Continue with Google
>
Canvas Reviews
8.5/10 - Great. Could use more detail.
What I liked about this film is that it could have been like an overdramatic Litetime movie, but instead treated the subject seriously, yet hopefully. My mother became a schizophrenic and was repeatedly hospitalized for it for long periods beginning when I was 8 years old, so I know how it goes. There are really bad periods, but also long periods of normality. Unlike in the 50s when my mom was ill and there was only electroshock treatment, medications are helping today. And this film made the point that the the illness doesn't really take away your loved one forever--like Altzheimer's does. The acceptance of family is everything.
Writer-director Joseph Greco makes a nice feature-film debut telling a true, disturbing story about a 10-year-old boy struggling to cope with a schizophrenic mother.The performances are also terrific SEE IT!!!
This movie is a little overly mellow and slow-moving, but it's also very human and touching. The best acting, surprisingly, comes from Devon Gearhart, but the entire cast performs incredibly well and really involves you in the lives of this struggling family. It serves to put things into perspective and make you think about how lucky you really are and how no matter how hard you think things are, there's always someone who's got it worse. I expected this to be bleak and depressing, and at times it is, but ultimately it gives hope and encouragement, which is not something a lot of recent movies can do.
As a person living successfully with a mental illness I would like to recommend the movie Canvas. This movie highlights "a family" who is struggling in many ways with schizophrenia. As with many families living with a mental illness financial woes seem to be a theme throughout the movie forcing family members to get creative with paying their bills as a family member becomes hospitalized due to their symptoms of schizophrenia becoming unmanageable. Canvas shows the differentiation of personalities dealing with the menagerie of social viewpoints towards mental illness. Despite the pressures of living with a family member who is diagnosed with schizophrenia Canvas demonstrates that families dealing with schizophrenia can maintain love and respect for one another as exemplified by the way family members respond to each other with compassion through individual struggles. Canvas demonstrates how the individual and their family who both live with schizophrenia can find hope in recovery through real life trials. The family depicted in the movie Canvas would not accept defeat but chose to wrap themselves into the moment and let the hurt and joy flow like the wind flows into a canvas sail with a marvelous result.
An "under the radar" gem with some excellent acting and that feel good thing happening along with misery and misfortune. Joe Pantoliano is rock solid and I`ll be checking out more of his "headlining gigs" !!
Well I shall just tell you right off the bat, this movie really disappointed me. >.> A lot of people in my psychology class had recommended it to me, so I decided to watch it. Released in 2007, this movie was about a ten-year-old from Florida, Chris, and his family. Chris' mother was mentally ill with disorganized schizophrenia, and the movie was about how Chris and his dad dealt with the illness. After an incident where Chris' mom accidentally cuts his arm in a violent schizophrenic rage, she is taken away to a mental institute, where she remains for the rest of the movie. The majority of the movie played out some of the basic troubles a father and son would have after such an event, such as cooking meals and communicating/expressing feelings and emotions. Weak points: The movie developed sooo slow. Zzz... Also, although the movie was mainly about the emotional aspect of dealing with schizophrenia, it could have been made a bit more exciting. Disorganized schizophrenics can be dangerous when they last out, but the schizophrenic in Canvas was not portrayed completely accurate in this instance. I just felt like overall the movie lacked a main point and I had trouble paying attention. Strong points: The ending was realistic, as Chris' mother had to stay living in the institute, for her own safety. [I always hate endings that are inaccurate and unrealistic. >_o] Also, the relationships between father/son and son/mother were improving, as the family learned to adjust. The ending had a super sweet scene, but I won't spoil that. Also, the schizophrenic mother, played by Marcia Gray Harden, did a fantastic job playing her role. She was charming, yet crazy, and somehow manages to make everyone watching this movie fall in love with her. Overal rating: 1 1/2 stars out of 5. Yikes.
Touching and heart wrenching story about a mother with a case of schizophrenia and the sadness and tribulation it brought. This is a semi auto-biographical film about a father and son played by Joe Pantoliano and Devon Gearhart. The wife played by Marcia Gay Harden has a mental break down and has to be put into a mental hospital. While she is in the hospital they were trying to deal with the loss, the father decides to build a sail boat in his driveway. The sailboat reminds him of his wife and the first time they met while taking boat lessons. The son is having trouble in school from being teased because of his situation. At times it can be an emotional roller coaster having you crying and laughing at the same time. These are tough rolls with very strong emotions but I think they executed flawlessly. There is only one gripe I had with this movie was the last minute. Although I enjoyed it, the end left me and my movie buddy somewhat confused. I wasn't expecting for her to be better all of a sudden, but with the writing throughout there might have been more explanation with what finally became of them all. Canvas brought to light what sometimes is pushed under the rug and forgotten sometimes, but is a real problem in this world and should be talked about more often so it could be better understood. All and all I'm glad I watched it and I will suggest it to everyone.
a very well done film dealing with mental illness and how it impacts this family. very good performances from veteran actors joe pantoliano and marcia gay harden, as well as a fine outing from devon gearhart in his debut. the dvd is very cheap in it's picture quality, which was very disappointing, but beyond that this is a very good movie.
not bad, not great. acceptable.
Film festival berkualitas yg mengupas kehidupan seorang penderita schizofrenia. Seorang ibu yang mengalami gangguan ini, seorang ayah yang mencintai keluarganya, dan seorang anak yang sedang bertumbuh diantara teman2 sebaya nya. Benar2 kisah yang menyentuh
A good movie, worth watching if u're in the mood of watching a slow meaningful movie. Artistic presentation of a kid growing up in emotional struggle...
Not a feel good movie, kind of sad though ends on note of hope
An intimate tale of mental illness and its effects on a family, Canvas has some holes, but the restrained performances of Pantalione and Gay-Harden kept me very interested. Harden was wonderful; one moment bubbling over with joy and then the next filled with uncertainty, showing her to be very vulnerable and yet possessing an immense inner strength. The scene where she begs off an offer to go boating because she's suffered a bad episode the night before was powerful; down to the defeat in her voice, even as she was standing up to her problem. Pantalione suffers in silence for the most part, and is most telling when he finally breaks and yells at his son that all he wants is to get back the woman he married. Heartbreaking stuff. The ultimate reconcilliation between father and son is a bit formula, but how could it fail to be? Some of the supporting roles were well acted - the smarmy boss who had just enough alleged humanity to not appear a cardboard cut out, and the young girl who befriends the boy, from all the coy looks and then rushed peck on the cheek - all really felt natural and real.