Tarnation (2003)

Director:

Jonathan Caouette

Writer:

Jonathan Caouette (written by)

Release Date:

10 November 2004 (France)

Genre:

Documentary

Tagline:

Your greatest creation is the life you lead

Plot:

Filmmaker Jonathan Caouette's documentary on growing up with his schizophrenic mother -- a mixture of snapshots, Super-8, answering machine messages, video diaries, early short films, and more -- culled from 19 years of his life.

Plot Keywords:

Video | Child Abuse | Rape | Lithium | Autobiographical

Awards:

8 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Renee Leblanc	...	Herself
Jonathan Caouette	...	Himself
Adolph Davis	...	Himself
Rosemary Davis	...	Herself
David Sanin Paz	...	Himself
Joshua Williams	...	Himself
Michael Cox	...	Guy cussing in short film
David Leblanc	...	Himself
Stacey Mowery	...	Herself
Michael Mouton	...	Himself
Greg Ayres	...	Himself (as Bam-Bam)
Vanda Stovall	...	Herself
Dagon James	...	Himself
Vivian Kalinov	...	Herself (as Girl in Student Film)
Steve Caouette	...	Himself

Runtime:

88 min | Argentina:88 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Australia:M | Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:14 (video rating) | Portugal:M/16 | Argentina:13 | Netherlands:12 | Singapore:M18 | UK:15 | USA:Unrated | Norway:15 | Japan:PG-12

Filming Locations:

Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Trivia:

The original cut of the film ran over 2 hrs. and 40 minutes long.

Quotes:

Jonathan Caouette: Am I on? My name is Hilary Chapman Lauralou Gorea. This is like a testimony isn't it?

Movie Connections:

References Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)

Soundtrack:

Wichita Lineman

An embarrassingly narcissistic journey through a shallow landscape.

It amazes me that so many people seem to equate emotional instability with depth. They are not the same thing...as this vain movie so vividly proves. Not unlike Jonathan, I was a gay kid growing up in the south with a profoundly disturbed mom who had several electroshock therapy treatments while I was in my early teens. It was a frightening time. Over the years, though, I've learned that by shifting my focus outward, away from myself, soulful living can and does happen. By contrast, Tarnation strikes me as a celebration of arrested development. Jonathan knew he was different early on. He was extremely creative, energetic, and observant. However, he chose to turn all focus inward and worship his own magnificent ego. His destiny was sealed and his ambition fueled. In spite of the fact that our culture is currently obsessed with all things lurid and sensationally evocative (regardless of the source), I have the sinking feeling that one day Jonathan will regret having used his family on such a grand scale (if he doesn't already).