Cinema
Good Riddance
Les bons débarras
Francis Mankiewicz · 1980
Synopsis
The Laurentians, in autumn. Manon, thirteen, lives in an isolated, run-down house with her mother Michelle and her uncle Guy, an alcoholic weakened by meningitis; the family lives off firewood sold to the holiday homes. Manon wants to be the only one who matters to her mother. She reads Wuthering Heights, lies, schemes, and goes after the men who hover around Michelle: Maurice, the policeman who is her lover, and Gaétan, the mechanic.
Context
The film was shot in the autumn, over seven weeks, for about six hundred thousand dollars, and was released in February 1980, after a premiere in Berlin. Its screenplay was Ducharme's first, a novelist who never appears in public, and he rewrote it following the filmmaker's suggestions. The cinematography is by Michel Brault, a major figure of direct cinema. A 4K restoration, made by Éléphant and Quebecor in 2013, was shown at the Lumière festival in Lyon in 2014.
Who it is for
One hour fifty-four minutes, in Quebec French; the child character shows a harshness that never wavers.
Prizes and reception
Eight Genie Awards, including those for best film and best direction; chosen by La Presse as the best Quebec film.
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