During my busy yet incredibly lazy weekend I had the pleasure of watching a really fantastic movie featured by the Ellensburg Film Festival. While it was a little bit of a drive to get to the show it was definitely worth it.



The film that I chose to see was "Starbuck" (2011) directed by Ken Scott starring Patrick Huard. I walked in about 2 minutes late (see drive time above) and let me tell you. I had a flash of "oh shit is this the wrong movie??" because I had no idea it was all going to be in French!! Good thing I'm learning French so I was able to understand.... NONE of it. But it makes sense. This movie had to be in French. Because it's from Quebec. And the French was 20% of why it was so good- not because French is awesome, but because this movie would not have had the same rhythm and vibe if it were in another language. Before I went to the festival, I read a super short description of a man who donates a ton of sperm and now his kids want to know who he is. I can honestly say I had no idea what it was that made me decide I want to go see this but I liked the name and I thought it'd be cute. Obviously my movie choosing method is really in depth and thorough...

You can read all about the details on the Wikipedia page (click on the link above) but whatever you read, this movie has very little to do with a man who has fathered 533 children as a sperm donor and more to do with a very human way of dealing with things that seemed like a good idea at the time... or maybe not even a "good" idea, just- an idea.

"Starbuck" gives the viewers a glimpse of what it means to be connected in the most random ways and what it makes a family. Sounds corny, huh. But how many movies have you seen where "family" refers to 533 people who were created by a man who wanked himself into a cup? And even better, 142 of those people find each other and form a family bonded by one question- who is our father; who is Starbuck?  David thoughtlessly says to one of his foundling sons "I have a real family you know" and the son's curt retort is "and what are we then?" This man who doesn't have the maturity to keep his own life in order is also the father that 142 people seek to meet and understand. He has been part of their family the whole lives of the children as the person who gave them life but none of these offspring were anything to David beyond the $35 dollars received and spent. Does that make them less than family? How does that work? With the one connecting factor as Starbuck, 142 people who were strangers living completely separate lives and all of those intimately involved in David's "real" life come together and form a ginormous family. It was beautiful. It made me think "how far really, is the degree of separation between us all as strangers and loved ones?" One random common factor can take anybody in the world from being an unknown existence in our lives to someone we someday cherish closest to our hearts. And as weighty as that sounds, this movie was hilarious. For these two reasons "Starbuck" gets a 10.

Plus, the cast was brilliant. And real. Maybe I'm just not used to Canadian cinema but I was surprised at how well the wit was integrated into the plot. None of those random one-liners that make you think "wow the writer must have heard this somewhere and was dying to make this work somewhere in the script." Patrick Huard was great. I wish he spoke English so my love for him could have even one less degree of separation (but no worries there Huard, I am learning the French!!)  Antoine Bertrand does the token best friend beautifully with a purpose in the film as something other than "lead's best friend with quirky pips."

I cannot imagine this film in any other language or setting. I stress this again because I've just read now that this film will be done in a Bollywood version as well as a Dreamworks version starring Vince Vaughn. Why? Can't this movie be left as it is and appreciated as it was made? Any american version of this movie will remove all quaintness from the storyline and what will remain is another giant penis joke as America is good for. Why go there? That's like trying to remake Amélie. Why. Go. There? I leave you with the trailer below and the hope that you'll watch the film. Then tell me if this movie can be done any better.