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Beginners Details

FULL SYNOPSIS

Oliver (Ewan McGregor) is an illustrator with a history of failed relationships. Growing up, he spent much of his time with his eccentric mother, Georgia (Mary Page Keller), while his father, Hal (Christopher Plummer), supported the arts as the curator of a local museum. Though Oliver's parents never divorced, as a young boy he always sensed a distance between them -- a distance, Oliver discovers following his mother's death years later, that resulted from the fact that his father had lived most of his life as a closeted homosexual. With his wife gone and his son grown up, 75-year-old Hal decides to finally embrace his sexuality and takes a young boyfriend (Goran Visnjic). When Hal's health takes a turn for the worse, Oliver steps up to care for him while recalling quiet conversations and eventful trips to the museum with his unpredictable mother -- a dyed-in-the-wool eccentric. Gradually, Oliver begins to see his father in a whole new light. Later, Oliver falls for pretty French actress Anna (Mélanie Laurent) after a chance meeting at a costume party. The more intimate Oliver and Anna become, the more they both realize they share one defining character flaw -- the moment any relationship turns serious, they run away. For Oliver it means shutting himself in and obsessing over his work; for Anna it's as easy as checking into another empty hotel room in yet another strange city -- one of the perks, as it were, of having an itinerant job. After moving in together, the dysfunctional couple realizes that overcoming their hard-wired relationship issues is more difficult than either of them expected. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

  • Release date:June 17, 2011

Awards

Awarded by
Nominee
Category
Year
Status
Screen Actors Guild Christopher Plummer Best Supporting Actor 2011 Winner
British Academy of Film and Television Arts Christopher Plummer Best Supporting Actor 2011 Winner
Hollywood Foreign Press Association Christopher Plummer Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture 2011 Winner
National Board of Review Christopher Plummer Best Supporting Actor 2011 Winner
Detroit Film Critics Society Christopher Plummer Best Supporting Actor 2011 Winner
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Christopher Plummer Best Supporting Actor 2011 Winner
Independent Spirit Awards Christopher Plummer Best Supporting Male 2011 Winner
L.A. Film Critics Association Christopher Plummer Best Supporting Actor 2011 Winner
Broadcast Film Critics Association Christopher Plummer Best Supporting Actor 2011 Nominee
National Society of Film Critics Christopher Plummer Best Supporting Actor 2011 Nominee
Detroit Film Critics Society Mike Mills Best Screenplay 2011 Nominee
Independent Spirit Awards Mike Mills Best Director 2011 Nominee
Independent Spirit Awards Mike Mills Best Screenplay 2011 Nominee

Cast

Ewan McGregor
as Oliver
Christopher Plummer
as Hal
Mélanie Laurent
as Anna
Goran Visnjic
as Andy
Kai Lennox
as Elliot
Mary Page Keller
as Georgia
Keegan Boos
as Young Oliver
China Shavers
as Shauna
Melissa Tang
as Liz
Lou Taylor Pucci
as Magician
Jodi Long
as Dr. Flaster
Bruce French
as Dr. Wright
Michael Chieffo
as Hal's Priest
Rodney Saulsberry
as 1978 Museum Staff
June Sanders
as 1978 Fancy Woman
Catherine McGoohan
as 1978 Older Woman
Patrick Birkett
as Hal Look-Alike
Jose Yenque
as Robert
Charly Valentino
as The Primetimers

Crew

Mike Mills
Director
Lars Knudsen
Producer
Jay Van Hoy
Producer
Leslie Urdang
Producer
Dean Vanech
Producer
Miranda de Pencier
Producer
Mike Mills
Screenwriter
Brian Reitzell
Composer (Music Score)
Roger Neill
Composer (Music Score)
Robin Urdang
Musical Direction/Supervision
Olivier Bugge Coutté
Editor
Fran Giblin
Co-producer
Geoff Linville
Co-producer
Joan Scheckel
Executive Producer
Paul Timothy Carden
Sound/Sound Designer
Leslie Shatz
Sound/Sound Designer
Jim Ridgley
Sound Mixer
Nicole Daniels
Casting
Cynthia Nibler
Properties Master
Ginger Damon
Hair Styles
Leslie Shatz
Re-Recording Mixer
Fran Giblin
Unit Production Manager
Justin Barber
Visual Effects
Nancy MacLeod
Sound Effects Editor
Joe Roddey
Second Assistant Director
Drew Kilcoin
First Assistant Editor
Susumu Tokunow
Production Sound Mixer
Frances Mathias
Department Head Hair
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