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Directed by Amnon Buchbinder
MATURE CONTENT. PARENTAL DISCRETION ADVISED. Emerson Thorsen, 13, lives with his parents in their eco-home in the wilds of Nova Scotia. He’s just completed writing and illustrating his first book, all 1000 pages of it. Meanwhile, the home-schooled youth can barely add 2 + 2, so his mother enrolls him in the local junior high. There, Emerson’s 42-year-old English teacher, Don Grant, has settled into a life of perpetual adolescence, paying regular visits to a park restroom for who knows what. In the classroom, Emerson stirs things up. Surprisingly, Don sees a bit of himself reflected in Emerson. Emerson, initially scornful of his teacher, soon develops his first crush on Don. The precociously confident boy, raised in a household of casual nudity and openness, throws himself into this awakening of his heart with dangerous abandon. This is going to be a Whole New Thing. For everyone. Canada /
92 min.
 “  Wonderful! Enormously
compelling! Buchbinder’s
direction creates a tremendous sense of location and adolescent
awkwardness that blossoms beautifully during the picture.”Brian Orndorf, eFILMCRITIC.COM “ The
indie dramedy WHOLE NEW THING mixes characters (teen
and adult, gay and straight, married and single)
who seem both completely plausible
and capable of anything.”Kyle Smith, THE NEW YORK POST “ Original
and memorable!”EYE WEEKLY “ Genuine
depth and wit...fully alive and contemporary... it
gives one hope.” METRO DAILY “ This
smart film unfolds beautifully as an idealistic family
deals with a reality that is anything but ideal!”Matt Rauscher, INSTINCT MAGAZINE “To its enormous credit, the movie remains on high ground. It recognizes that growing pains don’t inevitably lead to scandal and catastrophe. They are discomforts to be endured for as long as they last. If you’re lucky, they can also be valuable learning experiences.” Stephen Holden, THE NEW YORK TIMES “Director Amnon Buchbinder and co-writer Daniel MacIvor engage the audience with nuance and complexities of character. Well-written and well-acted!” Kevin Thomas, LOS ANGELES TIMES “The film features subtle, honest performances by Daniel MacIvor (who also cowrote the screenplay) as the perplexed prof and engaging newcomer Aaron Webber as the sensitive student. Puts a fresh spin on the theme of adolescent sexual awakening. Highly recommended!” Albert Williams, CHICAGO READER “Engaging, entertaining, and refreshing!” Lawrence Ferber, IN LA Magazine “One of the most compelling, warm and human films in recent memory!” Filethirteen.com “A sweet film with a winning charm.” Gary Kramer, SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES “Sharp and fresh!” David Noh, FILM JOURNAL “Quite well done! Enjoyable and engaging!” Jean Oppenheimer, VILLAGE VOICE MEDIA “Buchbinder handles its delicate scenes with a careful grace and a fidelity to naturalism. Webber does a fine job, turning in a surprising nuanced performance and truly inhabiting his character. He and the compelling MacIvor are the clear standouts.” Christopher Wallenberg, NEW YORK BLADE “Daniel MacIvor, who co-wrote the script, does a wonderful job as Grant, the lonely teacher who struggles to stay professional.” Rafer Guzman, NY NEWSDAY “Touching. Perceptive.” Bill Stamets, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES “Fresh and vibrant! Effective and engaging!” Joe Horton, CAMPUS CIRCLE "The real heart of the film is in the finely drawn adult characters: the father who's grown isolated in his idealism; the mother who can no longer reconcile his ideals with the reality of her life; and the teacher who decided long ago that he was meant to be alone but who, thanks to his new student, has begun to have second thoughts.” Ken Fox, TV GUIDE “Watching writer/director Amnon Buchbinder’s genuine characters muddle through was a pleasure and worth every minute.” Gregg Shapiro, OUTLOOK WEEKLY “A good-natured take on the idiosyncrasies of that baffling period before growth becomes commensurate with maturity.” Michael Koresky, INDIEWIRE.COM “Not your average teen movie. The entire drama unfolds with the sense that these are real people living real lives, not facile movie fictions. The cast is uniformly excellent, but (Aaron) Webber in his first feature role is a stand out, delivering a subtle performance that offers a fully realized portrayal of a smart, sensitive, confused, and sometimes bratty and obnoxious youth.” Pam Grady, REEL.COM “For couples in need of some relationship first aid, and even as a date movie for liberal singles, ‘Whole New Thing’ might be just what the doctor ordered. It shows respect for open communications and differing life styles and lets the audience in on diverse feelings and ways of acting them out.” Ron Wilkinson, MONSTERSANDCRITICS.COM “(Aaron) Webber does a fine job, turning in a surprisingly nuanced performance and truly inhabiting his character.” Christopher Wallenberg, THE NEW YORK BLADE “WHOLE NEW THING develops its story slowly and carefully, nearly always opting for the plausible over the sensational. It isn't subtle, but it's appealingly assured and aware of its limits, like a precisely written short story.” Noel Murray, THE ONION “Fresh and funny!” NATIONAL POST “Cleverly observed, with lots of terrific dialogue!” Ken Eisner, THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT “The film belongs to young (Aaron) Webber and his impressive performance. The actor projects an intelligence rarely seen amongst performers his age.” Ron Henriques, LATINOREVIEW.COM “With intelligence and dramatic weight, the movie delves deeply into rites of passage felt by all gay-inclined teens. A solid ninety-minute diversion!” Randy Shulman, METRO WEEKLY “Compelling! A welcome escape from weekly blockbuster mayhem and well worth exploring.” MOVIEJUNGLE.com “Amazing! An original, sometimes funny, well-written, believable coming-of-age movie. Whole New Thing is a whole new thing when it comes to cinema!” THE REVEWS PAGE .COM   Director
& actor interviews Theatrical
trailer Coming
attractions Scene
selections 5.1
& 2.0 stereo sound Photo
gallery Closed-captioned Optional
Spanish subtitles
 2006
Brisbane International Film Festival (Australia) 2006
Reel Affirmations Film Festival (Washington D.C.) 2006
Rhode Island International Film Festival 2006
Temecula Valley International Film & Music
Festival 2006
Austin Film Festival 2006
Ybor Festival of the Moving Image 2006
Palm Springs International Film Festival 2006
Seattle International Film Festival 2006
Victoria Independent Film/Video Festival 2006
Gotëborg Film Festival 2006
Commonwealth Film Festival (Manchester) 2006
New Zealand International Film Festivals 2006
Museum of Modern Art (Canadian Front) 2006
Cinequest Film Festival 2006
Cleveland International Film Festival 2006
Rio de Janeiro Int’l Film Festival 2006
Black Nights Film Festival (Tallinn, Estonia) 2006
Verzaubert Int’l Queer Film Festival
(Germany) 2006
Reykjavik International Film Festival 2005
Toronto International Film Festival 2005
Atlantic Film Festival (Nova Scotia) 2005
Cinéfest Sudbury International Film
Festival 2005
Calgary International Film Festival 2005
Edmonton International Film Festival 2005
Vancouver International Film Festival CNC
Canadian Film Festival |
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