Julie Walking Home (2002)

Director:

Agnieszka Holland

Writers:

Agnieszka Holland (writer)
Roman Gren (writer) ...
(more)

Release Date:

5 September 2003 (Poland)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

Her son dying of cancer and her marriage falling apart, Julie flees to Poland in search of a man who can heal using his hands...

Plot Keywords:

Cancer | Dying | Poland | Fight | Affair

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Miranda Otto	...	Julie Makowsky
William Fichtner	...	Henry
Lothaire Bluteau	...	Alexy
Ryan Smith	...	Nicholas
Bianca Crudo	...	Nicole
Jerzy Nowak	...	Mieczyslaw 'Mietek' Makowsky
Boguslawa Schubert	...	Bogusia
Maciej Stuhr	...	Piotr
Maria Seweryn	...	Dorota
Piotr Kolodziejska	...	Young Alexy (as Piotr Kolodziejski)
Kazimierz Borowiec	...	Doctor Ivan
Sergei Motenko	...	Doctor Zhenia (as Sergej Motenko)
Violetta Kolakowska	...	Dead Woman (as Wioletta Kolakowska)
Przemyslaw Sadowski	...	Wounded Man
Jolanta Rzaczkiewicz	...	Russian Nurse
Ginger Berglund	...	Woman in Bed (as Ginger Bergland)
Jackie Torrens	...	Monica
Stephen Morgan	...	Terry
Sophia Nguan	...	Woman House Buyer
Victor Tang	...	Man House Buyer (as Vi Tang)
Mary Colin Chisolm	...	Doctor Sabina (as Mary-Colin Chisholm)
Michael D'Ascenzo	...	Frankie
Deborah Allen	...	Canadian Nurse
Mauralea Austin	...	Frankie's Mother
Mark Day	...	Priest Harper
Jennifer Overton	...	Laura
Jeremy Akerman	...	Samuel
Rafal Mohr	...	Alexei's assistant
Matylda Podfilipska	...	Alexy's Assistant
Katarzyna Ankudowicz	...	Alexei's Assistant
Piotr Szczerbic	...	Alexy's Assistant
Iwona Ziaja Majewska	...	Woman
Lech Mackiewicz	...	Polish Doctor
Lech Dyblik	...	Crazy Man
Anna Antonowa	...	Alexy's Mother
Maria Peszek	...	Alexei's Sister
Piotr Rekawik	...	Groom
Ilia Zmiejew	...	Russian Priest (as Ilja Zmiejew)
John Davie	...	Bob
Jim Swansburg	...	Les
Trina Corkum	...	Mary
Stan Carew	...	Policeman 1
Geoff McLean	...	Policeman 2
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Anna Antonowicz	...	Girl (uncredited)
Dylan Aucoin	...	Kid in hospital (uncredited)
Bartosz Opania	...	Man (uncredited)
Dagmara Sieminska	...	Woman (uncredited)
Sheree Smith	...	Nurse (uncredited)

Directed by
Agnieszka Holland

Writing credits
Agnieszka Holland		(writer)
Roman Gren		(writer)
Arlene Sarner		writer

Produced by
Karel Dirka	....	producer
Patrick Dollard	....	executive producer (as Pat Dollard)
Eric Jordan	....	supervising producer
Steven Paul	....	executive producer
Paul Stephens	....	producer
Joachim Sturmes	....	executive producer
Michal Szczerbic	....	supervising producer
Krzysztof Zanussi	....	executive producer
Christopher Zimmer	....	executive producer
Iwona Ziulkowska-Okapiec	....	producer (as Iwona Ziulkowska)

Original Music by
Antoni Lazarkiewicz		(as Anton Gross)

Cinematography by
Jacek Petrycki		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Christian Lonk

Casting by
Ewa Brodzka
Marsha Chesley
Lisa Ferguson
Alexa L. Fogel

Production Design by
Ewa Skoczkowska
Marian Wihak

Art Direction by
Ewen Dickson
Joanna Doroszkiewicz

Set Decoration by
Lorne Armstrong
Kinga Babczynska
Barbara Luxton		(as Barb Luxton)

