Booky's Crush
Encyclopedia
Booky's Crush is a 2009 Canadian made for TV drama film directed by Peter Moss. The screenplay
was written by Tracey Forbes
and based upon the Bernice Thurman Hunter
novels That Scatterbrain Booky, With Love From Booky, and As Ever, Booky.
during the depression era
. Her parents are played by real-life husband and wife Megan Follows
and Stuart Hughes
.
The first in this series covered a timeframe when Booky was a teenager. Booky Makes Her Mark
(2006) starred Tatiana Maslany
as Booky at 15 years old. The subsequent films in the series, both Booky and the Secret Santa
(2007) and Booky's Crush (2009), were set in an earlier timeframe, with Rachel Marcus
starring as Booky at 11 years old.
family living in Toronto during the Great Depression
. Parents, Thomas Thomson (Stuart Hughes
) and Francie Thomson (Megan Follows
) struggle to provide for their children, Willa (Sarah White
), Arthur (Dylan Everett
), Beatrice (nicknamed Booky) (Rachel Marcus
) and Jakey (Noah Ryan Scott).
11-year-old Beatrice 'Booky' Thomson is showing her strength in reading and spelling, and has been asked to tutor Georgie Dunlop (Connor Price
), an older sixth grader. This thrills Booky, as she has a crush on Georgie and hopes he will ask her to a school dance. But after Georgie gives her a strange gift, she begins to re-evaluate her feelings toward him.
Booky's older sister Willa Thomson, has a part time job as a librarian. While at work, Willa meets and is attracted to Russell (Marc Bendavid
), a medical student. With her senior year in high school beginning, and even though she knows her family cannot afford it, Willa gives thought toward attending medical school after she graduates.
Arthur has an artistic aptitude, and though his parents are supportive of his dreams, his father encourages him to consider a more stable profession, which places a strain on their father-son relationship.
Booky goes to the dance with Georgie. He turns up late and surprises her. He kisses her and that's all she talks about.
notes that modern audiences can relate to the hardships faced in the 30's when she writes "Booky's Crush might have been conceived as a nostalgia piece far removed from modern reality but given the current economic meltdown, CBC's Depression-era family drama suddenly seems strangely relevant."
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
was written by Tracey Forbes
Tracey Forbes
Tracey Forbes is a Canadian television writer and producer. She has worked on numerous Canadian and American television shows including Flashpoint, The Bridge, Spider-Man: The New Animated Series and Buffy the Vampire Slayer....
and based upon the Bernice Thurman Hunter
Bernice Thurman Hunter
Bernice Thurman Hunter, was a Canadian children's author.Born in Toronto, Ontario, Hunter spent her adult years as an Eaton's employee, and did not publish her first book, That Scatterbrain Booky , until she was a grandmother...
novels That Scatterbrain Booky, With Love From Booky, and As Ever, Booky.
Background
First announced in 2008, Booky's Crush is the third in a series of made-for-TV films about Beatrice 'Booky' Thomson, a little girl growing up in TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
during the depression era
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. Her parents are played by real-life husband and wife Megan Follows
Megan Follows
Megan Elizabeth Laura Diana Follows is a Canadian/American actress. She is most known to international audiences for her role as Anne Shirley in the acclaimed 1985 Canadian television miniseries Anne of Green Gables and its two sequels.-Biography:Follows was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as the...
and Stuart Hughes
Stuart Hughes
Stuart Hughes is a Canadian actor known for his leading roles on the stages of Shaw Festival, Stratford Festival, Soulpepper Theatre Company , and many other Canadian theatre companies.He has received three Dora Awards for the roles of Billy in The Collected Works of Billy the Kid, The Man in On the...
.
The first in this series covered a timeframe when Booky was a teenager. Booky Makes Her Mark
Booky Makes Her Mark
Booky Makes Her Mark is a made-for-TV movie that is based on the books by Bernice Thurman Hunter. This uplifting family film also features beloved Canadian actors Megan Follows , Roberta Maxwell and Lally Cadeau...
(2006) starred Tatiana Maslany
Tatiana Maslany
-Acting career:Maslany is one of the stars of the Canadian TV series 2030 CE and is best known in her role as the character Ghost in Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed...
as Booky at 15 years old. The subsequent films in the series, both Booky and the Secret Santa
Booky and the Secret Santa
Booky and the Secret Santa is a 2007 Canadian family television movie starring Rachel Marcus and Megan Follows. Directed by Peter Moss from a book adapted by Joe Wiesenfeld and written by Bernice Thurman Hunter...
