Close to You (2023 film)#Cast
{{Short description|Film by Dominic Savage}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox film
| image = Close to you film 2023 poster.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = Dominic Savage
| producer = {{plainlist|
- Krishnendu Majumdar
- Richard Yee
- Daniel Bekerman
- Chris Yurkovich
- Dominic Savage
- Elliot Page
}}
| story = {{Plainlist|
- Dominic Savage
- Elliot Page
}}
| writer = Dominic Savage
| starring = {{Plainlist|
- Elliot Page
- Hillary Baack
- Peter Outerbridge
- Wendy Crewson
}}
| music = {{Plainlist|
- Oliver Coates
- Dominic Savage
}}
| cinematography = Catherine Lutes
| editing = David Charap
| studio = {{plainlist|
- Kindred Spirit
- Rolling Dice
- Me + You Productions
- Good Question Media
- Pageboy Productions
}}
| distributor = {{Plainlist|
- Mongrel Media (Canada)
- Vertigo Releasing (United Kingdom)
}}
| released = {{Film date|2023|09|10|TIFF|2024|8|16|Canada|2024|8|30|United Kingdom}}
| runtime = 99 minutes{{Cite web |date=August 22, 2024|title=Close To You (15) |url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/close-to-you-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmdizmzkw|access-date=August 22, 2024 |website=British Board of Film Classification}}
| country = {{Plainlist|
- Canada
- United Kingdom
}}
| language = English
| budget =
| gross = $72,994{{cite web|url= https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Close-to-You-(2024)#tab=summary|title=Close to You (2023)|website=The Numbers|access-date=September 20, 2024}}{{cite web|url= https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl913801217/?ref_=bo_da_table_20|title=Close to You (2023)|website=Box Office Mojo|access-date=September 20, 2024}}
}}
Close to You is a 2023 drama film directed by Dominic Savage and starring Elliot Page, Hillary Baack, Peter Outerbridge, and Wendy Crewson. Savage and Page wrote the story together and both acted as producers.
The film premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, and was released on August 16, 2024 in Canada. It was released in the United Kingdom on August 23, 2024.
Premise
Sam, a trans man, is heading back home for his father's birthday and bumps into an old friend, opening old wounds as he finds his family struggling to come to terms with his transition.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2023/06/elliot-page-close-to-you-movie-dominic-savage-1235414758|title=Elliot Page Set For Dominic Savage Film 'Close To You'|first=Matt|last=Grobar|date=June 12, 2023|access-date=June 12, 2023|website=Deadline Hollywood|archive-date=June 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230612183556/https://deadline.com/2023/06/elliot-page-close-to-you-movie-dominic-savage-1235414758/|url-status=dead}}
Cast
{{Cast listing|
- Elliot Page as Sam
- Hillary Baack as Katherine
- Peter Outerbridge as Jim, Sam's dad
- Wendy Crewson as Miriam, Sam's mum
- Janet Porter as Kate
- Alex Paxton-Beesley as Megan
- Daniel Maslany as Michael
- Sook-Yin Lee as Emily
- Andrew Bushell as Stephen
- Jim Watson as Daniel
- David Reale as Paul
- Amanda Richer as Margot
}}
Production
Alongside Savage and Page, producers also include Krishnendu Majumdar and Richard Yee for their Me + You Productions banner and Daniel Bekerman and Chris Yurkovich, via Good Question Media. Financing comes from Kindred Spirit with Anita Gou and Sam Intili executive producing with Rolling Dice's Nia Vazirani, and Matt Jordan Smith of PageBoy Productions.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2023/film/news/elliot-page-close-to-you-film-1235641140/|accessdate=June 12, 2023|website=Variety|date=June 12, 2023|title=Elliot Page to Star in Indie Drama 'Close to You'|first=Rebecca|last=Rubin|archive-date=June 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230612182520/https://variety.com/2023/film/news/elliot-page-close-to-you-film-1235641140/amp/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/elliot-page-announced-as-star-of-close-to-you-for-kindred-spirit-rolling-dice/5183047.article|website=Screen Daily|accessdate=June 12, 2023|date=June 12, 2023|first=Jeremy|last=Kay|title=Elliot Page announced as star of 'Close To You' for Kindred Spirit, Rolling Dice|archive-date=June 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230612202056/https://www.screendaily.com/news/elliot-page-announced-as-star-of-close-to-you-for-kindred-spirit-rolling-dice/5183047.article|url-status=live}} The project included high levels of improvisation and Page told The Guardian the experience was "a highlight of my life as an actor."{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/jun/10/elliot-page-juno-hollywoods-dark-side-coming-out-twice|website=The Guardian|accessdate=June 12, 2023|title= Elliot Page on Juno, Hollywood's dark side and coming out twice: 'Living my life was more important than being in movies'|first=Simon|last=Hatterstone|date=June 10, 2023}}
=Filming=
Shot by cinematographer Catherine Lutes, principal photography took place in Canada and wrapped by June 2023.{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/elliot-page-drama-close-to-you-1235513289/|website=Hollywood Reporter|accessdate=June 12, 2023|title=Elliot Page Starring in Drama 'Close to You' from 'The Farewell' Producer|first=Mia|last=Galuppo|date=June 12, 2023|archive-date=June 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230612183651/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/elliot-page-drama-close-to-you-1235513289/amp/|url-status=live}}
Release
