Canvas is a
2006The year 2006 in film saw many new films released worldwide, including several major mainstream sequels, prequels, and remakes as well as original films.-Top grossing films:...
drama film written and directed by Joseph Greco about a
FloridaFlorida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States...
family dealing with a mother who has
schizophreniaSchizophrenia , from the Greek roots skhizein and phrēn, phren- is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a mental disorder characterized by abnormalities in the perception or expression of reality...
. The film premiered October 2006 at the
Hamptons International Film FestivalThe Hamptons International Film Festival is a film festival that is held in the Long Island community of East Hampton.The festival was founded in 1993 to celebrate American Independent films - long, short, fiction and documentary - and to introduce a unique and varied spectrum of international...
in
New YorkNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
- Joe Pantoliano
Joseph Peter "Joe" Pantoliano is an American film and television actor. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Ralph Cifaretto on The Sopranos, and for his role as Cypher in The Matrix.-Personal life:...
as John Marino
- Marcia Gay Harden
Marcia Gay Harden is an American actress. She has appeared in films, television, and the theatre. Harden is a winner of the Tony Award and the Academy Award.-Early life:...
as Mary Marino
- Devon Gearhart
Devon Gearhart is an American actor.Gearhart was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, and began acting at the age of seven, landing national commercials with Burger King, PBS, Pizza Hut and The Cartoon Network. Devon's silver screen debut came in 2004 when he landed the role of Young Bobby in...
as Chris Marino
- Sophia Bairley as Dawn
- Marcus Johns as Sam
- Antony Del Rio as Gregg
Canvas was filmed in
Hollywood, FloridaHollywood is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. As of July 1 2008, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 141,740. Founded in 1925, the city grew rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s, and is now the twelfth largest city in Florida...
5633 Jefferson St.
Director Joseph Greco wrote that during the third week of shooting, on October 24, 2005,
Hurricane WilmaHurricane Wilma was the most intense hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic basin. Wilma was the twenty-second storm , thirteenth hurricane, sixth major hurricane, and fourth Category 5 hurricane of the record-breaking 2005 season Hurricane Wilma was the most intense hurricane ever recorded in the...
"hammered us" and almost shut down the production of the film.
Canvas is a
2006The year 2006 in film saw many new films released worldwide, including several major mainstream sequels, prequels, and remakes as well as original films.-Top grossing films:...
drama film written and directed by Joseph Greco about a
FloridaFlorida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States...
family dealing with a mother who has
schizophreniaSchizophrenia , from the Greek roots skhizein and phrēn, phren- is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a mental disorder characterized by abnormalities in the perception or expression of reality...
. The film premiered October 2006 at the
Hamptons International Film FestivalThe Hamptons International Film Festival is a film festival that is held in the Long Island community of East Hampton.The festival was founded in 1993 to celebrate American Independent films - long, short, fiction and documentary - and to introduce a unique and varied spectrum of international...
in
New YorkNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Cast
- Joe Pantoliano
Joseph Peter "Joe" Pantoliano is an American film and television actor. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Ralph Cifaretto on The Sopranos, and for his role as Cypher in The Matrix.-Personal life:...
as John Marino
- Marcia Gay Harden
Marcia Gay Harden is an American actress. She has appeared in films, television, and the theatre. Harden is a winner of the Tony Award and the Academy Award.-Early life:...
as Mary Marino
- Devon Gearhart
Devon Gearhart is an American actor.Gearhart was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, and began acting at the age of seven, landing national commercials with Burger King, PBS, Pizza Hut and The Cartoon Network. Devon's silver screen debut came in 2004 when he landed the role of Young Bobby in...
as Chris Marino
- Sophia Bairley as Dawn
- Marcus Johns as Sam
- Antony Del Rio as Gregg
Production
Canvas was filmed in
Hollywood, FloridaHollywood is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. As of July 1 2008, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 141,740. Founded in 1925, the city grew rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s, and is now the twelfth largest city in Florida...