(2007) and Booky's Crush (2009), were set in an earlier timeframe, with Rachel Marcus
Rachel Marcus
Rachel Marcus is a Canadian child actress and voice artist best known for her role as Beatrice 'Booky' Thomson in Booky and the Secret Santa and Booky's Crush Rachel Marcus is a Canadian child actress and voice artist best known for her role as Beatrice 'Booky' Thomson in Booky and the Secret...
starring as Booky at 11 years old.
Plot
The Thomson's are a working classWorking class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
family living in Toronto during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. Parents, Thomas Thomson (Stuart Hughes
Stuart Hughes
Stuart Hughes is a Canadian actor known for his leading roles on the stages of Shaw Festival, Stratford Festival, Soulpepper Theatre Company , and many other Canadian theatre companies.He has received three Dora Awards for the roles of Billy in The Collected Works of Billy the Kid, The Man in On the...
) and Francie Thomson (Megan Follows
Megan Follows
Megan Elizabeth Laura Diana Follows is a Canadian/American actress. She is most known to international audiences for her role as Anne Shirley in the acclaimed 1985 Canadian television miniseries Anne of Green Gables and its two sequels.-Biography:Follows was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as the...
) struggle to provide for their children, Willa (Sarah White
Sarah White
Sarah White is a singer-songwriter based in Charlottesville, Virginia, whose music can be roughly characterized as folk or alt-country.She was born in Warrenton, Virginia, and relocated as a child to Monroe County, West Virginia...
), Arthur (Dylan Everett
Dylan Everett
- External links :...
), Beatrice (nicknamed Booky) (Rachel Marcus
Rachel Marcus
Rachel Marcus is a Canadian child actress and voice artist best known for her role as Beatrice 'Booky' Thomson in Booky and the Secret Santa and Booky's Crush Rachel Marcus is a Canadian child actress and voice artist best known for her role as Beatrice 'Booky' Thomson in Booky and the Secret...
) and Jakey (Noah Ryan Scott).
11-year-old Beatrice 'Booky' Thomson is showing her strength in reading and spelling, and has been asked to tutor Georgie Dunlop (Connor Price
Connor Price
Connor Price is a Canadian actor.An early role was Young Bobby Jr in the television drama Sins of the Father . Other works include BB. Jammies, Harvey and Bud in the Save-Ums , and Jay Braddock in Cinderella Man...
), an older sixth grader. This thrills Booky, as she has a crush on Georgie and hopes he will ask her to a school dance. But after Georgie gives her a strange gift, she begins to re-evaluate her feelings toward him.
Booky's older sister Willa Thomson, has a part time job as a librarian. While at work, Willa meets and is attracted to Russell (Marc Bendavid
Marc Bendavid
Marc Bendavid is a Canadian film, television and stage actor.He was born in Toronto, Canada to immigrant parents. His mother is Belgian of Flemish descent and his father is from Casablanca, Morocco...
), a medical student. With her senior year in high school beginning, and even though she knows her family cannot afford it, Willa gives thought toward attending medical school after she graduates.
Arthur has an artistic aptitude, and though his parents are supportive of his dreams, his father encourages him to consider a more stable profession, which places a strain on their father-son relationship.
Booky goes to the dance with Georgie. He turns up late and surprises her. He kisses her and that's all she talks about.
Cast
- Rachel MarcusRachel MarcusRachel Marcus is a Canadian child actress and voice artist best known for her role as Beatrice 'Booky' Thomson in Booky and the Secret Santa and Booky's Crush Rachel Marcus is a Canadian child actress and voice artist best known for her role as Beatrice 'Booky' Thomson in Booky and the Secret...
as Beatrice 'Booky' Thomson - Megan FollowsMegan FollowsMegan Elizabeth Laura Diana Follows is a Canadian/American actress. She is most known to international audiences for her role as Anne Shirley in the acclaimed 1985 Canadian television miniseries Anne of Green Gables and its two sequels.-Biography:Follows was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as the...
as Francie Thomson - Stuart HughesStuart HughesStuart Hughes is a Canadian actor known for his leading roles on the stages of Shaw Festival, Stratford Festival, Soulpepper Theatre Company , and many other Canadian theatre companies.He has received three Dora Awards for the roles of Billy in The Collected Works of Billy the Kid, The Man in On the...
as Thomas Thomson - Dylan EverettDylan Everett- External links :...
as Arthur Thomson - Sarah White as Willa Thomson
- Ariel WallerAriel WallerAriel Waller is a Canadian child actress who started acting at age six. Her first major role was as James J. Braddock's daughter Rosemarie in Cinderella Man in 2005. She is best known for having starred as Martina "Marti" Venturi in the Canadian TV series Life With Derek.- Filmography :- External...
