My Friend Max

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}} {{Infobox film | name = My Friend Max | native_name = {{Infobox name module|fr|Mon amie Max}} | image = | caption = | director = [[Michel Brault]] | producer = [[Aimée Danis]] Carole Ducharme Alain Rocca | writer = [[Guy Fournier]] [[Jefferson Lewis]] | starring = [[Geneviève Bujold]] [[Marthe Keller]] Johanne McKay | music = [[François Dompierre]] | cinematography = [[Sylvain Brault]] | editing = [[Jacques Gagné]] | studio = Les Productions Lazennec Les Productions du Verseau [[National Film Board of Canada]] | released = {{Film date|1994|2|18|[[Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma|RVCQ]]}} | runtime = 106 minutes | country = Canada | language = French | budget = }} '''''My Friend Max''''' ({{langx|fr|Mon amie Max}}) is a 1994 Canadian [[drama film]], written by [[Guy Fournier]] and [[Jefferson Lewis]], and directed by [[Michel Brault]].<ref>Charles-Henri Ramond, [https://www.filmsquebec.com/films/mon-amie-max-michel-brault/ "Mon amie Max – Film de Michel Brault"]. ''Films du Québec'', February 3, 2009.</ref> The film premiered in February 1994 at the [[Rendez-vous du cinéma québécois]].<ref>John Griffin, "Festival underscores health of Quebec cinema". ''[[Montreal Gazette]]'', January 26, 1994.</ref>

The film was selected as the Canadian entry for the [[Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film|Best Foreign Language Film]] at the [[67th Academy Awards]], but was not accepted as a nominee.

==Plot== The film is set in contemporary [[Quebec City]], [[Quebec]].<ref>Brendan Kelly, [https://variety.com/1994/film/reviews/mon-amie-max-1200435733/ "Mon Amie Max"]. ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'', February 20, 1994.</ref>

Catherine ([[Marthe Keller]]), a concert pianist, is surprised one night by the arrival of her childhood friend Max ([[Geneviève Bujold]]), whom she hasn't seen for 25 years. Catherine and Max were students together at the Music Conservatory in Quebec City, and were the most promising pianists. While still in her teens, the adventurous Max gets pregnant. She wants to keep the child, but her domineering mother forces her to give him up for adoption. The rebellious Max then leaves Quebec and the music world. Now, years later, she returns, obsessed with finding her son. With the help of Catherine, she locates the adoption records and social workers contact her son to ask if he wants to see her. He refuses, but she keeps trying until they are reunited.<ref>John Griffin, "Max caused award-winning writer some pain". ''[[Montreal Gazette]]'', February 20, 1994.</ref>

==Cast== * [[Geneviève Bujold]] as Marie-Alexandrine Brabant * [[Marthe Keller]] as Catherine Mercier * [[Johanne McKay]] as Marie-Alexandrine (adolescente) * [[Marie Guillard]] as Catherine (adolescente) * [[Michel Rivard]] as Denis Lajeunesse * [[Rita Lafontaine]] as Madame Brabant * [[Véronique Le Flaguais]] as Mme Michaud * [[Jean-Louis Roux]] as Père Berube * Patrice Bissonnette as Michael Simard

==Awards and nominations== At RVCQ, Bujold won the award for Best Performance, McKay won the award for Most Promising Actor, and [[Guy Fournier]] and [[Jefferson Lewis]] won the award for Best Screenplay.<ref>"Low-budget drama wins Quebec prize". ''[[Edmonton Journal]]'', February 14, 1994.</ref>

The film was selected as the Canadian entry for the [[Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film|Best Foreign Language Film]] at the [[67th Academy Awards]],<ref>Dan Bennett, "Palm Springs Film Festival productive event". ''[[North County Times]]'', January 20, 1995.</ref> but was not accepted as a nominee.

It received six [[Genie Award]] nominations at the [[15th Genie Awards]] in 1994, for [[Canadian Screen Award for Best Motion Picture|Best Picture]], [[Canadian Screen Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]] (Bujold), [[Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]] (Rivard), [[Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]] (McKay), [[Canadian Screen Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]] ([[Sylvain Brault]]) and [[Canadian Screen Award for Best Editing|Best Editing]] ([[Jacques Gagné]]).<ref>John Griffin, "Exotica dominates Genie nominations". ''[[Montreal Gazette]]'', October 20, 1994.</ref>

Bujold won the 1993 [[Prix Guy-L'Écuyer]] for ''Mon amie Max.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Coulombe|first=Michel|title=Le Dictionnaire du cinéma québécois|last2=Jean|first2=Marcel|publisher=Boréal|year=2006|isbn=2-7646-0427-0|edition=4nd|language=fr|pages=606}}</ref>''

==See also== * [[List of submissions to the 67th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film]] * [[List of Canadian submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film]]

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{IMDb title|0110554}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:My Friend Max}} [[Category:1994 films]] [[Category:1994 drama films]] [[Category:Canadian drama films]] [[Category:Films directed by Michel Brault]] [[Category:Films set in Quebec City]] [[Category:1994 French-language films]] [[Category:French-language Canadian films]] [[Category:1994 Canadian films]]