DAY FIVE November 7, 2005

by Telly Davidson

Starring a Montreal-based cast including Michel Cole, Danielle Proulx, Marc-Andre Grondin and Pierre-Luc Brillant, it tells the story of a "typically unique" Quebec family with five sons, as seen through the eyes of the black-sheep fourth one, Zac (Grondin). At first, the household might seem like something out of Central Casting--the blustery yet lovable dad, the mom with a heart of gold, the bespectacled brainiac, the jock, the little kid, the artist, the substance abuser. But the storys strength is how it introduces these sitcom stereotypes only to then subtly shatter them--ultimately making for an involving, bittersweet film.

November 7, at 7:00 p.m., and November 8 at 3:30 p.m.--was a labor of love for Vallée . "I was talking to a friend of my ex-wifes named Francois Boulay, and he was telling me about his brothers and family, and how and why his father finally came to accept his alternative lifestyle," Vallée relates. "What he was telling me was as touching and gripping as any film I could remember. I told him to write down all of his memories, thoughts and experiences that he could recall."

"Three months later, I woke up to find a 100-page parcel of random memories that Francois had put down on paper," Vallée continues. "It was everything Id hoped for--it was funny, touching, real and authentic. From that raw material, I took four years part-time and one year full-time to write the script. Although it was primarily based on Francois childhood, a lot of it came from my own background, too. I was raised in a very Catholic household, and my mother thought that the birthmark on the back of my head was a sign from God that I was chosen for great things."

"Zac, our main character, feels different, but he doesnt want to be different, because he fears that he would lose the thing that is most important to him--the love of his father. He so respects his fathers work ethic, his strength, his masculinity, he would literally rather die than disappoint him. What Zac finally realizes is that even if he does will himself to go straight, his different perceptions of life will not and cannot change. C.R.A.Z.Y. isnt so much a coming out story as it is a coming-of-age love story between a father and son."

C.R.A.Z.Y. boasts noticeably high production values and period detail. "We really sweated blood to make this movie," Vallée recalls. "I was down to paying bills on my credit card and living off my savings at the end. We did the movie with $7 million Canadian (about $4-5 million US). But it was worth it. The whole cast felt that this was their own personal story, that it belonged especially to them."

That sense of ownership came in part from the casting. "I didnt want to use any name actors from the US or Canada," Vallée continues. "I wanted the film to have the dirt and grit and sweat of a real lower-middle-class household-- not to look like some cute period piece or a rerun of THAT 70s SHOW. We wanted it to be nuanced, subtle and playful--to be dramatic without being melodramatic-- and to maintain its suspense and ambiguity until the very end."

Vallée says that the filmmakers who most inspired him growing up were the "directors who used a lot of music in their films. For me, the music is another character. When Zac sings along with David Bowie or Pink Floyd or Mick Jagger, its almost like a prayer for him. Why am I different?

What do you want from me, God?" He cites the films of Hal Ashby, Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson and Cameron Crowe as his primary sources of parallel inspiration. "When youre sitting in a darkened theatre, the imagery, the sound effects and the camera angles are so powerful," Vallée says with a smile. "I want to explore the medium and have fun with it."

When asked whats next on his agenda, Vallée says that hes looking into adapting a book, but understandably doesnt want to jinx the deal by saying too much about the tome or its author. "My next project isnt about a family in Quebec, but I do see it as a sequel to C.R.A.Z.Y., spiritually and emotionally."

As for what he would say to AFI FESTs next generation of writers and directors out there, slaving away on their mini-masterpieces, Vallée offers, "I think the most precious advice is to try to connect with who and what you are, and use that to tell your story. For me, personal stories make the best films. We all have something in our life--or in the life of someone close to us--that is worth telling. If you find what it is, it will be unique and original, because it belongs to you."

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