Shania: A Life in Eight Albums
{{Infobox television
| image = Mgm_Shania_A_Life_in_Eight_Albums-DVD.jpg
| image_size = 150
| image_alt =
| caption = DVD cover
| genre = biopic
| creator =
| based_on =
| writer =
| screenplay =
| story =
| director = Jerry Ciccoritti
| starring = Meredith Henderson
Shenae Grimes
Megan Follows
Eric Schweig
Gordon Tootoosis
| narrated =
| theme_music_composer =
| country = Canada
| language = English
French{{cite web|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/392084/Shania-A-Life-in-Eight-Albums/dvd|department=Movies & TV Dept.|work=The New York Times|title=Shania: A Life in Eight Albums (2005)
| num_episodes =
| producer =
| editor =
| cinematography = Norayr Kasper
| company =
| budget =
| network = CBC
| released = {{Start date|2005|11|07}}
}}
Shania: A Life in Eight Albums is a Canadian television movie, which premiered on CBC Television at 8pm on November 7, 2005.{{cite news|url=http://jam.canoe.ca/Television/2005/11/06/1295563.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130115170930/http://jam.canoe.ca/Television/2005/11/06/1295563.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=January 15, 2013|title=Henderson steps into big boots|last=van Wyk|first=Anika|date=2005-11-07|work=Calgary Sun (Alberta)|pages=Entertainment; Country, 33|accessdate=2009-01-28}} It is a biopic of Canadian country star Shania Twain, that was originally scheduled to air in October,{{cite news|title=Lockout shuts out CBC's high-impact series|last=Dixon|first=Guy|date=2005-08-31|work=The Globe and Mail|pages=Entertainment section front}} but was delayed by the CBC labour dispute. The film was divided into eight chapters, each defined by its own colour code, style and symbolic album cover title.{{cite news|title=The Ballad of Shania; CBC Telepic Sings Praises of Twain's Life & Career|last=McKay|first=John|date=2005-11-07|work=Winnipeg Sun (Manitoba)|pages=Entertainment; 18}}
Plot
{{no plot|date=March 2023}}
Cast
- Meredith Henderson ... Shania Twain
- Shenae Grimes ... Eilleen Shania Twain 13-16 yrs.
- Reva Timbers ... Eilleen Twain 8-11 yrs.
- Megan Follows ... Sharon Twain
- Eric Schweig ... Jerry Twain
- Lynne Cormack ... Mary Baily
- Darrell Dennis ... John Kim Bell
- Gordon Tootoosis ... Greey Twain
- Katie Boland ... Jill Twain, 13-24 yrs.
- Caroline Sura ... Carrie Anne Twain, 10-13 yrs.
- Courtenay Betts ... Carrie Anne Twain, 16-21 yrs.
- Adam Cabral ... Mark Twain, 5-8 yrs.
- Devon Bostick ... Mark Twain, 14 yrs.
- Aydan James Taylor ... Darryl Twain, 5-7 yrs
- Chevez Ezaneh ... Darryl Twain, 8-13 yrs.
- Tracey Toulouse ... Audrey
- Diego Klattenhoff ... Paul
- Christopher Ralph ... Mike
- Grant Aldridge ... David
- Michael Carabine ... Rick
- David Dymond ... Mike
- Jacqueline Pillon ... Lucinda
Production and release
The role of Shania was shared between eight-year-old Reva Timbers, teen Shenae Grimes, and Meredith Henderson who plays Twain as an adult. They worked out shared mannerisms to improve continuity and all did their own singing. The film also stars Megan Follows and Eric Schweig as Twain's parents, and Gordon Tootoosis as her grandfather.{{cite web|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/392084/Shania-A-Life-in-Eight-Albums/overview|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071121044945/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/392084/Shania-A-Life-in-Eight-Albums/overview|url-status=dead|archive-date=2007-11-21|department=Movies & TV Dept.|work=The New York Times|author=Nathan Southern|date=2007|title=Shania: A Life in Eight Albums (2005)|accessdate=2009-01-28}}
The film was directed by Jerry Ciccoritti and produced by Barna-Alper Productions.
