Starbuck (film)
| Starbuck | |
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| Directed by | Ken Scott |
| Produced by | André Rouleau |
| Written by | Martin Petit Ken Scott |
| Starring | Patrick Huard Antoine Bertrand Julie LeBreton |
| Distributed by | Caramel Films |
| Release date(s) |
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| Running time | 109 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | French |
| Budget | $6 million (CAD) |
| Box office | $3,455,025 (Canada)[1] |
Starbuck is a 2011 Canadian comedy film directed by Ken Scott and written by Martin Petit and Ken Scott.[2] It stars Patrick Huard (Bon Cop, Bad Cop). It was the most successful Quebec-made movie within the province in 2011, bringing in $3,399,338 in box office revenue for the year.[3] The film's title refers to a Canadian Holstein bull who produced hundreds of thousands of progeny by artificial insemination in the 1980s and 1990s.[4]
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Plot [edit]
In a 1988 prologue, David (Patrick Huard) is at a Quebec sperm bank making a donation. Twenty-three years later, he's a hapless deliveryman for his family's butcher shop, pursued by thugs who he owes $80,000. His girlfriend Valérie (Julie LeBreton) is pregnant with his child.
One day he returns from work to find a lawyer from the sperm bank who tells him he had fathered 533 children. Of those, 142 have joined a class action lawsuit to force the fertility clinic to reveal the identity of "Starbuck", the alias he had used.
David's friend and lawyer (Antoine Bertrand) represents him as he tries to keep the records sealed. He provides David with profiles of each of parties to the lawsuit: David stalks them, finding moments for a random acts of kindness. He decides to identify himself, but after the thugs assault his father, he agrees with his lawyer to sue the sperm bank for damages. He wins the lawsuit: he receives $200,000 and keeps his identity a secret.
David has regrets, but after his father pays off his debt, David sends out an e-mail identifying himself. He goes to Valerie's house as she is going into premature labor. At the hospital his baby is born, he proposes to Valerie, and many of the children show up to see him.
Cast [edit]
- Patrick Huard stars as David
- Julie LeBreton as Valérie
- Antoine Bertrand as David's friend and lawyer
- Igor Ovadis as David's father, an immigrant from Poland.[4]
Reception [edit]
Starbuck was screened at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival on September 14 and 15, 2011,[5] where it was runner-up for the People's Choice Award.[6] The film was also chosen "Most Popular Canadian Film" at the 2011 Vancouver International Film Festival.[6]
In September 2011, Chris Knight, the chief film critic for the National Post, called it a "sparkling crowd-pleaser" based on a "ludicrous premise, sure. But Scott's pithy script (co-written by Martin Petit), linked to Huard's likeable layabout, makes the whole thing as easy to take as candy from a baby."[7]
Upon its November 2012 UK release, Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave it 
(two stars out of five), and called it a "lame comedy-drama" that loses "almost all the charm of the real story...through the contrivances and overacting."[8]
Remakes [edit]
In 2012, it was announced by La Presse that the movie rights had been sold to First Take Entertainment who created an Indian Bollywood version of the film named Vicky Donor.[3]
Director Ken Scott is working on an English version of the film, entitled The Delivery Man, which is being produced by Steven Spielberg and DreamWorks Pictures. Vince Vaughn has been cast as the lead.[9][10] DreamWorks through Disney's Touchstone Pictures brand will release the film in North America, Latin America, Russia, Australia and Asia, while Mister Smith Entertainment through Entertainment One will release the film in the UK and Benelux, Constantin Film will release the film in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Nordisk Film will release the film in Scandinavia and Italia Film will release the film in the Middle East.
References [edit]
- ^ Starbuck at Box Office Mojo
- ^ Smith, Ian Hayden (2012). International Film Guide 2012. p. 84. ISBN 978-1908215017.
- ^ a b Massé, Isabelle (January 4, 2012). "Starbuck renaîtra en Inde (Starbuck is reborn in India)". La Presse. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
- ^ a b Kelly, Brendan (July 27, 2011). "Fertile premise delivers laughs - and insight into fatherhood". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
- ^ "Starbuck, Ken Scott: Gala Presentations". Toronto International Film Festival. September 2011. Retrieved 2011-09-18.
- ^ a b "Starbuck is a crowd-pleasing comedy from Quebec". reelshorts.ca. November 22, 2011. Retrieved 2013-04-18.
- ^ Knight, Chris (September 22, 2011). "Film Review: Starbuck (3.5 stars)". National Post. Retrieved 2013-04-18.
- ^ Bradshaw, Peter (November 22, 2012). "Film Review: Starbuck (3.5 stars)". The Guardian. Retrieved 2013-04-18.
- ^ "Breakdown Express". Talentrep.breakdownexpress.com. Retrieved 2012-08-03.
- ^ "La Zone Audio • Vidéo". Radio-Canada.ca. Retrieved 2012-08-03.
External links [edit]
- Starbuck at the Internet Movie Database