The film had its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2023,{{Cite web |last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |date=2023-07-24 |title=TIFF Lineup Unveiled Amid Strikes: Awards Contenders 'Dumb Money', 'The Holdovers', 'Rustin'; Starry Pics For Sale With Scarlett Johansson, Kate Winslet, Michael Keaton, Viggo Mortensen & More |url=https://deadline.com/2023/07/2023-toronto-film-festival-lineup-movies-list-1235446040/ |access-date=July 24, 2023 |website=Deadline |language=en-US |archive-date=July 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230724185421/https://deadline.com/2023/07/2023-toronto-film-festival-lineup-movies-list-1235446040/ |url-status=live }} and received a gala screening at the 2023 Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival.Heidi Ulrichsen, [https://www.sudbury.com/local-news/cinefest-2023-features-strong-canadian-content-7446356 "Cinéfest 2023 features strong Canadian content"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230823233534/https://www.sudbury.com/local-news/cinefest-2023-features-strong-canadian-content-7446356 |date=August 23, 2023 }}. Sudbury.com, August 23, 2023. In January 2024, Greenwich Entertainment acquired US distribution rights to the film.{{cite web|url= https://deadline.com/2024/01/close-to-you-elliot-page-acquired-greenwich-entertainment-1235792342/|title=Elliot Page Drama Close To You Acquired By Greenwich Entertainment|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Matt|last=Grobar|date=January 16, 2024|access-date=January 16, 2024}}
It was released in the United States and Canada (Mongrel Media) on August 16, 2024,{{Cite web |date=April 4, 2024|last=Topel|first=Fred|title=Elliot Page drama Close to You opens in August|url=https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/Movies/2024/04/04/Elliot-Page-Close-to-You-August/2211712255370/ |access-date=2024-07-10 |website=United Press International}}{{cite web|url=https://www.tribute.ca/movies/close-to-you/177692/|title=Close to You|website=Tribute.ca|access-date=August 16, 2024}} and was released in the United Kingdom (Vertigo Releasing) two weeks later on August 30.{{Cite web |date=February 15, 2024|last=Townsend |first=Kelly|title=Close to You heads to European Film Market |url=https://playbackonline.ca/2024/02/15/close-to-you-heads-to-european-film-market/ |website=Playback|access-date=2024-07-10}}{{Cite web |title=All Future Releases |url=https://filmdistributorsassociation.com/release-schedule/all-future-releases/ |access-date=2024-08-22 |website=Film Distributors' Association |archive-date=August 22, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240822173529/https://filmdistributorsassociation.com/release-schedule/all-future-releases/ |url-status=live }} The movie had its streaming debut on Netflix on November 15, 2024.{{Cite web |last=Moore |first=Kasey |date=2024-10-19 |title=Elliot Page Movie 'Close To You' Sets Netflix Streaming Debut Date |url=https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/news/elliot-page-movie-close-to-you-sets-netflix-streaming-debut/ |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=What's on Netflix |language=en}}
Reception
=Critical response=
{{Rotten Tomatoes prose|66|6.1|58|A passion project for Elliot Page that benefits from his naturalism, Close to You{{'}}s improvisational scripting yields dramatically uneven but ultimately moving results.|ref=y|access-date=December 5, 2024}} {{Metacritic film prose|55|17}}{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/close-to-you/|title=Close to You|website=Metacritic |publisher=Fandom, Inc. |access-date=December 5, 2024}} Page's performance was widely praised, even by the film's detractors.Multiple references, including:
- {{Cite web |last=Lodge |first=Guy |date=2024-03-22 |title=‘Close to You’ Review: Elliot Page Makes an Affecting Big-Screen Return in a Fragile Homecoming Drama |url=https://variety.com/2024/film/reviews/close-to-you-review-elliot-page-1235943138/ |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}
- {{Cite web |last=Travers |first=Peter |title=Review: Elliot Page delivers a deeply moving performance in 'Close to You' |url=https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/review-elliot-page-delivers-deeply-moving-performance-close/story?id=112861495 |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=ABC News |language=en}}
- {{Cite web |date=2024-09-04 |title=Close To You |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/close-to-you/ |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=Empire |language=en}}
- {{Cite web |last=Romney |first=Jonathan |title=‘Close To You’: Toronto Review |url=https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/close-to-you-toronto-review/5185549.article |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=Screen |language=en}}
- {{Cite web |last=Hutchinson |first=Chase |date=2023-09-12 |title='Close to You' Review: Elliot Page Is Stuck in a Nightmare Family Reunion {{!}} TIFF 2023 |url=https://collider.com/close-to-you-review/ |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=Collider |language=en}}
- {{Cite web |last=Bove |first=Kate |date=2024-08-16 |title=Close To You Review: Elliot Page's Poignant Performance Is Overshadowed By Story Threads That Don't Mesh |url=https://screenrant.com/close-to-you-movie-review/ |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=ScreenRant |language=en}}
Matt Zoller Seitz of RogerEbert.com gave the film three out of four stars and wrote, "It's raw and often powerful—less of a carefully shaped drama than the equivalent of a series of boxes filled with explosive material being slung about. It's less concerned with winning points for neatness than in letting scenes unfold in an unflinchingly immediate way."{{cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/close-to-you-movie-review-2024|title=Close to You|website=RogerEbert.com|first=Matt|last=Zoller Seitz|date=August 16, 2024|access-date=August 16, 2024}}
=Awards=
References
{{reflist}}