January 28, 2005
Film Friday: Darger's Children, McKellar's Childstar
Have you ever noticed that no journalist can get through a single article about Don McKellar without using the word nebbish at least once? Robert Fulford had a great column a few weeks ago on descriptive adjectives and the impoverished nouns they flank, and we were duly inspired to never use the pairs 'checkered career' or 'bitter end' or 'stunning development' again. And now we'll add nebbish to any descriptions of Mr. McKellar or the characters he plays. And while we're at it, we'll swear off 'shlubby Giametti,' though the shoe most certainly fits, and it has a nice rhythm to it.
But back to the nebbish and his feature film, Childstar, which opens tonight. McKellar plays an indie filmmaker paying the rent by chauffering a childstar round town, and in the process learning that he's more than just a pint-size revenue generator. McKellar will be at tonight's 9:45pm Carlton screening to chat up the film and all you nebbishy patrons.
Continuing in a childish vein, Jessica Yu's doc about the 'outsider artist*' Henry Darger begins a run at Egoyan and Amarshi's Queen West cinema hothouse, Camera. Poor, lonely Darger lived a hermetic life, while secretly slogging away at an unseen until his death illustrated novel that spanned some fifteen thousand pages and pictures. Kind of Marcel Dzama-ey but more earnest, and epic. In the Realm of the Unreal is also narrated by creepy Dakota Fanning, which brings us back, full circle, to childstars.
*Full disclosure: this was TOist's second use of the term outsider art in as many film friday posts. We do solemnly promise not to use it again.
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oh! I want to go see the movie with McKellar there! I still have a crush on him from his Twitch City days...
Don M = Cuty Pa-tooty!
Does Don McKellar get stalked by fellow Toronto..Toronto-eys?
perhaps a little bit. a lot of gals love the don. i nearly ran into him on the street once, but he, distracted and disinterested, did not notice my curious glances at all.
i model my look after mckellar. i've been called "nebbish" several times too...
My friend says he frequents places Dundas W. all the time. In fact, I think at one point Don and I were separated by just an eensy weensy pane of glass...
Saving Grace right? We are all a little too in the know about Mr. M's haunts.
He once told me in an interview that when he gets recognized by Canadians outside of the country, like say New York City, they usually offer to buy him a drink or something. But here in Toronto, it has never happened. So just do it! Send the man over a beer next time you spot him...
Also, I have never used the word nebbish in writing about McKellar. Not a once.