Filming started on September 20, 2004{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/in-brief-from-sherlock-s-shirley-to-shania-more-1.512640|title=IN BRIEF: From Sherlock's Shirley to Shania; more|date=2004-09-08|publisher=CBC|access-date=2009-02-02}} and mainly occurred in Sudbury.[http://www.baytoday.ca/content/editorials/details.asp?c=10314 "CBC to premiere "Shania: A Life in Eight Albums""] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819084505/http://www.baytoday.ca/content/editorials/details.asp?c=10314 |date=2014-08-19 }}. Bay Today, November 2, 2005. Additional filming was done in Huntsville, Timmins and Toronto. The film contained only brief footage of Timmins even though Twain grew up there. In 2004, Timmins mayor Vic Power publicly criticized the filmmakers for not producing the film in Timmins, calling it a "horrible miscarriage of justice".{{cite news|title=Shania does us proud ... yet again|last=O'Reilly|first=Neal|date=2004-12-31|work=Timmins Daily Press|pages=Year in Review; A3}} Nevertheless, the director was successful in recruiting cousins of Twain as extras, and more importantly he secured High Park House, where Twain lived with John Kim Bell, as a filming location. In a random case of good fortune, the current owner of the house provided the crew with a guitar Shania had left behind. Meredith Henderson played it in the film.{{cite news|title=The Twains shall meet|last=Zekas|first=Rita|date=2005-11-04|work=Toronto Star|pages=Movies E07}}
The film was not authorized by Twain and made without her participation. The film ends with a disclaimer stating so.{{cite news|url=http://jam.canoe.ca/Television/2005/11/06/1295562.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120529182223/http://jam.canoe.ca/Television/2005/11/06/1295562.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=May 29, 2012|title=Biopic looks at Twain's early years|last=Harris|first=Bill|date=2005-11-07|newspaper=Toronto Sun|accessdate=2009-01-28}} Because of Twain's lack of participation, the producers were not allowed to use any of her songs, and thus relied on early bootlegs of Twain singing public domain songs.
Awards
The film was nominated for two Gemini Awards in 2006. Megan Follows was nominated in the category "Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series". The film was also nominated in the category "Best Sound in a Dramatic Program".{{cite press release | title = The 21st Annual Gemini Awards Nominees are... | publisher = Gemini Awards | date = 2006-08-29 | url = http://www.geminiawards.ca/gemini21/releases/GAGAllNominees.pdf | accessdate = 2009-01-28}} It also won the DGC Craft Award for "Outstanding Sound Editing - Television Movie/Mini-Series" that same year.{{cite press release |title= "History of Violence" leads 2006 Directors Guild of Canada Awards |publisher= DGC Awards |date= 2006-10-15 |url= http://www.dgc.ca/PHPUploads/DGC%20Press%20Release%20DGC%20Awards06%20Winners.pdf |accessdate= 2009-01-28 |url-status= dead |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20100919052433/http://dgc.ca/PHPUploads/DGC%20Press%20Release%20DGC%20Awards06%20Winners.pdf |archivedate= 2010-09-19 }}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- http://www.shaniasplace.com/GreatestHits_Gallery/PicturesVidCaps/ScanPages/051107_CBC_ShaniaALifeInEightAlbums.htm
- {{IMDb title|0449646|Shania: A Life in Eight Albums}}
{{Shania Twain}}
{{Jerry Ciccoritti}}
Category:Canadian biographical drama films
Category:CBC Television original films
Category:English-language Canadian films
Category:2005 in Canadian television
Category:2005 television films
Category:Television series by Lionsgate Canada
Category:Films shot in Greater Sudbury
Category:Films directed by Jerry Ciccoritti
Category:2000s biographical films
Category:Films set in Northern Ontario