Costume Design by
Malgorzata Gwiazdecka
Kate Rose

Makeup Department
Paulette Cable	....	makeup artist
Anna Dabrowska	....	assistant hair stylist
Maria Dziewulska	....	makeup artist (as Maria Ewa Dziewulska)
Simon Karpowicz	....	hair stylist
Lois MacDonald	....	hair stylist
Marcin Rodak	....	assistant makeup artist

Production Management
Andrzej Besztak	....	production manager
Ginny Jones-Duzak	....	production manager (as Ginny Jones Duzak)
Andi Mall	....	post-production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Kasia Adamik	....	second unit director
John Bradshaw	....	first assistant director
Elzbieta Domanska	....	third assistant director
Reid A. Dunlop	....	first assistant director (as Reid Dunlop)
Sarah Dunsworth	....	third assistant director
Weronika Migon	....	second assistant director
Tomasz Morawski	....	third assistant director
Stephen Reynolds	....	first assistant director
Kay Robertson	....	third assistant director
Kristie Sills	....	second assistant director
Piotr Szczerbic	....	third assistant director
Krzysztof Zbieranek	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Kasia Adamik	....	storyboard artist
Jeff Beanlands	....	carpenter
Kelly Chamberlain	....	head painter
Robert Czesak	....	assistant art director
Bruce Davies	....	painter
Maxine Delaney	....	props buyer
Teresita Doucet	....	property master
Steve Fleury	....	scenic painter
Tadeusz Frymarski	....	props assistant
Alan Gary Hodgkinson	....	carpenter
Jamie Jordan	....	carpenter
Sue Klabunde	....	art department coordinator
Edward Koralewski	....	props assistant
Justyna Kulesza	....	art department trainee
Patricia Larman	....	on-set dresser
Kevin Lewis	....	scenic painter
Dariusz Lipinski	....	props
Lynn Mackinlay	....	head carpenter (as Lynn MacKinlay)
Dylan McDonald	....	props
Karl McNutt	....	scenic painter
Kelli Morehouse	....	props
Paula Musial	....	props buyer
Colin Paul	....	lead set decorator
Marek Razniewski	....	props assistant
Andrzej Rychtarczyk	....	construction coordinator
Sara Soucie	....	scenic painter
Waldemar Weiss	....	construction coordinator
Jason Shurko	....	set dresser daily (uncredited)

Sound Department
Sören Blüthgen	....	foley recordist
Tschangis Chahrokh	....	sound mixer
Tschangis Chahrokh	....	sound re-recording mixer
Christof Ebhardt	....	sound designer
Don Ellis	....	boom operator
Piotr Farynski	....	cable person
Jo Fürst	....	foley artist
Lisa Geffcken-Reinhard	....	foley editor (as Lisa Reinhard-Geffgen)
Florian Gross	....	sound production manager
Hans Hohenwarter	....	technical sound supervisor
Annette Prey	....	sound designer
Andrew Rillie	....	cable person
Jim Rillie	....	sound mixer: location
Marcel Spisak	....	dialogue editor
Natascha Baermann	....	adr editor (uncredited)
Jaroslaw Regulski	....	sound mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Arkadiusz Rosczak	....	pyrotechnician
Kazimierz Wróblewski	....	pyrotechnician

Visual Effects by
Anna Relmann	....	in-house coordinator
Matthias Scharfenberg	....	scanning/recording
Abraham Schneider	....	Domino artist
Dominik Trimborn	....	visual effects supervisor
Ralf Wacker	....	assistant to visual effects supervisor

