Tarnation (2003)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

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
Lisa Berri	...	Blue Velvet cast
Kelli Brisbane	...	Blue Velvet cast (as Kellie Brisbane)
Mike Smith Rivera	...	Blue Velvet cast (as Apocalypse Clown)
Miek Coccia	...	Blue Velvet cast
Caity Creitz	...	Blue Velvet cast
Daniel Letterle	...	Blue Velvet cast
Sterling Price McKinney	...	Blue Velvet cast
Michael Sillery	...	Blue Velvet cast
Layard Thompson	...	Blue Velvet cast

Directed by
Jonathan Caouette

Writing credits
Jonathan Caouette		(written by)

Produced by
Vanessa Arteaga	....	executive producer
Jason Banker	....	associate producer
Jonathan Caouette	....	producer
Marie Therese Guirgis	....	executive producer
John Cameron Mitchell	....	executive producer
Gus Van Sant	....	executive producer
Ryan Werner	....	executive producer
Stephen Winter	....	producer

Original Music by
John Califra
Max Avery Lichtenstein

Cinematography by
Jonathan Caouette

Film Editing by
Jonathan Caouette
Brian A. Kates		(co-editor)

Production Management
Robert Warmflash	....	post-production supervisor

Sound Department
Jonathan Caouette	....	sound
Sean England	....	digital archivist
Lora Hirschberg	....	sound re-recording mixer
Brandon Proctor	....	sound mix technician
Daniel Sperry	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby (as Dan Sperry)

Visual Effects by
Jason Banker	....	digital effects

Editorial Department
George Bunce	....	on-line editor: high definition video
Don Ciana	....	color timer
Michael Haertlein	....	post-production assistant
Peter Heady	....	on-line editor: HDTV
Florence Holdeman	....	assistant editor
Brian Patchett	....	assistant editor: high definition
Jamila Qazi	....	editing coordinator
Shelby Siegel	....	additional editor

Music Department
Jim Black	....	music supervisor
John Califra	....	orchestral score producer
John Califra	....	orchestrator
Milan Cimfe	....	orchestral score producer
Milan Cimfe	....	score ProTools operator
Pavel Karlik	....	assistant to score recording engineer
Pavel Karlik	....	orchestral score producer

Other crew
Mickey Cottrell	....	publicist
Tristan Cowen	....	assistant to producer
Peter Cross	....	legal counsel
Mayur Deshmukh	....	production assistant
Don Farber	....	legal counsel
Tenley Gillmore	....	production assistant
Michael Haertlein	....	production assistant
Roberta Morris Purdee	....	rights and clearances
Troy Nuyens	....	production assistant
Joe Pagano	....	plant manager
Wade H.W. Rudolph	....	production assistant (as Wade Rudolph)
Tracey Soast	....	video coordinator
Joe Violante	....	technical advisor

Thanks
Tristan Cowen	....	thanks
Roger Ebert	....	thanks
Krystal Kennedy	....	thanks
Paul Morrissey	....	thanks
Dolly Parton	....	thanks
David Sanin Paz	....	special thanks
Michael Sillery	....	special thanks
Stephen Sprouse	....	special thanks
Michael Thornton	....	thanks
Dany Wolf	....	thanks

Distributors

• Filmmuseum Distributie (2005) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Herald Film Company (2005) (Japan) (theatrical)
• U Talkin 2 Me (2004) (France) (theatrical)
• Wellspring Media (2004) (USA) (theatrical)
• BBC Storyville (2006) (UK) (TV)
• Four Films (2006) (Chile) (all media)

Other Companies

• F.I.L.M. Archives  archival film
• Home Movie Project  super 8 transfers
• Karmic Release Ltd.  rights and clearances
• Postworks New York  digital intermediate
• Skywalker Sound  post-production sound
• Sono Recording Studios  score recorded at (as Sono Studios)

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:

It cost $218 to make but the budget rose to $400,000, once music and video clip royalties were included.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Gifted and Challenged: The Making of 'Shortbus' (2007) (V)

Soundtrack:

The Ballad of Lucy Jordan

art or opinion?

After reviewing tarnation, I really think that there should of been some sort of biography attempt made by the director in order to explain more clearly. I must agree that this film shows bare emotions to the fullest extent. However, I got something a little different out of it, as I have met and had lengthly conversations with the director, John. I met John through John Cameron Mitchell at an audition in New York. I hung out with him recently in NY when I was visiting JCM as he co produced the flick to begin with.

I felt that the core of the film really lied within ourselves. What could be called everyday family situations where no one is really concerned how they go are essential to life and essential to this story. Many may think that this is a whimsical film about a boy taking care of his schizo mom. These everyday life situations I thought showed more of the human side we all tend to possess. Life may be full of thrill rides, but you have to wait in line to get on them, hence some of these scenes.

Overall, I think what John has created is a film too real for Hollywood and more importantly, more real than everyday life. Most people can't relate to real life as they don't live it themselves. In fact, it was even so for myself (lol). I did feel a little weird myself in the end.

Any movie where the director bares his soul in it's entirety is worth seeing to me.