5633 Jefferson St.
Director Joseph Greco wrote that during the third week of shooting, on October 24, 2005,
Hurricane WilmaHurricane Wilma was the most intense hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic basin. Wilma was the twenty-second storm , thirteenth hurricane, sixth major hurricane, and fourth Category 5 hurricane of the record-breaking 2005 season Hurricane Wilma was the most intense hurricane ever recorded in the...
"hammered us" and almost shut down the production of the film. In a statement on the official website, Greco also wrote he was one of
James CameronJames Francis Cameron is a Canadian film director, producer and screenwriter. His writing and directing work includes The Terminator and Titanic. To date, his directorial efforts have grossed approximately US$1.1 billion domestically, unadjusted for inflation...
's three assistants during the production of the film
TitanicTitanic is a 1997 American romantic drama film directed, written, co-produced and co-edited by James Cameron about the sinking of the RMS Titanic. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson and Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater, two members of different social classes who fall in love aboard the...
and when
Canvas was finished,
James CameronJames Francis Cameron is a Canadian film director, producer and screenwriter. His writing and directing work includes The Terminator and Titanic. To date, his directorial efforts have grossed approximately US$1.1 billion domestically, unadjusted for inflation...
signed Greco's application to join the
Directors Guild of AmericaDirectors Guild of America is the labor union which represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry...
.
Release
The film premiered at the
Hamptons International Film FestivalThe Hamptons International Film Festival is a film festival that is held in the Long Island community of East Hampton.The festival was founded in 1993 to celebrate American Independent films - long, short, fiction and documentary - and to introduce a unique and varied spectrum of international...
in October 2006 and was shown later that year at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival on November 12, 2006. It premiered in
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
on February 10, 2007 at the European Film Market and premiered in
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
on May 21, 2007 at the Cannes Film Market.
Canvas has also been shown at the AFI Dallas International Film Festival, the Sedona International Film Festival, the Nantucket Film Festival, and the
Sarasota Film FestivalThe Sarasota Film Festival is an annual film festival in Sarasota, Florida, and ranks as the 4th largest independent film festival in North America...
.
The film opened in
limited releaseLimited release is a term in the American motion picture industry for a motion picture that is playing in a select few theaters across the country ....
in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on October 12, 2007.
Critical reception
As of October 13, 2007 on the review aggregator
Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films. The name derives from the historical cliché of throwing tomatoes and other produce at stage performers if a performance was particularly bad.- History :...
, 80% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 15 reviews. On
MetacriticMetacritic is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, the film had an average score of 69 out of 100, based on 9 reviews.
Roger EbertRoger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter.He is known for his film review column and for two television programs Sneak Previews and Siskel & Ebert at the Movies, which he co-hosted for a combined 23 years with Gene Siskel...
of the
Chicago Sun-TimesThe Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is owned by the Sun-Times Media Group, which filed for bankruptcy protection on March 31, 2009.-History:...
gave the film 3 stars and wrote "The portrayal of
schizophreniaSchizophrenia , from the Greek roots skhizein and phrēn, phren- is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a mental disorder characterized by abnormalities in the perception or expression of reality...
in the film has been praised by mental health experts as unusually accurate and sympathetic" and also said "Writer-director Joseph Greco says the film, his first feature, was influenced by his own childhood with a schizophrenic mother."
Awards
At the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, the film won the Audience Award and
Joe PantolianoJoseph Peter "Joe" Pantoliano is an American film and television actor. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Ralph Cifaretto on The Sopranos, and for his role as Cypher in The Matrix.-Personal life:...
won the Best Dramatic Performance Award. At the Sedona International Film Festival, the film won the Best Feature Film Award and
Joe PantolianoJoseph Peter "Joe" Pantoliano is an American film and television actor. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Ralph Cifaretto on The Sopranos, and for his role as Cypher in The Matrix.-Personal life:...
won the Outstanding Acting Award. The film also won Audience Awards at the Nantucket Film Festival and the Sarasota Film Festival.