Stunts
Randy Boliver	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Keith Adams	....	grip
Christopher Ball	....	camera operator: second unit
Chris Baxter	....	dolly grip (as Christopher Baxter)
Marc Bourgeois	....	grip
Chris Cochlin	....	video playback operator
Johnny Cochrane	....	first assistant camera (as John Cochrane)
Bogdan Dabrowski	....	assistant camera: second unit
Keith Dimmer	....	generator operator
Darryl Duzak	....	best boy grip
Krzysztof Golabek	....	camera operator: second unit
Albert Hennen	....	assistant camera: second unit
Marcin Hordyjewicz	....	electrician
Kevin Houlihan	....	electrician (as Kevin 'Kat' Houlihan)
Michael Jackson	....	grip
Tomasz Kitrasiewicz	....	electrician
Remigiusz Kubiak	....	dolly grip
Jan Kudela	....	still photographer
Piotr Kuik	....	second assistant camera
Jacek Kurowski	....	gaffer
Mateusz Kuzniak	....	electrician
Wayne MacPherson	....	camera trainee
Mike McDonald	....	grip
Eddy McInnis	....	assistant camera
Adam Nawrocki	....	grip
Zbigniew Nietresta	....	grip
Janusz Nogal	....	generator operator
Tadeusz Obuchowicz	....	first assistant camera
Kelcey Parker	....	key grip
Mario Paulin	....	gaffer
Christopher Reardon	....	still photographer (as Chris Reardon)
Jordan Schella	....	electrician
Lukasz Sitek	....	camera trainee
Ryszard Szymanski	....	grip
James Thibodeau	....	best boy
Jacek Zaleski	....	camera operator
Boguslaw Dabrowski	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Deanna Anthony	....	assistant costume designer
Laurie Delaney	....	wardrobe
Ewa Helman-Szczerbic	....	assistant costume designer (as Ewa Helman)
Magdalena Rutkiewicz	....	wardrobe (as Magda Rutkiewicz-Luterek)
Anna Rychlik	....	wardrobe
Jo-Ann Smith	....	on-set costume supervisor
Adrianna Wozniak	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Sabine Allerdisse	....	assistant editor
Cornelia Freund	....	post-production coordinator
Corinna Heinz	....	assistant editor
Steve Mayhew	....	colorist: Eyespost Group Toronto
Arlene Moelker	....	colorist: Eyespost Post Toronto
Sandra Stier	....	negative cutter
Bianca Stumpf	....	color grader

Music Department
Don Chapman	....	music advisor
Jan Chomka	....	music recording assistant
John Ciccone	....	music advisor
Andrzej Heldwein	....	music producer
Blazej Heldwein	....	musician: guitar
Gina Komasa	....	music artistic editor
Wojciech Kowalewski	....	musician: drums and percussion
Bogdan Koziupa	....	music recording assistant
Zygmunt Kukla	....	conductor
Wlodek Pawlik	....	musician: piano
Elzbieta Pobiedzinska	....	music recording assistant
Jaroslaw Regulski	....	music mixer
Jaroslaw Regulski	....	music sound engineer
Zbigniew Zbrowski	....	music advisor
Adam Zemla	....	musician: accordion

Transportation Department
Lori Ann Bellefontaine	....	driver
Andrzej Bogdanski	....	driver
Rodney Dominey	....	transportation captain
Józef Frymarski	....	driver (as Jozef Frymarski)
Mervin Geddes	....	driver (as Melvin Geddes)
Sylwester Gut	....	driver
Franciszek Jedlecki	....	driver
Gerry MacDonald	....	driver
Marcelle Muise	....	driver
Debbie Murphy	....	head driver
Steve Murphy	....	transportation coordinator (as Stephen Murphy)
Bruce Stewart	....	driver
Lorne Taylor	....	picture vehicle
Stanley Williams	....	driver
Zdzislaw Wonatowski	....	driver
Józef Zapala	....	driver (as Jozef Zapala)

