Purgatory to World Premiere at TIFF in Discovery
Ruby McGurrin makes her first film appearance as 13-year-old Beatrice Gravel in Purgatory, a 1980s-set family story that will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, TIFF has announced.
Beatrice is on a mission. Her recently separated parents have split, and she is trying to bring them back together, according to the festival's film page, TIFF. That simple plan drives the story. It is told as a coming-of-age dramedy, a mix of comedy and drama about growing up.
The cast around McGurrin blends new and established names. J.K. Simmons plays Father Malone, a Catholic priest, while John Reynolds plays Joe Gravel, Beatrice's father, and Abby Elliot plays Marianne Gravel, her mother, The Hollywood Reporter reported. Lauren MacRae plays Chloe, Beatrice's sister. Jack Innanen plays Marianne's younger lover, and Mary Walsh plays a teacher.
Behind the camera, the film is the debut feature from director Lindsay Lanzillotta, working from a screenplay by Christine Speer, The Hollywood Reporter reported. It is listed as a Canada-USA production and has been selected in Discovery, the Toronto section for emerging film-makers, TIFF said.
What makes this stand out for festival watchers is the structure. A newcomer carries the central role. The adults orbit her. For audiences, that means the film rises or falls on Beatrice, a teenager trying to fix something she did not break.
