''Dice'' (2001) is a Canada/UK co-produced

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

television mini-series A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited-run series, Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of ...

. It was directed by

Rachel Talalay Rachel Talalay (born July 16, 1958) is a British-American film and television director and producer. She is also a University of British Columbia film professor. Early life and education Talalay was born in Chicago, Illinois. Her father Paul T ...

and written by A. L. Kennedy and

John Burnside John Burnside FRSL FRSE (born 19 March 1955) is a Scottish writer. He is one of only three poets (the others being Ted Hughes and Sean O'Brien) to have won both the T. S. Eliot Prize and the Forward Poetry Prize for the same book (''Black Cat ...

, inspired by cult 70s novel ''

The Dice Man The Dice Man is a 1971 novel by American novelist George Cockcroft, writing under the pen name, "Luke Rhinehart". The book tells the story of a psychiatrist who makes daily decisions based on the casting of a diсe. Cockcroft describes the or ...

'' by

Luke Rhinehart George Powers Cockcroft (November 15, 1932 – November 6, 2020), widely known by the pen name Luke Rhinehart, was an American novelist, screenwriter, and nonfiction writer. He is best known for his 1971 novel ''The Dice Man,'' the story of a psyc ...

Plot

''Dice'' tells the story of charismatic psychology teacher, Glenn Taylor, who manipulates people by teaching them how to live by the throw of a dice. When the small community is shattered by the death of student Sally Quine, Detective Patrick Styvesant finds himself drawn deeper into a bizarre world where decisions are ruled by the dice. As Taylor's influence over the community deepens, Patrick also has his own demons to contend with as he battles alcoholism and his repressed homosexuality, all of which make him a perfect target for Taylor.

Main cast

Martin Cummins Martin Cummins (born November 28, 1969) is a Canadian actor known for his role as Ames White in '' Dark Angel'' and as Nick Boyle in '' Poltergeist: The Legacy''. Life and career Cummins went to Seaquam Secondary School in the town of North Del ...

as Patrick Styvesant *

Aidan Gillen Aidan Murphy (born 24 April 1968), better known as Aidan Gillen (), is an Irish actor. He is the recipient of three Irish Film & Television Awards and has been nominated for a British Academy Television Award, a British Independent Film Award, a ...

as Glenn Taylor *

Gina McKee Georgina "Gina" McKee (born 14 April 1964) is an English actress. She won the 1997 BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress for ''Our Friends in the North'' (1996), and earned subsequent nominations for ''The Lost Prince'' (2003) and ''The Street'' (2 ...

as Angela Starck *

Fred Ward Freddie Joe Ward (December 30, 1942 – May 8, 2022) was an American actor and producer. Starting with a role in an Italian television movie in 1973, he appeared in such diverse films as '' Escape from Alcatraz'', ''Southern Comfort'', '' The R ...

as Gacy *

Brendan Fletcher Brendan Fletcher (born December 15, 1981) is a Canadian actor. He first gained recognition as a child actor, winning a Leo Award and being nominated for a Gemini Award his acting debut in the made-for-television film ''Little Criminals''. He ...

as Alasdair MacCrae *

Callum Keith Rennie Callum Keith Rennie (born 14 September 1960) is a British-born Canadian actor who started his career in Canadian film and television projects, where his portrayal of Stanley Raymond Kowalski on the television series ''Due South'' was his first ...

as Egon Schwimmer *

Tracy Wright Tracy Wright (December 7, 1959 – June 22, 2010) was a Canadian actress who was known for her stage and film performances, as well as her presence in Canada's avant-garde for over 20 years. Career In 1989, she was a founding member of the Toron ...

as Gil

Awards

''Dice'' was nominated twice for 2002

Gemini awards The Gemini Awards were awards given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television between 1986–2011 to recognize the achievements of Canada's television industry. The Gemini Awards are analogous to the Emmy Awards given in the United States a ...

: Best Dramatic Series (producers Lorraine Richard, Greg Dummett, Gub Neal) and Best Actor in a Drama (Martin Cummins).Canada’s Awards Database: 2002 Geminis
, last accessed October 3, 2009

Production

''Dice'' was co-produced by Cité-Amérique and Showcase Television in Canada and Box TV in the UK. It debuted on

The Movie Network Crave (formerly The Movie Network or TMN) is a Canadian premium television network and streaming service owned by the Bell Media subsidiary of BCE Inc. Launched in 1983 as the national service First Choice, early difficulties and a subsequent ...

in Eastern Canada and on

Movie Central Movie Central (occasionally abbreviated as "MC", mostly in program guides) was a Canadian English language Category A premium cable and satellite television channel that was owned by Corus Entertainment. Movie Central was designated to operate ...

in Western Canada in November 2001, and was originally aired as a six-episode season.Dice at tv.com
last accessed October 3, 2009 The series was filmed in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

over 45 days from May to July 5, 2001.November 2001 article
by Jim Bawden, ''Toronto Star'', last accessed October 3, 2009 It was shot on Super 16 by DOP Jean-Pierre Trudel. The leading cast included British actors (Aidan Gillen from '' Queer as Folk'' and Gina McKee) as well as Canadian actors (Martin Cummins,

Mark McKinney Mark Douglas Brown McKinney (born June 26, 1959) is a Canadian actor and comedian. He is best known as a member of the sketch comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall, which includes starring in the 1989 to 1995 TV series ''The Kids in the Hall'' and 1 ...

, actor/jazz singer

Dorothée Berryman Dorothée Berryman (born April 28, 1948) is a Canadian actress and singer from Quebec. Career Berryman appeared on stage while she was still a student at Laval University. Active since 1971, she pursued a career in musical theatre and television ...

Gary Farmer Gary Dale Farmer (born June 12, 1953) is a Canadian actor and musician. He is perhaps best known for his role as Nobody in the films ''Dead Man'' (1995) and '' Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai'' (1999), and for his role in ''Smoke Signals'' (19 ...

), plus U.S. actor Fred Ward. The budget was $6 million.Playback: May 28, 2001, "Cameras roll on Cite-Amerique, Box TV copro Dice"
last accessed October 3, 2009 A second six-hour season was planned to be filmed in the fall of 2002 but was never shot further to production issues.Playback: 2002, "Cummins a High Roller on Dice"
, last accessed October 3, 2009

DVD

''Dice'' was released in DVD in 2007 by

Digital Classics DVD Digital Classics DVD Limited is a UK-based DVD label which releases titles in the UK and worldwide across a range of genres: music, arts, documentaries, dramas and classic British comedy. Digital Classics DVD is part of DCD Media, one of Europe’s ...

as a 2 x 102 mins two-parter instead of the original 6 x 34 mins episodes.

Episodes

References

External links

*
Dice at DigitalClassics
{Dead link, date=July 2019 , bot=InternetArchiveBot , fix-attempted=yes

2001 films 2000s Canadian television miniseries 2000s British television miniseries 2000s British drama television series 2000s Canadian drama television series 2000s British LGBT-related drama television series 2000s Canadian LGBT-related drama television series English-language Canadian films Crave original programming Films directed by Rachel Talalay