The Tic Code
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| The Tic Code | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | Gary Winick |
| Produced by | Polly Draper Michael Wolff Karen Tangorra Midge Sanford Sarah Pillsbury Larry Meistrich |
| Written by | Polly Draper |
| Starring | Polly Draper Christopher George Marquette Gregory Hines |
| Music by | Michael Wolff Alex Foster |
| Cinematography | Wolfgang Held |
| Editing by | Bill Pankow Kate Sanford Henk Van Eeghen |
| Distributed by | Avalanche Releasing |
| Release date(s) | 1998 February 1999 2000 |
| Running time | 91 min |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
The Tic Code is an award-winning 1998-2000[1] independent romantic-musical-drama film starring Christopher George Marquette, Polly Draper and Gregory Hines.[2][3][4] The film is about a boy and an African American man, which they both struggle from a neurological disorder known as Tourette syndrome as they learn together to deal with their condition through jazz music—which they're both very good at. As well as, the relationship between the man and the boy's mother.
The Tic Code was released direct to video.
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[edit] Plot
The film tells the story of a young boy,[5] Miles Caraday (Marquette), a jazz piano prodigy who has Tourette syndrome; and his divorced mother Laura Caraday (Draper).[6] Miles has a school friend, Todd (Desmond Robertson) who seems not to bothered by Miles' condition. Miles wants to become a jazz pianist against the wishes of his classical-oriented instructor Miss Gimpole (Carol Kane).[7] To make matters worse, he gets bullied by a kid in his class, Denny Harley (Robert Iler).[8]
Miles becomes friends with a jazz saxophonist, Tyrone Pike (Hines) at a local nightspot, who also has Tourette's, but who has learned to cover it up.[9]
Tyrone tells Denny "the bully" that the reason why he and Miles tic is:[10]
| “ | Tyrone: Because we both know the code. Denny: Code, what code? Tyrone: The tic code. Denny: So you and Miles made this whole thing up? Tyrone: No, the C.I.A. did, a lot of people know about it now. |
” |
Tyrone doesn't like to talk about Tourette's which becomes a problem when Laura and Tyrone start dating.
An argument between Laura and Tyrone:
| “ | Laura: It's not odd that I want to talk to you about it every once in a while, my god I watched my son be humiliated by it for years and tomorrow is a very big day for him, father to son half the humiliating, so yes it's on my mind. Tyrone: What are you going to do Laura, just find more people with tics then me. I heard there was a baseball player who's got them. Why don't you take him to some ball game!?! Laura: Cut it out. Tyrone: Jazz clubs, baseball games, you'll sit through anything won't you, until you're going to eventually discuss your favorite topic! Laura: My favorite topic! Tyrone: If it wasn't for Miles and his tics, you would never leave this fucking apartment! Laura: Stop yelling at me. Stop insulting me. I'm sorry I brought it up. I'm sorry you don't like to talk about it, but I have a little boy coming home from school everyday calling himself a weirdo and I can't help it, but be sorriest about that! Tyrone: Well let me pull your coat to something Laura, he is right people like me and Miles are weirdoes and the sooner he realizes it the better! Laura: You know what Tyrone, you can call your self anything you like, but while you're in my house don't you ever talk that way about my son again. Tyrone: Fine! |
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[edit] Background/production
The film's screenplay was written by Polly Draper (star of ABC's drama series, thirtysomething and the creator/executive producer/writer/director of the Nickelodeon series, The Naked Brothers Band) and her husband—jazz musician Michael Wolff (band-leader/musical director of The Arsenio Hall Show and a cast member/music supervisor/co-executive producer of The Naked Brothers Band series)—contibuted the score; Wolff and Draper, also produced the film. Wolff has Tourette's and the script was loosely based on his life.[11][12]
[edit] Awards and mention
In 1998, Gary Winick (the director of the film) won the Audience Award for Most Popular Feature at the Hamptons International Film Festival, while Mario Grigorov won the Audience Award for Special Recognition. Durn that same year, Polly Draper won the Bronze Gryphon award for Best Actress at the Giffoni Film Festival, while Christopher George Marquette won the Bronze Gryphon award for Best Actor. Lastly in 1999, Gary Winick won the Cyrstal Bear award for Best Feature Film at the Berlin International Film Festival.[13]
[edit] Cast
| Cast | Role |
|---|---|
| Christopher George Marquette | Miles Caraday – young jazz piano prodigy |
| Polly Draper | Laura Caraday – single mother |
| Gregory Hines | Tyrone Pike – jazz saxophonist; Laura's boyfriend/Miles' role model |
| Desmond Robertson | Todd – Miles' friend |
| Carol Kane | Miss Gimpole – Miles' musical instructor/teacher |
| Robert Iler | Denny Harley – Bully |
| Bill Nunn | Kingston – Bar tender |
| Tony Shalhoub | Phil - Bar tender |
| Camryn Manheim | Mrs. Lily Swensrut – One of Laura's customers |
| Michael Wolff | Sound Engineer #2 |
| James McCaffrey | Michael Caraday – Laura's X-husband |
[edit] Crew
| Crew | Role |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Gary Winick |
| Written by | Polly Draper (Screenplay) |
| Produced by | Polly Draper Michael Wolff Karen Tangorra Midge Sanford Sarah Pillsbury Larry Meistrich |
| Co-Produced by | Robert Salerno Paulette Bartlett |
| Executive Produced by | Steve Sherman Bob Van Ronkel |
| Line Produced by | Diana D. Schmidt |
| Music by | Michael Wolff (Composer/Piano) Alex Foster (Saxophone) |
| Music Supervised by | Barry Cole |
| Director of Photography | Wolfgang Held |
| Editing by | Bill Pankow Kate Sanford Hank Van Eeghen |
[edit] References
- ^ The release date for The Tic Code is unclear. The New York Times on The Tic Code biography, Reel.com, and Science in the Cinema all report the release date as 1998, while IMDb, and The New York Times on The Naked Brothers Band article all report it as 1999. Lastly: Rotten Tomatoes, Yahoo! Movies, Variety, PopMatters, EW.com, report it all as 2000. The confusion may be that it could've been released in Italy, 1998; The United States, 1999; and New York in 2000.
