My American Cousin

Not to be confused with Our American Cousin.
My American Cousin
Directed bySandy Wilson
Written bySandy Wilson
Produced byPeter O'Brian
StarringMargaret Langrick
CinematographyRichard Leiterman
Edited byHaida Paul
Release dates
  • 5 September 1985 (1985-09-05) (Canada)
  • 7 March 1986 (1986-03-07) (U.S.)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

My American Cousin is a Canadian drama film, released in 1985. Written and directed by Sandy Wilson based on her own childhood, the film stars Margaret Langrick as Sandy Wilcox, a preteen girl growing up on a ranch in rural Penticton, British Columbia in the late 1950s. Sandy's longing to be treated as an adult is roused even further when her older American cousin Butch Walker (John Wildman) comes for a visit. The cast also includes Richard Donat, Jane Mortifee, Babz Chula and Camille Henderson.

A 2006 On Screen! documentary about the film featured interviews with director Sandy Wilson and leading actress Margaret Langrick.

The sequel to this film, American Boyfriends, was released in 1989.

Reception

Nina Darnton in The New York Times called the film "an amazing job of evoking through specific detail, costumes, props and attitudes a period many of us still blush to remember".[1]

Awards

My American Cousin won six awards at the 7th Genie Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director (Wilson), Best Original Screenplay (Wilson), Best Actor (Wildman), Best Actress (Langrick) and Best Film Editing (Haida Paul).[2]

The film was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor (Donat), Best Sound, Best Sound Editing, Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design, but did not win those awards.

References

  1. ^ Darnton, Nina (15 August 1986). "The Screen: 'My American Cousin'". New York Times. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  2. ^ Glebe, Heather (16 March 2017). "1985: My American Cousin filmed in Penticton; movie goes on to sweep Genie Awards". Penticton Herald. Retrieved 2 April 2024.

External links