) (Cannes Film Festival) June 5, 2009 (2009-06-05) (Canada)
Running time	96 minutes
Country	Canada
Language	French
Budget	C$800,000 (estimated)
Box office	C$932,803

I Killed My Mother (French: J'ai tué ma mère) is a 2009 French Canadian film written and directed by Xavier Dolan. It is an exposé on the complexity of the mother and son bond. The film attracted international press attention when it won three awards from the Director's Fortnight program at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. After being shown, the film received an eight-minute standing ovation.

It was shown in 12 theatres in Quebec and 60 in France.

Plot

The film begins with Hubert Minel (Xavier Dolan) giving a black and white monologue explaining how he loves his mother but can’t stand being her son; he also reveals that when he was younger things were better between them.

Hubert is a 16-year-old Québécois living in suburban Montreal with his single mother, Chantale (Anne Dorval), who divorced Hubert's father, Richard, when he was younger. Hubert barely sees his father and this adds to the animosity between mother and son. Driving him to school one morning an argument starts about Chantale applying make up whilst driving, the argument ends when Chantale stops the car and tells him to walk to school. At school Hubert claims to his teacher, Ms Cloutier that his mother is dead. After the teacher finds out that it is a lie, she expresses this lie as "you killed your mother". This inspires Hubert to write an essay for school titled "I killed my mother".

Later in the film Hubert's friend Antonin (François Arnaud) is revealed to be his boyfriend, but Hubert has not told his mother and she finds out from Antonin's mother, who thought she knew. Chantale, to some extent, accepts his homosexuality; however she appears hurt that her son didn't tell her. Hubert wants to live in his own apartment, and is happy that his mother says it is a good idea, but the next day she has changed her mind and does not allow it, she thinks he is too young. Their relationship continues to deteriorate and Hubert goes to live with his boyfriend. His father Richard invites him over however once there Richard and Chantale tell Hubert they've decided to send him to a boarding school in Coaticook. Hubert is deeply angered that his father makes the decision being as Hubert only see his father at Christmas and Easter.

At the Catholic boarding school Hubert meets Eric (Niels Schneider), with whom he has an affair. Eric invites Hubert to go to a nightclub with the other students, where they kiss and Hubert takes speed. He takes the Metro home, wakes his mother, and has an emotional conversion with her. The next morning, she sends Hubert back to the boarding school.

Back at the school Hubert is beaten by two fellow students. Hubert runs away with the help of Antonin who has borrowed his mother's car, on the journey Antonin tells Hubert that he is selfish and only cares about himself. The school's principal calls Chantale to inform her of the developments as well revealing the note Hubert left; saying he will be "In his Kingdom". The principal also begins to lecture Chantale which causes her to have an angry outburst at him, saying how he thinks he's better than her and who he has no right to judge a single mother. Chantale knows exactly where Hubert's "Kingdom" is; the house he lived as a child with both his parents and indeed Hubert and Antonin are there. Chantale sits next Hubert overlooking the beach. The film ends with a home movie clip of Hubert as a child playing with his mother.

Cast

• Xavier Dolan as Hubert Minel
• Anne Dorval as Chantale Lemming, Hubert's mother
• Suzanne Clément as Julie Cloutier, Hubert's teacher
• François Arnaud as Antonin Rimbaud, Hubert's boyfriend
• Niels Schneider as Éric, a boy at the boarding school
• Patricia Tulasne as Hélène Rimbaud, Antonin's mother
• Pierre Chagnon as Richard Minel, Hubert's father
• Monique Spaziani as Denise, Chantale's friend
• Benoît Gouin as Principal Nadeau, the boarding school principal

Production

Anne Dorval, François Arnaud, and Xavier Dolan on stage for a Q&A at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival.

Dolan wrote the script when he was 16 years old. He said in an interview with French Canadian newspaper Le Soleil that the film was in part an autobiography.

The film was at first financed by Dolan, but when need for more money arose, he asked both Téléfilm and the SODEC for subsidies. Both turned him down for different reasons. SODEC, who had loved the project but refused to finance it because it was submitted to a too commercial department, encouraged Dolan to submit it again in more appropriate "indie" department, which he did. In December 2008, SODEC gave him a $400,000 subsidy. In all, the film cost around C$800,000. Dolan said that the system to acquire funding is "[...] an obsolete financing mechanism that holds the creative assets of Quebec hostage."

Awards and accolades

Dolan won three awards at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival:

• C.I.C.A.E. Award
• Prix Regards Jeune
• SACD Prize (Directors' Fortnight)

And other awards from different festival on the international circuit:

• Zagreb Film Festival Award (2009)
• International Film Festival Rotterdam Moviesquad Award (2009)
• Golden Puffin, Reykjavik International Film Festival (RIFF)
• Grand Prix, 2MORROW (Moscow)
• Jury Prize for Best Canadian Film, Vancouver International Film Festival
• Best Canadian Actor (Xavier Dolan), Best Canadian Supporting Actor (François Arnaud), Best Canadian Director (Xavier Dolan), Best Canadian Film, Vancouver Film Critics Circle

On September 22, 2009, Telefilm announced the film had been selected as Canada's submission for Best Foreign Language film at the 82nd Academy Awards. The film also won the Claude Jutra Award for best feature film by a first-time director at the 30th Genie Awards.

External links

• I Killed My Mother at the Internet Movie Database