Vallée and Boulay’s screenplay (five years in development) truly shines as C.R.A.Z.Y sizzles with humour, emotion and authenticity, their words only enhanced by the music of Bowie, Jagger and Floyd. Jean-Marc Vallée’s C.R.A.Z.Y., starring Marc-André Grondin, is available to rent or buy on selected platforms.
Many of you will have never heard of Jean-Marc Vallée’s outstanding French/Canadian comedy/drama C.R.A.Z.Y., which had a highly successful festival run in 2005 but never achieved a UK-wide theatrical release. However, trust me, this coming-of-age gem deserves your time. C.R.A.Z.Y. is not only full to the brim with electric performances and killer needle drops; it’s also a beautiful, engaging, and sweeping tale of a family caught in the headlights of social change, secrets, and sibling rivalry as we journey from the mid-60s to the early ’80s.
Born on December 25th 1960, Zac Beaulieu (Marc-André Grondin) is the fourth son of Gervais and Laurianne, and right from birth, he doesn’t quite fit in. As he grows into a young boy, his differences only become more pronounced, with his mother being convinced he has a God-given ability to heal others, while his father worries about his love of prams and dolls.
Zac has no choice but to fight for his father’s attention and approval in a family of five boys, with Raymond, his older brother, the biggest obstacle to his need for fatherly love. At the same time, Zac is silently questioning his sexual orientation as he immerses himself in the music of Bowie, The Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd, hiding his feelings and emotions from his family while his older brother slowly goes off the rails and his dad ignores the problems brewing.
As Zac’s confidence grows, alongside his feeling of alienation from the family, the ’70s morph into the ’80s, and the family finds itself tested like never before as secrets bubble to the surface and long-simmering sibling conflicts take centre stage.
Jean-Marc Vallée’s film provides us with an honest and open tale of one boy grappling with his sexual orientation in a conservative home environment where his father’s rigid expectations create tension, rivalry and internal conflict. While Zac’s older brother may appear to be a competitor for his father’s love, both brothers will never please their dad; no matter what they do, they will never meet his expectations.
The film’s title is symbolic, representing Zac’s unconventional nature and the chaotic world surrounding him. The acronym C.R.A.Z.Y stands for the first initials of Zac and his four brothers, highlighting the complex dynamics within their family. Each sibling embodies different qualities, and their contrasting personalities create a rich tapestry of experiences that shape Zac’s journey.
Jean-Marc Vallée’s exquisite film is a sweeping yet intimate journey through three transformative decades. Marc-André Grondin is outstanding as the confused yet confident Zac, striving for acceptance while navigating feelings of difference, uncertain beliefs, uneasy family relationships and a pressure to conform.
Vallée and Boulay’s screenplay (five years in development) truly shines as C.R.A.Z.Y sizzles with humour, emotion and authenticity, their words only enhanced by the music of Bowie, Jagger and Floyd. An under-appreciated cinematic treat that deserves far more attention, Jean-Marc Vallée’s film is a cinematic treasure ripe for rediscovery and, in my opinion, one of the best LGBTQ+-themed family dramas of the early noughties.
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