Other crew
Harvey Andrews	....	caterer
Iwona Anuszkiewicz	....	stand-in
Kristin Arason	....	assistant coordinator
Urszula Baraniak	....	cashier
Lisa Barry	....	caterer
Wade Biggar	....	location production assistant
Rob Blackie	....	legal advisor
Josée Brodeur	....	production accountant
Kathryn Buck	....	continuity
Aneta Cebula	....	location manager
Travis Cobean	....	tutor
Iwona Czaja	....	production assistant
Malgorzata Dedek	....	production accountant
Agatha Dominik	....	script consultant
André Druskeit	....	production banking: Verensbank West
Bogusia Filipek	....	caterer
Wlodzimierz Filipek	....	caterer
Hilary Flower	....	animal wrangler
William Flower	....	animal wrangler (as Bill Flower)
William Gamache	....	security
Rafal Golis	....	production coordinator
John Goodridge	....	caterer
Ingrid Graber	....	production coordinator
Sharleen Janine Graigner	....	tutor
Cornelia Groethuysen	....	script consultant
Malgorzata Grzybowska	....	legal advisor
Werner Hanke	....	production accountant
George T. Hayum	....	legal advisor
Elzbieta Heleniak	....	production accountant
Derek Houghton	....	security
David Hyslop	....	location manager
Peter James	....	stand-in (as James Symington)
Robin P.G. Joost	....	craft service (as Robin Joost)
Agnieszka Kaczorek	....	medical advisor
Tomasz Kanczewski	....	stand-in
Roland Keller	....	publicist
John Kelly	....	legal advisor
Piotr Kolodziejczyk	....	production assistant
Grazyna Kozlowska	....	location manager
Marcin Lakomski	....	translator
Dana Landry	....	financial affairs
Jerry Leichtling	....	script consultant
Adele MacDonald	....	production coordinator
Christine MacDonald	....	assistant accountant
Catherine Mackay	....	production banking: CIBC International Financing
Joe Martinovic	....	craft service
Sharon McEwan	....	security
Kellie McMullin	....	assistant: Mr. Zanussi
Jerzy Mizak	....	set manager
Anna Molak	....	production accountant
Barbara Nietresta	....	assistant coordinator
Tamara Patkau	....	continuity (as Tamara Deanne-Patkau)
Damian Pawlowicz	....	stand-in
Dave Pierce	....	production assistant
Rodger Pike	....	craft service
Phillip Pineau	....	assistant location manager (as Philip Pineau)
Josef Reidinger	....	technical supervisor: ARRI
Gottfried Reisecker	....	technical supervisor: ARRI
Colin Rogers	....	stand-in
Daria Rogozinska	....	production assistant
Boris A. Rothe	....	legal advisor (as Boris Rothe)
Natasha Ryan	....	unit publicist
Beata Rynkiewicz	....	stand-in (as Beata Rynkiewicz-Zaborowska)
Kinga Sawicki	....	legal advisor
Andrew Sheridan	....	location production assistant
Malgorzata Stando	....	production assistant
Barbara Stengle	....	production coordinator
Irena Strzalkowska	....	publicist
Andrzej Tarasewicz	....	on-set doctor
Rose Marie Walton	....	stand-in
Darren Winter	....	security
Marita Witte	....	production accountant
Alexa Wolf	....	production coordinator
Wojciech Wozniak	....	medical advisor
Fuat Yüksel	....	title designer
Tamara Zgorzelska	....	dialogue coach: Mr. Bluteau
Brad Horvath	....	assistant to executive producer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Art Oko Film
• Das Werk
• Film Works, The
• Zespol Filmowy "Tor"
• Canal+ Polska
• Chum Television
• Das Werk Digitale Bildbearbeitungs
• First Look International
• Minister of Culture of the Republic of Poland
• Movie Network, The (TMN)
• Nova Scotia Film Development Corporation
• Super Ecran
• Telewizja Polska
• Téléfilm Canada (as Telefilm Canada)
• imX Communications

Distributors

• Alpha Media (2007) (China) (video) (VOD/IPTV)
• First Look International
• Overseas FilmGroup (non-USA)
• Planet Media Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Das Werk

