Kingsway is a road, an electoral district, a public transit corridor, a neighborhood, and a state of mind.
And now, it鈥檚 also a bona fide movie star.
Kingsway began hundreds of years ago as a foot trail for First Nations communities. In the 19th century, the Royal Engineers built it up and called it 麻豆传媒映画Road 鈥� the wagon-friendly roadway connected Gastown and the colony鈥檚 capital in New Westminster.
That鈥檚 why Kingsway 鈥� which received its current moniker in September 1913 鈥� runs at a diagonal, cutting across an otherwise perfect grid of streets (in Kingsway鈥檚 defense, it was here first, dammit.) It鈥檚 also why it鈥檚 a source of frustration for drivers who get caught in the Kingsway crawl and shake their fists at the inefficiency of it all.
Kingsway鈥檚 quirks make it the perfect setting for the latest feature film from 麻豆传媒映画writer-director Bruce Sweeney (Last Wedding). Sweeney named his movie after the iconic stretch of pavement, but only after his first title 鈥� The Love Life of Horvats 鈥� was rejected by everyone involved.
鈥淜ingsway was the only one where people didn鈥檛 get mad at me when I said it,鈥� Sweeney tells the Courier. 鈥淚 thought that had to mean something.鈥�
Kingsway is arguably the most 麻豆传媒映画of the locally produced films at the 麻豆传媒映画International Film Festival. It鈥檚 packed with local talent 鈥� Bard on the Beach actor and TheatreSports mainstay Jeff Gladstone, Down River actress and singer-songwriter Colleen Rennison and veteran thespians Gabrielle Rose and Camille Sullivan. And, unlike the bulk of projects that shoot in the GVRD, Kingsway is most definitely, 100 per cent, unequivocally set in Vancouver.
Gladstone stars as Matt Horvat, an emotionally fragile academic who clashes with his hard-edged mechanic sister Jess (played by Sullivan) and indulgent mother Marion (Rose) over his philandering wife, Lori (Rennison). To borrow from the film鈥檚 marketing material, 鈥淜ingsway is a romantic comedy about suicide, infidelity and in-laws.鈥�
It鈥檚 also about intimacy and sex, and what happens when we鈥檙e not getting enough of either. 鈥淚t鈥檚 universal, to try and get love,鈥� says Sweeney. 鈥淓veryone knows what that feels like, and it鈥檚 the engine of the movie 鈥� and it kind of has to be, because if it鈥檚 about anything else, it can require a much bigger budget.鈥�
Kingsway 鈥� which had its world premiere earlier this month at the venerable Toronto International Film Festival 鈥� is at its most Kingsway when it鈥檚 tackling outdated approaches to relationships, according to Rennison.
鈥淭here are archaic themes that are being challenged in this film 鈥� like the idea of staying in a marriage no matter what 鈥� that you can find a few parallels with this winding street that鈥檚 not necessarily as efficient as it used to be,鈥� muses Rennison.
鈥淵ou have the same conversation with anyone when you bring up that street,鈥� adds Gladstone. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so frustrating and so confusing and you think you鈥檙e going this way when you鈥檙e actually going backwards.鈥�
Even that Kingsway landmark, the 2400 Motel, gets its moment in the spotlight. The action of the film begins when Matt spots Lori鈥檚 motorcycle parked outside one of the motel鈥檚 retro cottages.
鈥淭he Kingsway neighbourhood is where you can go to get anything,鈥� says Sullivan. 鈥淵ou can go to get your car fixed. You can go to a restaurant. You can go to get a rub and tug. You can get whatever you want, but first you have to go in one direction, and you end up somewhere else 鈥� and I think that鈥檚 the movie, in a way.鈥�
Sweeney was drawn to the notion of 鈥渢he academic guy who鈥檚 married to this woman who鈥檚 got some oomph. She鈥檚 Colleen [Rennison] in real life.鈥�
He鈥檚 full of praise for his other actors, too: for Gladstone, who he knew 鈥渉ad the chops to play someone who was an academic but who had a fragile underside鈥�; for frequent collaborator Rose (鈥淚 know exactly what she can bring, and she delivered as I knew she would deliver, because she鈥檚 this awesome dialogue muncher鈥�); and for new collaborator Sullivan, whose character 鈥渉ad to carry the theme forward more so than some of the other characters, and she really ripped it up.鈥�
Like other Sweeney films (, Excited), Kingsway sparkles with bursts of improvised comedy.
Gladstone recalls, 鈥淭owards the end of shooting, [Sweeney] said, 鈥楾his is it 鈥� at some point, people know the characters so well, you can just wind them up and let them go.鈥欌��
Kingsway wowed critics at TIFF, with NOW Toronto calling it Sweeney鈥檚 best film in years.
鈥淚 think what鈥檚 great about Kingsway is it鈥檚 this unflinching look at family, and family dynamics, with so much love underneath,鈥� says Sullivan. 鈥淲e bicker all the time, we fight all the time, we鈥檙e screaming at each other, but at the core of it is a tremendous amount of love.鈥�
Kingsway鈥檚 hyper-local soundtrack features music from the Zolas, Sorry Edith, Destroyer, Colour Tongues, Blessed, Brasstronaut and Adrian Teacher and the Subs, as well as original songs by Gladstone, Rennison, Parker Bossley and Matt Turner.
Rennison and Gladstone will perform their Kingsway tracks with the Bad Ideas on Sept. 28 at Tyrant Studios, Penthouse Nightclub鈥檚 upstairs venue.
Kingsway will screen twice at the 2018 麻豆传媒映画International Film Festival, which runs Sept. 27 to
Oct. 12 at venues across the city. Schedule and tickets at .
