{{Other uses|Blue Butterfly (disambiguation){{!}}Blue Butterfly}} {{Infobox film | name = The Blue Butterfly | image = The Blue Butterfly (2004) Film Poster.jpg | caption = Film poster | writer = [[Pete McCormack]] | starring = [[William Hurt]]<br/>[[Pascale Bussières]]<br/>[[Marc Donato]] | director = [[Léa Pool]] | editing = Michel Arcand | music = [[Stephen Endelman]] | cinematography = [[Pierre Mignot]] | studio = Galafilm<br>Global Arts Productions<br>Palpable Productions | distributor = Film Tonic {{small|(Canada)}}<br>Alliance Atlantis {{small|(international)}} | released = {{Film date|2004|2|20|Quebec}} | runtime = 97 minutes | language = English | country = Canada<br>United Kingdom | producer = | budget = C$12 million }}
'''''The Blue Butterfly''''' (French: '''''Le papillon bleu''''') is a 2004 [[drama film]] directed by [[Léa Pool]]. A Quebec–United Kingdom co-production, it stars [[William Hurt]], [[Pascale Bussières]] and [[Marc Donato]]. Inspired by a true story, the film centres on a terminally ill boy’s search for a rare blue morpho butterfly. It won Best Cinematography at the 2005 [[Jutra Awards]] and was screened at the 2004 [[Mar del Plata International Film Festival]].
==Synopsis== The film follows a ten-year-old boy with [[terminal cancer]] who is fascinated by butterflies. His final wish is to find the rare blue morpho butterfly, which lives in tropical rainforests. After his mother persuades an [[entomologist]] to help, the boy sets off for the rainforest in search of the rare butterfly. During the expedition, he confronts his fears and illness.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Blue Butterfly |url=https://filmsandfestivals.britishcouncil.org/projects/the-blue-butterfly |access-date=3 May 2026 |website=British Council Film}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Das Geheimnis des blauen Schmetterlings |url=https://www.filmdienst.de/film/details/524174/das-geheimnis-des-blauen-schmetterlings |access-date=3 May 2026 |website=Filmdienst |language=de}}</ref>
==Cast== The cast includes:<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=The Blue Butterfly |url=https://www.filmpodium.ch/film/167326/the-blue-butterfly |access-date=3 May 2026 |website=Filmpodium |language=de}}</ref>
* [[William Hurt]] as Alan Osborn * [[Pascale Bussières]] as Teresa Carlton * [[Marc Donato]] as Pete Carlton * [[Raoul Max Trujillo]] as Alejo * Marianella Jimenez as Yana * Gerardo Hernandez as Manolo * Steve Adams as Moderator * Silverio Morales as Diego, the shaman
== Production == The film was inspired by the story of David Marenger, a Canadian boy with cancer, and Quebec entomologist [[Georges Brossard]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=10 February 2004 |title=Georges Brossard rencontre «le miraculé du papillon bleu» |url=https://www.tvanouvelles.ca/2004/02/10/georges-brossard-rencontre-le-miracule-du-papillon-bleu |access-date=3 May 2026 |website=TVA Nouvelles |language=fr}}</ref> A Quebec–United Kingdom co-production, the film was produced by Galafilm, Global Arts Productions and Palpable Productions. It was filmed in [[Montreal]] and [[Costa Rica]] on an estimated budget of C$12 million.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Blue Butterfly, The – Film de Léa Pool |url=https://www.filmsquebec.com/films/blue-butterfly-papillon-bleu-lea-pool/ |access-date=3 May 2026 |website=Films du Québec |language=fr}}</ref>
== Reception ==
=== Awards === At the 2004 [[Giffoni Film Festival]], the film was ranked third among feature films in the Free to Fly section and received the Ministry for Arts and Culture Award.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Winners and Prizes GFF 2004 |url=https://www.giffonifilmfestival.it/en/vincitori-premi-2004.html |access-date=3 May 2026 |website=Giffoni Film Festival}}</ref> The film won Best Cinematography for Pierre Mignot at the 2005 [[Jutra Awards]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Blue Butterfly |url=https://www.cinematheque.qc.ca/en/cinema/the-blue-butterfly/ |access-date=3 May 2026 |website=Cinémathèque québécoise}}</ref>
=== Critical response === ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' wrote that the film lacked "fun, originality and depth". The review found the characters thinly developed and the film visually static, but praised [[Pierre Mignot]]'s close-up photography of insects and small animals as "superb".<ref>{{Cite web |date=5 March 2004 |title=The Blue Butterfly |url=https://variety.com/2004/film/reviews/the-blue-butterfly-1200534697/ |access-date=3 May 2026 |website=Variety}}</ref> ''[[Filmdienst]]'' described the film as sentimental and wrote that its treatment of the story was too superficial to work fully either as a children's film or as a social-issue drama.<ref name=":0" /> Filmpodium quoted ''[[Neue Zürcher Zeitung]]'' as writing that the film was convincing in its balance between external action and understated suggestion.<ref name=":1" />
== Festival screenings == The film was screened in the Official Section of the 2004 [[Mar del Plata International Film Festival|Mar del Plata International Film Festival.]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=19º Edición (2004) |url=https://www.mardelplatafilmfest.com/39/es/edicion/19 |access-date=3 May 2026 |website=Festival Internacional de Cine de Mar del Plata |language=es}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{IMDb title|id=0313300|title=The Blue Butterfly}} *{{Rotten Tomatoes|1159632_blue_butterfly}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20090603020958/http://www.bluebutterflythemovie.com/ Official site (Archived at Archive.org)]
{{Léa Pool}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blue Butterfly}} [[Category:2004 films]] [[Category:2000s adventure drama films]] [[Category:Canadian biographical drama films]] [[Category:Canadian adventure drama films]] [[Category:English-language Canadian films]] [[Category:Films directed by Léa Pool]] [[Category:2004 drama films]] [[Category:2004 English-language films]] [[Category:2004 Canadian films]] [[Category:English-language adventure drama films]] [[Category:BayView Entertainment films]] [[Category:English-language biographical drama films]]