Giant Little Ones

Adolescents face enormous pressure to make life-defining decisions every day and they want to lock in their identities sooner than later. All of this pressure is exacerbated by physical and social changes. Franky (Josh Wiggins), the hero of Keith Behrman's exquisite and generous Giant Little Ones, is under more pressure than most. His life was altered when his father (Kyle MacLachlan) left his mother (Maria Bello) for a man. Franky is left confused and angry toward his father for breaking up the family.

Things are further confused for Franky when his wild birthday party ends in a sexual encounter no one could have imagined, including his best friend and girlfriend. As Franky's world crumbles, he and his friends are forced to decide what kind of people they want to be.

A sensitive and touching look at that point in adolescence when freedom is both intoxicating and terrifying (and feelings are both elegiac and erotic), Giant Little Ones recalls the best scenes in Stéphane Lafleur's Tu dors Nicole or Joachim Trier's Oslo, August 31st. It's driven by extraordinary young talents as well as great work by veterans MacLachlan, Bello (also at TIFF in the Short Cuts selection EXIT), and Peter Outerbridge and the subtle, evocative directorial touch of Behrman, whose Flower & Garnet won the 2002 Canadian Screen Award for Best First Feature.

STEVE GRAVESTOCK

This film has been selected by the TIFF Next Wave Committee for the next generation of film lovers.