Other Companies

• ARRI Rental  camera and lenses
• ARRI Sound  adr recorded at
• Alex Entertainment Inc.  music production
• Blow up Filmtechnik Karl Kresling GmbH  opticals (as Blow Up Filmtechnik)
• CIBC  production banking
• Completion Guarantors (TGC)  completion bond
• PS Production Services  equipment rental
• Polish Radio Studios, The  music recorded at (as Polish Radio Studio A. Osiecka)
• Sinfonia Varsovia  orchestra
• Sonoria  adr recorded at (as Studio Sonoria)
• Sound One  adr recorded at
• Soundfirm  adr recorded at
• Spence-Thomas Productions  adr recorded at (as Spence Thomas Production)
• Vereinsbank West  production bank
• ZVDG  production accounting

Also Known As:

The Healer (Australia) (Pay-TV title) (USA) (DVD title)
Julia wraca do domu (Poland)
Julies Reise (Germany)
Le retour de Julie (Canada: French title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for disturbing images and some sensuality. (original version); Rated R for sexuality, nudity and language. (edited version)

Runtime:

Canada:113 min (Toronto International Film Festival) | Italy:118 min (Venice Film Festival)

Country:

Germany | Canada | Poland | USA

Language:

English | Russian | Polish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Australia:M | Brazil:14 | USA:R (2004 edited version) | Canada:AA

Filming Locations:

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Company:

Art Oko Film

Soundtrack:

Oczy Czornyje

Healing

The Polish director Agnieszka Holland offers a view about a family in turmoil caused by the illness of a young boy. This film was shown on the Sundance channel recently. Most of the comments submitted about this movie in this forum fail to give credit to Ms. Holland for this tale that blends mysticism, faith, science and betrayal that works well. Stop reading if you haven't seen the picture.

Ms. Holland's film is complicated, in that it asks the viewer to think about how Julie's actions to save Nick, her young son, stricken with a rare cancer, clash with the medical science because she goes with her instincts instead, when she takes the boy to be seen by a folk "healer" in Poland. At the same time her marriage has come to an abrupt end when she learns her husband has betrayed her with another woman, in her own home.

Julie sees an improvement when "the healer" selects Nick as his next project to help and asks her to follow him as he goes through the countryside seeing people. When Nicks starts showing signs of recovery, a mutual attraction develops between Julie and Alexei, the holy man. Julie goes home and Alexei follows her. Something is not quite right with Nick and when he has a relapse, Julie's faith in Alexei's ability to cure her son evaporates, thus ending their relationship, as Alexei abandons Julie.

The film is well done and paced. It engrosses the viewer because Ms. Holland knows where she is taking us. At the end, when Alexei has left, we finally see some sense of harmony in Julie's life, depicted lovingly in the last sequence of the film. Nick, is still not well, but the family has come together by the experience they have been through and we see that Julie is expecting a child. It almost appears as though Nick will die, but there will be a new life in the family. In other words, the sacrifice of Nick's life for the miracle that is growing in Julie's womb.

The movie owes a tremendous deal to the luminous presence of Miranda Otto, who does wonders with her depiction of Julie. Ms. Otto's face projects an intelligence that is uncanny. She makes us believe that she is this woman torn between the medicine that might help her young son, but does nothing, and to what extreme, as a mother, she will go to have Nick cured of the cancer that is killing him slowly.

Lothaire Bluteau is the healer, Alexei. He gives an enigmatic performance that adds another layer to the film. In their scenes together, Mr. Bluteau and Ms. Otto do amazing acting. This Canadian actor's work is never dull; he projects a rare knack to make his characters believable and likable.

Finally, William Fichtner, as Henry, is also excellent. He responds well to Ms. Holland's direction. The twins, played by Ryan Smith and Bianca Crudo are excellent without being bratty, or obnoxious.

Ms. Holland's film will reward those who watch it with an open mind as she never passes judgment on what we are seeing on the screen.