''Kitchen Party'' is a 1997 film written and directed by
Gary Burns (''
The Suburbanators ''The Suburbanators'' is a Canadian road movie/comedy film written and directed by Gary Burns and produced in 1995 by Burns and John Hazlett. It tells the story of bored, estranged slackers in their 20s who spend their time in suburban strip-malls, ...
''). The movie cast a number of then-unknown young
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
actors, including
Scott Speedman
Robert Scott Speedman (born September 1, 1975) is a British-Canadian actor. He is known for portraying Ben Covington in the coming-of-age drama television series '' Felicity'', Lycan–Vampire hybrid Michael Corvin in the gothic horror–actio ...
,
Laura Harris
Laura Harris is a Canadian actress.
Early life
Harris is the daughter of schoolteachers. She began acting in radio dramas and animation series when she was five years old. As a child Harris was educated at Crofton House School and attended co ...
, and
Tygh Runyan
Tygh Runyan (born June 13, 1976) is an actor and musician.
Career
Runyan has had a long career of character and supporting roles. His most notable roles are as Dr. Robert Caine in ''Stargate Universe'' and Fabien Marchal in '' Versailles''. Hi ...
, and was released on September 8, 1997 at the
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a permane ...
.
Plot
In the bored suburban atmosphere of a Canadian city, Scott (Scott Speedman) decides to throw a celebratory get-together with friends in his parents' home. Unfortunately, there's a catch: Scott's parents happen to be particularly anal about the direction the carpet fibers lay and the distance from doily to table-edge. This means that the only part of the house that is safe, that is, the only part of the house with no carpeting and therefore no potential mess, is the tiled kitchen.
The festivities begin once the parents go off to a party of their own, leaving Scott and his buddy, Wayne (Tygh Runyan), with a house that would be entirely empty but for Scott's mysterious brother lurking in the basement listening to rock music. Scott's parents at the adult party, which descends into drunken bickering.
At the teen party, soon the girls are arriving, including Scott's girlfriend, Tammy (Laura Harris) — whom he plans on bedding before the night is over — and alcohol, drugs, music, more people, and everything else that characterizes a stereotypical house party follows. This includes calamity, as Scott quickly discovers just how much can go wrong in one night of kitchen partying.
Cast
*
Scott Speedman
Robert Scott Speedman (born September 1, 1975) is a British-Canadian actor. He is known for portraying Ben Covington in the coming-of-age drama television series '' Felicity'', Lycan–Vampire hybrid Michael Corvin in the gothic horror–actio ...
as Scott
*
Laura Harris
Laura Harris is a Canadian actress.
Early life
Harris is the daughter of schoolteachers. She began acting in radio dramas and animation series when she was five years old. As a child Harris was educated at Crofton House School and attended co ...
as Tammy
*
Tygh Runyan
Tygh Runyan (born June 13, 1976) is an actor and musician.
Career
Runyan has had a long career of character and supporting roles. His most notable roles are as Dr. Robert Caine in ''Stargate Universe'' and Fabien Marchal in '' Versailles''. Hi ...
as Wayne
* John Payne as Bill
* A.J. Bond as Tim
* James McBurney as Cal
* Jenafor Ryane as Marni (credited as Janafor Ryane)
* Joelle Thomas as Marie
*
Kevin McNulty as Brent
*
Gillian Barber
Gillian Barber (born 22 February 1958) is an English-born Canadian actress.
Early life and education
Barber was born in Coventry, Warwickshire, England, and raised in British Columbia, Canada. She studied at the Guildhall School of Music and ...
as Barb
* Marie Stillin as Marge
*
Sarah Strange
Sarah Strange is a Canadian actress. She has worked in a variety of American and Canadian television and film projects, including Helen in the Canadian drama ''Da Vinci's Inquest'' and as the voice actor for Ranma Saotome.
Life and career
Strang ...
as Cynthia
* Dave Cox as Lester Jr.
*
Jason Wiles
Jason Austin Wiles (born April 25, 1970) is an American actor known for his role in the NBC procedural drama series ''Third Watch'' from 1999 to 2005.
Early life
Wiles was born in Kansas City, Missouri, U.S., and raised in Lenexa, Kansas, where ...
as Steve
*
Jay Brazeau
Jay Brazeau is a Canadian actor, best known for his role as Sam Fisher in ''Cold Squad'', as Harlan in ''Stargate SG-1'' (1997–2007), and for voicing Uncle Quigley in '' Sabrina: The Animated Series''. He is also known for his role as Bobby in ...
as Fred
Awards and nominations
*
Rotterdam International Film Festival
The International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) is an annual film festival held at the end of January in various locations in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Since its foundation in 1972, it has maintained a focus on independent and experimental fi ...
(1998):
Gary Burns nominated for
Tiger Award.
*
Torino International Festival of Young Cinema
The Torino Film Festival (also called the Turin Film Festival, TFF) is an international film festival held annually in Turin, Italy. Held every November, it is the second largest film festival in Italy, following the Venice Film Festival. It was f ...
(1997):
Gary Burns won
FIPRESCI Prize - Special Mention for the film’s "incisive and ironic portrayal of middle class family life in Western society."
*
Torino International Festival of Young Cinema
The Torino Film Festival (also called the Turin Film Festival, TFF) is an international film festival held annually in Turin, Italy. Held every November, it is the second largest film festival in Italy, following the Venice Film Festival. It was f ...
(1997):
Gary Burns won a
Special Mention
Special or specials may refer to:
Policing
* Specials, Ulster Special Constabulary, the Northern Ireland police force
* Specials, Special Constable, an auxiliary, volunteer, or temporary; police worker or police officer
Literature
* ''Specia ...
.
*
Torino International Festival of Young Cinema
The Torino Film Festival (also called the Turin Film Festival, TFF) is an international film festival held annually in Turin, Italy. Held every November, it is the second largest film festival in Italy, following the Venice Film Festival. It was f ...
(1997): Kitchen Party nominated in Best Film category for the
Prize of the City of Torino.
*
Vancouver International Film Festival
The Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) is an annual film festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, for two weeks in late September and early October.
The festival is operated by the Greater Vancouver International Film Fest ...
(1997):
Gary Burns won for
Best New Western Canadian Director.
External links
* {{IMDb title, id=0125319, title=Kitchen Party
1997 films
Films directed by Gary Burns
Films shot in Vancouver
Films set in Vancouver
1990s English-language films