The film was released in 1998:- Deming, Mark. "The Tic Code Biography", All Movie Guide, The New York Times.
- Grady, Pam. The Tic Code (1998). Reel.com.
- Science in The Cinema. Science in the Cinema 2001.
- The Tic Code (1999). IMDb.
- Lee, Felicia R.. "A TV Family Bound by Blood and a Band", The New York Times.
- The Tic Code (2000). Lions Gate Films.
- The Tic Code (2000). Yahoo! Movies.
- "The Tic Code - 2000", Variety.
- Fuchs, Cynthia. "The Tic Code (2000, Lions Gate", PopMatters.
- Fretts, Bruce. The Tic Code (2000, Universal). EW.com.
- ^ SPRING FILMS/THE LINEUP; Looking for Love, Among Other Things - New York Times
- ^ The Tic Code (1998)
- ^ The Tic Code (2000) - Movie Info - Yahoo! Movies
- ^ The age of the character Miles Caraday, played by Christopher George Marquette is unclear. Variety, The New York Times and IMDb report the character age as 10, while the San Francisco Chronicle, Village Voice, Chicago Sun-Times and Rotten Tomatoes report it as 12. The confusion may be because Marquette was 12 at the time he played the role, according to the Associated Press and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
Miles Caraday is a 10-year-old:- The Tic Code (1999). IMDb. Retrieved on 2007-11-17.
- Eisner, Ken. "The Tic Code", Variety, March 22, 1999. Retrieved on 2007-11-11.
- Holden, Stephen. "Even Afflicted Children Have Tantrums", New York Times, August 4, 2000. Retrieved on 2007-11-11.
- The Tic Code. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved on 2007-11-17.
- Graham, Bob. "'The Tic Code' Is Full of Surprises: Jazz offers outlet for Tourette's", San Francisco Chronicle, September 1, 2000. Retrieved on 2007-11-11.
- Taubin, Amy. "Primal Screen. Raging Bull; The Tic Code", The Village Voice, August 2–8, 2000. Retrieved on 2007-11-11.
- Williams, Kevin M. "'Tic Code' gets all jazzed up with nowhere to go", Chicago Sun-Times, FindArticles.com, September 1, 2000. Retrieved on 2007-11-11.
- Grygiel, Chris. "'Tic Code' plods like a metronome", Associated Press, Daily News, September 15, 2000. Retrieved on 2007-11-11.
- Nechak, Paula. "Acting and good intentions fail to crack uneven 'Tic Code'", Seattle Post-Intelligencer, September 4, 2000. Retrieved on 2007-11-11.
- ^ The Tic Code - Trailer - Cast - Showtimes - The New York Times
- ^ The Tic Code (1999) - Plot summary
- ^ The Robert Iler Picture Pages
- ^ The Tic Code - Entertainment, Gregory Hines, Fairfield County - baltimoresun.com
- ^ DVD Verdict Review - The Tic Code
- ^ Anderson, Brett. "Playing It Backward: Musician's Medical Disorder May Be a Grace Note", The Washington Post, June 8, 2001, p. C01. "Wolff's diagnosis might have remained a family secret had Draper not decided to write a screenplay loosely based on his life. [...] Bruce Lundvall, the president of Blue Note Records, has called "The Tic Code" the best jazz movie since "Round Midnight." The film even succeeds in linking its two subjects by exploring the idea that Tourette's isn't an entirely bad thing, particularly if you happen to be a jazz musician."
- ^ TSA Family Portrait: Jazz Musician Michael Wolff (PDF). Tourette Syndrome Association (Fall 1998). Retrieved on 2007-11-11.
- ^ IMDb.com. Awards for The Tic Code (1999). Retrieved on 2006-06-10.
[edit] External links
- The Tic Code at the Internet Movie Database
- Lee, Felicia R. "A TV Family Bound By Blood and a Band", The New York Times, January 25, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-11-08.
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