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IMDbPro

The Republic of Love

  • 20032003
  • 1h 35m
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
534
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
77,479
23,814
The Republic of Love (2003)
Trailer for The Republic Of Love
Play trailer1:52
1 Video
2 Photos
ComedyDramaRomance
A thrice-divorced radio host and a commitment-shy art curator fall in love, but their relationship is affected by the experiences of their friends and families.A thrice-divorced radio host and a commitment-shy art curator fall in love, but their relationship is affected by the experiences of their friends and families.A thrice-divorced radio host and a commitment-shy art curator fall in love, but their relationship is affected by the experiences of their friends and families.
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
534
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
77,479
23,814
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Deepa Mehta
    • Writers
      • Carol Shields(novel)
      • Deepa Mehta(screen story)
      • Esta Spalding(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Kate Lynch
      • Kate Kelton
      • Sunday Muse
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Deepa Mehta
    • Writers
      • Carol Shields(novel)
      • Deepa Mehta(screen story)
      • Esta Spalding(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Kate Lynch
      • Kate Kelton
      • Sunday Muse
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 13User reviews
    • 6Critic reviews

    Videos1

    The Republic of Love
    Trailer 1:52
    The Republic of Love

    Photos

    TORONTO 2003  - 'The Republic of Love' - Premiere - Kate Kelton and Sunday Muse
    Add photo

    Top cast

    Edit
    Kate Lynch
    Kate Lynch
    • Dr. French
    Kate Kelton
    Kate Kelton
    • Mother #1
    Sunday Muse
    Sunday Muse
    • Mother #2
    Brooke D'Orsay
    Brooke D'Orsay
    • Mother #3
    Bruce Greenwood
    Bruce Greenwood
    • Tom Avery
    Jackie Burroughs
    Jackie Burroughs
    • Betty Avery
    Alec Stockwell
    • Mike
    Emilia Fox
    Emilia Fox
    • Fay McLeod
    Lloyd Owen
    Lloyd Owen
    • Peter
    Gary Farmer
    Gary Farmer
    • Ted
    Edward Fox
    Edward Fox
    • Richard McLeod
    Kenneth Wickes
    Kenneth Wickes
    • Mr. Duff
    David Huband
    David Huband
    • Sammy
    Rebecca Jenkins
    Rebecca Jenkins
    • Maeve
    Connor Price
    Connor Price
    • Gary Woloschuck
    Emma Tima
    • Chrissy Woloschuck
    Janet Bailey
    Janet Bailey
    • Sheila
    Jennifer Baxter
    Jennifer Baxter
    • Patsy
    • Director
      • Deepa Mehta
    • Writers
      • Carol Shields(novel)
      • Deepa Mehta(screen story) (screenplay)
      • Esta Spalding(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Emilia Fox (Fay) is the real life daughter of Edward Fox (Richard).
    • Crazy credits
      For Carol Shields (1935-2003)
    • Connections
      Featured in Weird Sex and Snowshoes: A Trek Through the Canadian Cinematic Psyche (2004)
    • Soundtracks
      27 Mothers
      Written and Performed by Mike Moran

      Published by Sam Music

    User reviews13

    Review
    Top review
    Overall i liked it.
    This is the new offering by Deepa Mehta, most recently she of Hollywood Bollywood, a Canadian hit last year. In fact there is an `in' joke in Republic of Love and if you have seen H.B. you'll spot it. The movie is based on a book by the late Carol Shields and surmises that each of us is our own `republic'. The theme of the movie is based on `geography is destiny' and it seems so in this case.

    Republic of Love is a love story between two very different people, Tom and Fay. Tom was illegitimate and his mother, we are told, suffered from post partum depression. Tom was used as a practice baby for a class of young homemakers to be and thus had his start overlooked and spoiled by 27 `mothers'. This seems to have shaped his destiny. He is now in his early 40's, married and divorced 3 times and he wonders what love really is. He gets told every night by his listeners - he is a late night radio talk and music show host - and he gets a wide range of opinions from bitter to sentimental. He is also surrounded by good relationships so why is it so difficult for him to find one that lasts?

    Fay is a museum curator, never married, whose parents have been happily married for 40 years. This has shaped her destiny. She too us surrounded by happy relationships. In addition to her parents' marriage, Her brother is married with kids, her godparents have never been married but are devoted to each other. All of this perceived perfection has the effect of making Fay keep her relationships at arms' length, a little detached. They never work out because they couldn't possibly measure up to her parents' shining example. She has just pushed away her current boyfriend because he wants to move in.

    Tom and Fay turn out to have several mutual acquaintances. She even knows all of his ex wives. Tom and Fay meet at a children's Halloween party and it's literally love at first sight. Tom realizes what love really feels like and she in turn, is suddenly and inexorably ready to take that leap of faith into the sea of commitment. Serendipitously, they even live in the same apartment building, two floors apart. Clearly, it's meant to be.

    Ah, but why bother making a movie at all if it was as open and shut as that? Fay's parents split up out of the blue which rocks her to her core and she doesn't deal with it very well. See? Even perfect relationships don't last!

    I saw it at the Atlantic Film Festival and we had a brief introduction to it by one of the producers who described the movie as being about the different colours of love, different kinds of relationships and how they work for the different couples including the dynamics between Fay and her father and Tom and his mother who found the love of her life finally at age 52.

    We all know that our relationships with our parents can have a profound effect on our adult relationships with others and all that is reflected here. Not in enough detail, however. You always feel like there should be more to the story, or that some link is missing. That is often what happens when adapting a book for the screen. The performances are all very good including a delightful one by Jackie Borroughs as Tom's mother. Most of us Canadians will remember her as Aunt Hetty from The Road to Avonlea. There are one or two other faces that will be familiar to Canadian film fans (Rebecca Jenkins). The cast seems mainly Caucasian yet the background music is most definitely Indian-Asian in flavour which seemed out of place to me so many I missed something there.

    It's not a bad movie, but it was predictable as well. Fay's main area of expertise at the museum of Folklore, currently, is documenting and researching sightings of mermaids, a mythical unobtainable creature of perfection. Duh. Tom works nights in an underground `city', deserted once the overhead office blocks empty for the day (Toronto's PATH system it looks like). He's out of touch with the day to day reality, comings and goings of most people he knows and aside from his producer, spends his nights talking to lonely insomniacs.

    It all works out in the end. It's a love story and nobody would go to see it if it didn't. Is it worth seeing? Yes. It's a good movie, but not a great one.
    helpful•6
    3
    • tvordlj
    • Sep 17, 2003

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 13, 2004 (Canada)
    • Countries of origin
      • Canada
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • I dimokratia tou erota
    • Filming locations
      • Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    • Production companies
      • Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit (CPTC)
      • Dan Films
      • Movie Central Network
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Budget
      • CA$5,000,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 35 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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