The Novena

{{Short description|French-language Canadian drama film}} {{Infobox film | name = The Novena | native_name = {{infobox name module|fr|La Neuvaine}} | image = | caption = Film poster | director = Bernard Émond | producer = Bernadette Payeur | writer = Bernard Émond | starring = Élise Guilbault<br>Patrick Drolet | music = Robert Marcel Lepage | cinematography = Jean-Claude Labrecque | editing = Louise Côté | studio = ACPAV | released = {{film date|2005|8||Locarno}} | runtime = 97 minutes | country = Canada | language = French | budget = }} '''''The Novena''''' ({{langx|fr|La Neuvaine}}) is a 2005 Canadian drama film, directed by Bernard Émond.<ref>"A film of amazing grace". ''Montreal Gazette'', August 26, 2005.</ref>

An exploration of faith, the film centres on the interaction between Jeanne (Élise Guilbault), an atheist doctor who is suffering from clinical depression and wants to commit suicide after one of her patients is murdered by an abusive husband, and François (Patrick Drolet), a young, deeply religious man who is fervently praying for a miracle to save his dying grandmother.<ref>"Quebec impresses at annual TIFF". ''Sherbrooke Record'', September 2, 2005.</ref> The film is the first in a trilogy inspired by the Catholic theological virtues of faith, hope and charity, which continued with ''Summit Circle (Contre toute espérance)'' in 2007 and ''The Legacy (La Donation)'' in 2009.<ref name=canenc>[https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/bernard-emond "Bernard Émond"]. ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'', April 22, 2010.</ref>

== Plot == {{Expand French|date=March 2024|topic=cult|section=yes}}

==Cast== {{castlist| * Élise Guilbault as Jeanne * Patrick Drolet as François * Marie-Josée Bastien as Bénévole refuge * Claude Binet as M. Tremblay * Luc Bourgeois as Urgentologue * Lise Castonguay as Thérèse * Richard Champagne as Agent de sécurité * Pierre Collin as Prêtre confident * Benoît Dagenais as Docteur Langlais * Stéphane Demers as Mari de Lise * Raoul Desmeules as Un aide * Muriel Dutil as Mère de Jeanne * Denise Gagnon as Grand-mère * Amélie Grenier as Femme du refuge * Éveline Gélinas as Jeune mère qui témoigne * Paul Hébert as Prêtre qui bénit * Bonfield Marcoux as Curé du village * Guillaume Meloche as Patient urgence * Isabelle Pastena as Femme du refuge * Micheline Poitras as Femme du refuge * Lyne Riel as Femme du refuge * Isabelle Roy as Lise * Paul Savoie as Mari de Jeanne * Michelle Sirois as Infirmière urgence (billed as Michèle Sirois) * Jean-François Sénécal as Agent de sécurité * Diane Verreault as Ambulancier * Ghislaine Vincent as Madame Filion }}

==Accolades== It premiered at the Locarno Film Festival in 2005, where it won three awards including Best Actor for Drolet.<ref name=canenc/> In December 2005, it was named to the Toronto International Film Festival's annual Canada's Top Ten list of the year's best films.<ref>"Topping the list: Canada's cinematic achievements". ''National Post'', December 14, 2005.</ref>

The film did not receive any Genie Award nominations, as its distributor deliberately chose not to submit the film at all.<ref>"C.R.A.Z.Y. grabs 12 Genie nominations". ''Montreal Gazette'', January 26, 2006.</ref> It received eight Prix Jutra nominations, including Best Film, Best Director (Émond), Best Actor (Drolet), Best Actress (Guilbault), Best Screenplay (Émond), Best Cinematography (Jean-Claude Labrecque), Best Editing (Louise Côté) and Best Music (Robert Marcel Lepage).<ref>"C.R.A.Z.Y. faces off against Maurice Richard with 14 nominations apiece". ''Montreal Gazette'', February 8, 2006.</ref> Guilbault won the Jutra for Best Actress.<ref>"Jutra judges wild about C.R.A.Z.Y.". ''Montreal Gazette'', March 20, 2006.</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *{{IMDb title|0435225}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Novena, The}} Category:2005 films Category:Canadian drama films Category:Films directed by Bernard Émond Category:French-language Canadian films Category:2005 Canadian films Category:Films scored by Robert Marcel Lepage