Little Criminals (film)
| Little Criminals | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Stephen Surjik |
| Produced by |
Phil Savath Barbara Kelly |
| Written by | Dennis Foon |
| Starring |
Brendan Fletcher Myles Ferguson |
| Music by | Fred Mollin |
Release dates | 1995 |
Running time | 91 min. |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
Little Criminals is a 1995 Canadian film. It was directed by Stephen Surjik. The film was shot in Vancouver in the spring of 1995. The camerawork is mostly done hand-held and at eye level for a more realistic feeling.
Plot
The story is mainly about an eleven-year-old child named Des. Des and his friends engage in a variety of illegal activities including vandalism, stealing, lighting fires, mugging people and using drugs. In Canada, the age of criminal responsibility is twelve. Des takes advantage of this law because he knows that the police cannot charge him because of his young age.
When Des meets Cory, they become good friends and start a crime spree, feeling like nothing can stop them. Eventually, Des's mother admits she can't handle her child, and Des ends up in an assessment centre for troubled children. In the centre he meets Rita, a psychologist who tries to understand Des's motivations, and over time gets some positive results on his behaviour. But when Rita informs Des that they are trying to find him a foster home, Des flees as soon as his friend Cory visits him. They both want to get out of the city and plan to rob Chet, the local dealer. During the robbery, Des accidentally kills Chet and threatens Cory. In the end, Cory is afraid for Des and wants nothing more to do with him. Des, still on the run because of his escape, goes to his home, sets the house on fire, and conceals himself in his personal hideout, the closet drawing and falls asleep as the house is on fire.
Characters
- Des - (Brendan Fletcher) The troubled kid who leads the gang of little criminals
- Cory - (Myles Ferguson) Des's best friend
- House - (Adam Harrison) Part of the gang
- Sam - (Jordan Clarke)
- Jamal - (London Sam Baergen)
- Nick - (John Nguyen)
- Tak - (Loc Vo)
- Vince - (Randy Hughson) Stepfather of Cory
- Rita - (Mimi Kuzyk) A psychologist who tries to understand Des
- Clarke - (Dwight McFee)
- Chet - (Jed Rees) Dealer who buys stolen goods and sells drugs to kids
- Kostash - (Callum Keith Rennie) Officer
- Judy - (Sonia Norris)
- Nonny - (Keely Purvis)
Awards
- Gemini Awards: Best Picture Editing in a Dramatic Program or Series (Alison Grace)
- Gemini Awards: Best Writing in a Dramatic Program (Dennis Foon)
- Geneva Cinéma Tout Ecran: Stephen Surjik
- Leo Awards: Best Actor (Brendan Fletcher)
- Leo Awards: Best Editing in a Picture (Alison Grace)
- Leo Awards: Best Production Design in a Picture (Lawrence Collett)
- Leo Awards: Best Screenwriter of a Picture (Dennis Foon)
- Writers Guild of Canada Award: Dennis Foon
Nominations
- Gemini Awards: Best Direction in a Dramatic Program (Stephen Surjik)
- Gemini Awards: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program (Brendan Fletcher)
- Gemini Awards: Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program (Mimi Kuzyk)
- Gemini Awards: Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program (Sabrina Grdevich)
- Gemini Awards: Best Photography in a Dramatic Program or Series (Stephen Reizes)
- Gemini Awards: Best Production Design or Art Direction (Lawrence Collett)
- Gemini Awards: Best Sound in a Dramatic Program or Series (Hans Fousek, Paul A. Sharpe, Bill Moore, Jacqueline Cristianini, Dean Giammarco, Anke Bakker)
- Gemini Awards: Best TV Movie (Phil Savath)
- Leo Awards: Best Director of a Picture (Stephen Surjik)
- Leo Awards: Best Picture (Phil Savath)
External links
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