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Tarnation, 2003

Starring: Jonathan Caouette, Renee Leblanc, Adolph Davis, Rosemary Davis

Directed by: Jonathan Caouette

Written by: Jonathan Caouette

Language: English

Country: USA

Runtime: 88 min

MPAA Rating:

Rating:7.0

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Profile of Tarnation

The mood of Tarnation is disturbing, contemplative, and offbeat. The plot centers around parents and children, themes of mind and soul, and adoption. It is a drama and documentary movie. Stylistically, Tarnation is experimental. In approach, it is serious and realistic. The pacing is slow. Tarnation is set in New York. It happens in contemporary times.

Summary of Tarnation

Tarnation is a wondrous achievement, a personal essay that miraculously balances despair and tragedy with an overriding air of hopefulness. Raised by a schizophrenic mother and abusive foster parents in and around Houston, Texas, Jonathan Caouette escaped from his bleak surroundings by hiding behind a video camera. Since he was eleven, Jonathan obsessively documented himself and those around him, resulting in a stockpile of videotapes that appeared to have no certain purpose. Around this time, he made another dramatic discovery: he was gay. Inspired by underground horror films, musical theatre, and other forms of pop culture, Jonathan knew that he one day wanted to be a performer, and so, in his early twenties, he moved to New York City, where he acted in student films and found stability in the form of his loving boyfriend, David. When he discovered Apple's easy-to-use iMovie editing software, Jonathan began the arduous process of assembling the endless footage of his past. The result is an autobiographical documentary that defies description, a heart-wrenching, devastating testament to personal human spirit. Even after all that his mother put him through, Caouette heroically stands behind her, which gives Tarnation its unwavering soul and makes it must-see viewing for everyone.

Details

Language:	English
Country:	USA
Release date:	19 October 2003
Runtime:	88 min

Cast and Crew See all

Jonathan Caouette

as Himself

Renee Leblanc

as Herself

Adolph Davis

as Himself

Rosemary Davis

as Herself

Photos See all

Tarnation (2003)

Clips See all

Tarnation: Theatrical

Critics Reviews See all

Entertainment Weekly

Painfully beautiful autobiographical kaleidoscope. Full Review

|
by: Owen Gleiberman

The New York Times

Certainly one of the strangest and most interesting movies of the year, and I suspect that in years to come a number of other strange and interesting movies will show traces of its influence. Full Review

|
by: Dana Stevens

Users Reviews See all

A riveting, emotionally devastating self-made film about one mans struggle with the cards that were dealt him. That the film-maker/subject is around my age and used the popular images and music of our youth to tell his story just made it that much... Read and rate it

14.May.2009
|
by: Celainn
Celainn rated this movie8/10Great

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