It has been described as an indie lesbian romantic comedy but Thom Fitzgerald’s lovely film Cloudburst is much more than that.
Cloudburst is written and directed by Canadian film director Fitzgerald and features Oscar winners Olympia Dukakis and Brenda Fricker as a comfortably aging couple Stella and Dot who escape from a nursing home in Main and drive to Nova Scotia to become legally married.
Despite their ages - which must be about 150 years combined - viewers can learn a lot about love, trust and commitment from this loving couple who have been together 31 years and can’t stand to be apart when Dot’s unknowing granddaughter puts her in a nursing home.
As they flee to Canada – and where else really - they trustingly pick up young, smoldering hitchhiker Prentice, played by the equally smoldering Ryan Doucette who is on his way home to say goodbye to his dying mother. Prentice has his own baggage that he must confront but it’s all part of the ride.
While Fitzgerald doesn’t typically use female or lesbian leads, he says he didn’t think of Stella any different than his other characters in previous films (The Hanging Garden, The Event) because she is more masculine than even his male heroes.
"Stella is more of a ball-busting extrovert who takes decisive action," he explains. "She’s even reckless. She 80 years and has a lifetime of baggage. Plus, she’s very butch."
While Stella can be a very gruff, foul-mouthed angry old woman, Dot is soft-spoken though she often puts her in her place. Both have biting humour, balancing one another out and both oddly find themselves rather attached to Prentice.
"The three actors have wonderful chemistry, and really, I think that’s probably what audiences keep responding to. They are a trio that people really like and root for, despite their obvious flaws," Fitzgerald says.
The film has received rave reviews and garnered numerous awards at film festivals across Canada and the world and will now be screened at the Plaza March 1st until March 7th for Calgary audiences to enjoy.
"It plays a little differently to an all GLBT audience who take some of the underlying issues very seriously. The weightier moments have more weight for the niche audience. Mixed or mostly straight audiences more fully appreciate the comedy. But Stella’s goal of keeping her family together against the odds, everybody easily relates to that."
Fitzgerald says making the film was rewarding in many ways, not of least which was spending a summer working with his actors and soaking up their wisdom, experience and artistry.
"There’s no better reward for a filmmaker. But it’s true that I’ve also watched this film dozens of times with audiences which is great fun," he says. "My previous films have leaned towards the sad side so to watch your film make people laugh, it turns out, is much more fun than making them cry."
Not that audience members won’t tear up during Prentice’s half-drunken engagement speak in a Nova Scotia bar – that scene alone will make some people want to propose after the movie. But the movie is a mixed bag of everything for everyone.
"There’s just something universal about Stella and Dot’s love," he adds.
