''Mommy Is at the Hairdresser's'' () is a

2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

drama directed by

Léa Pool Léa Pool C.M. (born 8 September 1950) is a Canadian and Swiss filmmaker. She has directed several documentaries and feature films, many of which have won significant awards including the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury, and she was the first wom ...

Synopsis

The film takes place in the summer of 1966, in Beloeil, Québec, where a young girl named Élise is enjoying summer vacation. Suddenly her mother leaves her family to pursue her journalism career in London. Her urge to leave is triggered when she coincidentally listens in on a conversation between her husband and his male lover. In a society still entrenched by taboos on sexual orientation, the mother flees the situation, abandoning Élise and her two younger brothers behind, in their father's care. It's then that Élise becomes more aware of the dreams, sorrows, and lies of the people closest to her. Her brother Coco stubbornly seeks refuge in constructing a supercar, and the youngest, Benoît, plummets deep into his own internal world, retreating ever-further in the furnace room of their house. Élise's father is simply overwhelmed by the situation, unable to govern the domestic realm as well as his wife, he lacks her tact when dealing with Benoît's disability. And so Élise decides to take the helm of her drifting family in an attempt to save their future. With support from the silent comfort her mentor Monsieur Mouche offers, a deaf-mute figurine maker, and the wonders of nature around her, Élise is on the verge of experiencing a summer unlike any other.

Production

The movie's plot is the autobiographical work of its screenwriter,

Lyse Lafontaine Lyse Lafontaine (born 1942) is a Canadian film producer known for working with directors Jean-Claude Lauzon and Xavier Dolan. She works at Lyla Films in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Early life Born to '' La Presse'' reporter Gaston Lafontaine, Lyse ...

. The director,

, visits the theme of childhood, inspired by the colorful verses of French poet

Jacques Prévert Jacques Prévert (; 4 February 1900 – 11 April 1977) was a French poet and screenwriter. His poems became and remain popular in the French-speaking world, particularly in schools. His best-regarded films formed part of the Poetic realism, poetic ...

. She mentions in an interview for ''Le Devoir'' that Isabelle Hébert's loosely autobiographical script resonated with her own autobiographical movie, '' Emporte-moi''. Her aim was to narrate the situation by using the logic and perspective of children, especially Élise, the eldest, who experiences the beginning of adolescence while trying to explain the events surrounding their mother's departure. It was important for Pool to present the story of children longing for their mother genuinely, without vilifying the father's character, all the while avoiding mawkish scenes. In order to better situate the story, set during the beginning of quebecan ''bourgeoisie'', the movie's soundtrack features hits of the 1960s, including iconic songs by Joël Denis and

Claude Léveillée Claude Léveillée (16 October 1932 – 9 June 2011) was a Canadian actor, pianist, and singer-songwriter who composed more than 400 songs, instrumental pieces, and musicals. In 1959, Léveillée co-founded ''Les Bozos'', an informal collective ...

. In addition to the theme of coming of age, the plot also involves mental health and LGBT issues, making ''Mommy Is At the Hairdresser's'' the recipient of several viewer's choice awards during festival screenings."Lyse Lafontaine." Lyla Films, 23 Feb. 2015, www.lylafilms.com/lacompagnie/lyse-lafontaine/.

Awards

Vancouver Film Critics Circle The Vancouver Film Critics Circle (VFCC) was founded in 2000 by David Spaner and Ian Caddell, in order to help promote Canadian films and the British Columbia film and television industry. Its membership includes print, radio, on-line, and telev ...

, January 2009 **Best Actress in Canadian Film – Marianne Fortier *Soleure Festival des Journées de Soleure, January 2009 **Viewer's Choice Award *Goteborg International Film Festival, January 2009 **Viewer's Choice Award *

11th Jutra Awards The 11th Jutra Awards were held on March 29, 2009 to honour films made with the participation of the Quebec film industry in 2008. Nominations were announced on February 17.29th Genie Awards The 29th Genie Awards were held on April 4, 2009, to honour Canadian films released in 2008. The ceremony was held at the Canadian Aviation Museum in Ottawa, Ontario, and was broadcast on Global and IFC. The ceremony was hosted by Dave Foley. ...

, April 2009 **Nomination - Best female lead - Marianne Fortier **Nomination - Best female co-star - Céline Bonnier **Nomination - Best artistic direction - Patrice Bengle **Nomination - Best costume design - Michèle Hamel **Nomination - Best scene montage -

Dominique Fortin Dominique Fortin (born 1961) is a Canadian film editor from Quebec, who has been a Genie Award The Genie Awards were given out annually by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to recognize the best of Canadian cinema from 1980–2012. ...

**Nomination - Best soundtrack - Laurent Eyquem *Festival International Cinéma et Costumes de Moulins, June 2009 **Best Wardrobe – Michèle Hamel

References

External links

* {{Léa Pool 2008 films Canadian drama films Films directed by Léa Pool French-language Canadian films 2000s Canadian films 2008 drama films 2008 LGBTQ-related films Canadian LGBTQ-related films