''The Secret Life of Algernon'' is a 1997 Canadian

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by

Charles Jarrott Charles Jarrott (16 June 1927 – 4 March 2011) was a British film and television director. He was best known for costume dramas he directed for producer Hal B. Wallis, among them '' Anne of the Thousand Days'', which earned him a Golden Glob ...

. It stars

John Cullum John Cullum (born circa 1930) is an American actor and singer. He has appeared in many stage musicals and dramas, including '' Shenandoah'' (1975) and '' On the Twentieth Century'' (1978), winning the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Mu ...

and

Carrie-Anne Moss Carrie-Anne Moss (born August 21, 1967) is a Canadian actress. After early roles on television, she rose to international prominence for her role of Trinity in ''The Matrix'' series (1999–present). She has starred in '' Memento'' (2000) for w ...

in an early film appearance. It won an award at the 1998 Breckenridge Festival of Film. The film is based on the novel by Russell H. Greenan ''The Secret Life of Algernon Pendleton''.

Plot

Algernon is an old man who lives alone, having conversations with a porcelain cat and making things out of bones, for which he boils a neighbor's dead dog. He is visited by an old friend who is dying of ailments and thus commits suicide, leaving a million dollars in a suitcase. A woman claiming to be interested in Algernon's Egyptologist great-grandfather pretends to be in love with Algernon, and he almost falls for it.

Cast

as Algernon Pendelton *

as Madge Clarisy *

Charles Durning Charles Edward Durning (February 28, 1923 – December 24, 2012) was an American actor who appeared in over 200 movies, television shows and plays.Schudel, Matt (December 26, 2012) "''In real life and on the screen, he played countless role ...

as Norbie Hess *

Hrant Alianak Hrant Alianak (born 1950), also billed as Harant Alianak or Grant Aljanak, is an Armenian-Canadian actor and playwright. Career In 1988, he was nominated for the Genie Award "Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role" for the 1987 film ...

as Mahir Sullyman * Kay Hawtrey as Mrs. Binney

References

External links

* 1997 films Films directed by Charles Jarrott English-language Canadian films 1997 comedy films British comedy films Canadian comedy films 1990s English-language films 1990s Canadian films 1990s British films {{1990s-comedy-film-stub