Aurora Borealis (2005)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

James C.E. Burke

Writer (WGA):

Brent Boyd (written by)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Love is the hardest job to hold. Love. The only job worth holding.

Plot:

A troubled young man struggling to right himself after the premature death of his father.

Plot Keywords:

Brother Brother Relationship | Shopping Mall | Shotgun | Rock Concert | Wheelchair

Awards:

7 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Joshua Jackson	...	Duncan Shorter
Steven Pasquale	...	Jacob Shorter
Katie Griffin	...	Sandy
Zack Ward	...	Lindstrom
Tyler Labine	...	Finn
Donald Sutherland	...	Ronald Shorter
Louise Fletcher	...	Ruth Shorter
Mark Andrada	...	Clerk
Juliette Lewis	...	Kate
Jim Feather	...	Mr. Gunderson
Judy Sinclair	...	Linda Shorter
Welcome Ngozi	...	Hamit Arfaya
John Kapelos	...	Stu
Dorion Davis	...	Lucy
Timm Sharp	...	Hacksetter

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Netherlands:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Hennepin Avenue Bridge, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Company:

entitled entertainment

Trivia:

In the scene were Ronald introduces Kate to Duncan he tells her what a good hockey player Duncan is. He comments that Duncan is almost as good as a Canuck. 'Canuck' is a slang term for someone from Canada. Joshua Jackson, the actor who plays Duncan, is actually from Vancouver, BC.

Movie Connections:

References Norma Rae (1979)

Soundtrack:

Just Couldn't Tie Me Down

Sweet surprise at Tri Be Ca

While at the Tri Be Ca Film Festival last week, I luckily happened into a screening of "Aurora Borealis" and left the theatre in tears and awe by the sheer range of humanity expressed in this film. When the movie ended I was upset because I wanted to keep following the life of Duncan. His character had captivated me with his honesty, innocence and good hearted approach to the world. The main character could be any one of us, lost in this world, looking for some meaning in our lives. A good soul, but without direction since his dad died mysteriously ten years earlier and no mother in the picture, Josh Jackson plays a young man trying to find himself as he floats from job to job until finds work in his grandparents' apartment building as an assistant to the super. There he befriends the residents of this "retirement" home and finds himself deeply entwined with the life struggle of his ailing, Alzheimer's afflicted grandfather, played brilliantly by Donald Sutherland. Louise Fletcher is perfect as the physically healthy, level headed, yet frustrated spouse to Sutherland's ornery and belligerent senior citizen. Every scene with Sutherland is exquisite and sad, yet beautiful, as he forces us to face our own mortality and that of our aging parents and grandparents. Jackson's character is seen as a failure by his financially successful, but fidelity-challenged brother and by his boyhood buddies with the usual jobs of twenty-somethings. Duncan shines, however, as he reluctantly, yet dutifully and lovingly cares for his needy grandfather all the while falling for his grandfather's nurse, played sweetly by Juliet Lewis. The direction and photography are beautiful with wonderful shots of Minneapolis/St. Paul and the film moves with a perfect pace. The score is incredible throughout, but the opening Bob Dylan song was amazing and is still playing in my head as an accompaniment in my life.