The Adjuster (1991)

Director:

Atom Egoyan

Writer:

Atom Egoyan (writer)

Release Date:

July 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

In search of relative comfort...

Plot:

A reflection about what makes everyone's life unique, through the story of Noah's family. Noah is an adjuster...

Plot Keywords:

Adultery | Bisexual | Cult Favorite | Insurance | Tragedy

Awards:

5 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Elias Koteas	...	Noah Render
Arsinée Khanjian	...	Hera
Maury Chaykin	...	Bubba
Gabrielle Rose	...	Mimi
Jennifer Dale	...	Arianne
David Hemblen	...	Bert, the Head Censor
Rose Sarkisyan	...	Seta, Hera's Sister
Armen Kokorian	...	Simon, Hera's Child
Jacqueline Samuda	...	Louise, the Maid
Gerard Parkes	...	Tim
Patricia Collins	...	Lorraine
Don McKellar	...	Tyler, the Young Censor
John Gilbert	...	The Doctor
Stephen Ouimette	...	Larry, the Butterfly Collector
Raoul Trujillo	...	Matthew, His Lover

Also Known As:

Expert en sinistres, L' (Canada: French title)

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

New Zealand:R18 | Hong Kong:III | Australia:R | Germany:16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Alliance Entertainment

Quotes:

Hera: When I say something which deserves consideration and you respond without thinking, how do you feel?
Noah: I feel fine.
Hera: I thought you might feel stupid.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Chacun son cinéma ou Ce petit coup au coeur quand la lumière s'éteint et que le film commence (2007)

Soundtrack:

Look Here My Dear

How can you place a dollar value on human suffering?

Atom Egoyan is an absolute genius, but I find it somewhat difficult to discuss his films as they are so complex. He seems to make the kinds of movies where you walk out of the theater after it's over and all the parts are clear in your head, but you can't quite piece them all together. But you can't help but try. Sooner or later, everything falls into place, and sometimes it doesn't. Either way, Egoyan makes you really think about a lot of issues.

"The Adjuster" is about an insurance adjuster who helps victims of house fires get money from insurance companies. There is a really great parallel drawn between the adjuster, Noah, and Robin Hood. He quite frequently shoots arrows with his bow at a billboard sign that says "Sherwood Forest". He is essentially taking money from the rich insurance companies and giving it to the poor victims of fires. We also have Noah's voyeuristic wife Hara, who is a film censor for porn flicks. She films what they censor with a video camera so that her sister can see what she does, as she has always shared everything with her sister. There is an extreme sense of bareness of the characters lives in the film. This is reinforced by the vast, open, almost desert landscape around the suburb. They own the only house in this particular suburb, and it is in fact a model house. Even the books on the bookshelf inside are fake. All this seems to reinforce the lives that the characters live. This is a definite achievement from a cutting edge director.