Patric, Age 1.5

I finally made it to my first movie of the 2009 Seattle International Film Festival! Last Thursday night we saw Patrick, Age 1.5.


Film Festival Description below

Director Ella Lemhagen’s dramatic comedy, adapted from a three-person stage play, hinges on a bureaucratic blunder. After facing much discrimination in their quest to adopt a child, Swedish gay couple Goran and Sven finally appear to be cleared to take possession of an 18-month-old boy named Patrik. However, due to a misplaced punctuation mark, the “1.5-year-old” turns out to be 15—and a homophobe with a violent criminal record to boot. This sitcom-like plot point is transformed in Lemhagen’s hands into an intelligent rumination on tolerance and gradual understanding in a country that has been surprisingly slow to accept the idea of same-sex couple adoption. Initially, all involved are displeased about the situation, especially Sven, who has also had his share of youthful run-ins with the law and knows the violence Patrik is capable of unleashing. The couple eventually coax positive qualities out of Patrik that go deeper than the teen’s initial disgust about having to live with “homos.” With strong performances by all involved, Patrik Age 1.5 is a sensitive, quietly funny, and surprisingly affecting take on the theme of a same-sex couple raising an adopted child.

I loved this film. The acting was terrific, I was especially impressed with Tomas Ljungman in the role of Patrik. There were great character actors in supporting roles throughout. After watching this film I left the theatre feeling great! It did not leave me however wanting to adopt a 15 year old but rather get another dog!

Check out the trailer below and go see this movie. It plays again June 3rd at the Harvard Exit.



Have a good one -


Jim