as Rosie - Connor PriceConnor PriceConnor Price is a Canadian actor.An early role was Young Bobby Jr in the television drama Sins of the Father . Other works include BB. Jammies, Harvey and Bud in the Save-Ums , and Jay Braddock in Cinderella Man...
as Georgie Dunlop - Albert SchultzAlbert SchultzAlbert Schultz is a Canadian actor, director and the founding artistic director of Toronto's celebrated Soulpepper Theatre Company.-Education:...
as Mr. Spencer - Marc BendavidMarc BendavidMarc Bendavid is a Canadian film, television and stage actor.He was born in Toronto, Canada to immigrant parents. His mother is Belgian of Flemish descent and his father is from Casablanca, Morocco...
as Russell - Tom McCamusTom McCamusTom McCamus is an award-winning Canadian film and theatre actor who is most widely known for his work on the science-fiction television show Mutant X....
as Sidney McNeil - Susan CoyneSusan CoyneSusan Coyne is a Canadian writer and actress, best known as one of the co-creators and co-stars of the award-winning Slings and Arrows, a TV series which ran 2003–06 about a Canadian Shakespearean theatre company...
as Jeannie McNeil - Bill LakeBill LakeBill Lake is a Canadian actor whose career began in Vancouver and who has appeared in many movies, television movies and series, stage plays and commercials....
as Mr. Jenkins - James WallisJames WallisJames Wallis may refer to:*James Wallis , writer, games designer and publisher*James Wallis , New Zealand politician*Jim Wallis, Christian writer and activist*Jimmy Wallis, English field hockey player...
as Gordo the Wolf Boy - Thomas PriceThomas PriceThomas Price was a stonecutter, teacher, lay preacher, businessman, stonemason, clerk-of-works, union secretary, union president and politician...
as Number 5 - Clyde PhillipsClyde PhillipsClyde B. Phillips is a writer and producer for television and film. He has written for the shows Dexter, Shout About Movies, Suddenly Susan, Parker Lewis Can't Lose, Midas Valley, and Trapper John, M.D....
as Factory Worker - Noah Ryan Scott ... Jakey Thomson
- Emilia McCarthy ... Laura Westover
- Marcia Bennett ... Elderly Woman
- Brad Borbridge ... Dave Juniper
Recognition
Maria Kubacki, of the Calgary SunCalgary Sun
The Calgary Sun is a daily newspaper published in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is a division of Sun Media, a Quebecor company.First published in 1980, the tabloid-format daily replaced the long-running broadsheet newspaper, The Albertan soon after it was acquired by the publishers of the Toronto...
notes that modern audiences can relate to the hardships faced in the 30's when she writes "Booky's Crush might have been conceived as a nostalgia piece far removed from modern reality but given the current economic meltdown, CBC's Depression-era family drama suddenly seems strangely relevant."
Accolades
- 2009, Directors Guild of CanadaDirectors Guild of CanadaThe Directors Guild of Canada is a Canadian labour union, founded in 1962, which represents more than 3,700 professionals from 48 different occupations in the Canadian film and television industry. The DGC represents directors, assistant directors, location managers, production assistants and...
nomination for 'DGC Team AwardDirectors Guild of CanadaThe Directors Guild of Canada is a Canadian labour union, founded in 1962, which represents more than 3,700 professionals from 48 different occupations in the Canadian film and television industry. The DGC represents directors, assistant directors, location managers, production assistants and...
' - 2009, Gemini Awards nomination for Dylan EverettDylan Everett- External links :...
for 'Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series' - 2009, Gemini Awards nomination for Stuart HughesStuart HughesStuart Hughes is a Canadian actor known for his leading roles on the stages of Shaw Festival, Stratford Festival, Soulpepper Theatre Company , and many other Canadian theatre companies.He has received three Dora Awards for the roles of Billy in The Collected Works of Billy the Kid, The Man in On the...
for 'Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series' - 2009, Gemini Awards nomination for Rachel MarcusRachel MarcusRachel Marcus is a Canadian child actress and voice artist best known for her role as Beatrice 'Booky' Thomson in Booky and the Secret Santa and Booky's Crush Rachel Marcus is a Canadian child actress and voice artist best known for her role as Beatrice 'Booky' Thomson in Booky and the Secret...
for 'Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series' - 2009, Gemini Awards nomination for Aidan Leroux, for 'Best Production Design or Art Direction in a Fiction Program or Series'