C.R.A.Z.Y. is available to rent or buy now on selected platforms.
I forgive you if you have never heard of Jean-Marc Vallée’s outstanding French/Canadian comedy/drama C.R.A.Z.Y. After all, besides a highly successful film festival run in 2005, C.R.A.Z.Y. sadly never made it out of the gates here in the U.K. and has since all but disappeared. But, despite its lack of attention, this coming-of-age gem deserves your time this Christmas; after all, C.R.A.Z.Y. is not only full of superb performances and a killer soundtrack, it’s a beautiful, engaging and sweeping tale of family life. Vallée’s film explores themes of sexuality, adolescent discovery, and acceptance against a backdrop of religion, belonging and family as we walk alongside the Beaulieu’s from the 1960s to the 1980s.
Born into the world on December 25th 1960, Zac Beaulieu (Marc-Andre Grondin) is the fourth son of Gervais and Laurianne. However, right from birth, Zac never quite fits in, and as he grows into a young boy, this difference becomes more pronounced, with his mother convinced he has a God-given ability to heal others. Meanwhile, his father worries about his love of prams and dolls. But as Zac fights for his father’s attention in a family of five boys, his older brother Raymond is his biggest rival. Meanwhile, Zac silently questions his sexual orientation, immersing himself in the music of Bowie, The Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd.
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As Zac moves from teenager to young man, he hides his sexuality from the family while his older brother goes off the rails. But as the 1980s dawn, the family unit is tested like never before as long-held secrets bubble to the surface. Jean-Marc Vallée takes us on a sweeping journey through two decades alongside the Beaulieu’s, embracing that coming out can be a long, painful and challenging process. While simultaneously exploring deep themes of fatherly love, brotherly conflict and acceptance.
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Marc-Andre Grondin’s outstanding central performance as Zac is only strengthened by the stunning supporting cast around him. But it’s Vallée and François Boulay’s screenplay that truly shines, as it sizzles with humour, emotion and authenticity; it’s here where C.R.A.Z.Y. becomes something unique and compelling in the crowded landscape of LGBTQ+ coming-of-age movies. After all, while C.R.A.Z.Y may fit the classic elements of the coming-of-age comedy/drama, it is also a deep, humorous and loving exploration of the complexities of family life. As we journey through the decades, each character earns an everlasting place in your heart as one Christmas leads to the next and the next in the Beaulieu family. C.R.A.Z.Y is a story of family, fear, love, competition, hope and laughter, and one of the best LGBTQ+ comedy/dramas of the early noughties.
