La Florida (film)
Encyclopedia
La Florida is a Quebec
comedy film, released in 1993. The film was directed by George Mihalka
, and written by Suzette Couture and Pierre Sarrazin.
and Pauline Lapointe as Léo and Ginette Lespérance, a married couple who, after facing one too many Montreal
winters, move their family to Fort Lauderdale
, where they buy a motel catering to "snowbird
s". However, their new business runs afoul of "Big Daddy" (Raymond Bouchard), an established motel operator and local crime boss, who makes it his mission to drive the Lespérances out of business.
The Lespérances may, however, have an ally in Jay Lamori (Jason Blicker
), a local businessman of uncertain motives who may or may not be what he seems.
, including Best Motion Picture
, Best Director
, Best Actor
(Girard), Best Actress
(Lapointe), Best Supporting Actor
(Yvan Canuel), Best Screenplay, Best Achievement in Overall Sound and Best Sound Editing.
The film did not win any of the awards. It was, however, given the Golden Reel Award
as the top-grossing Canadian film of the year.
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
comedy film, released in 1993. The film was directed by George Mihalka
George Mihalka
George Mihalka is a Hungarian-born Canadian filmmaker. He is known for his slasher film My Bloody Valentine, which has gained a large cult following since its release in 1981.-Selected films:Feature films...
, and written by Suzette Couture and Pierre Sarrazin.
Synopsis
The film stars Rémy GirardRémy Girard
Rémy Girard is a Canadian actor and former television host from Quebec.-Acting career:He played the role of Rémy, the main character, who is dying of terminal cancer, in the Canadian film Les Invasions barbares by director Denys Arcand. This film was awarded the 2003 Academy Award for best...
and Pauline Lapointe as Léo and Ginette Lespérance, a married couple who, after facing one too many Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
winters, move their family to Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
, where they buy a motel catering to "snowbird
Snowbird (people)
The term snowbird is used to describe people from the U.S. Northeast, U.S. Midwest, or Canada who spend a large portion of winter in warmer locales such as California, Arizona, Florida, Texas, the Carolinas, or elsewhere along the Sun Belt region of the southern and southwest United States,...
s". However, their new business runs afoul of "Big Daddy" (Raymond Bouchard), an established motel operator and local crime boss, who makes it his mission to drive the Lespérances out of business.
The Lespérances may, however, have an ally in Jay Lamori (Jason Blicker
Jason Blicker
Jason Blicker is a Canadian film and television actor. He has had several small roles in television series including recurring roles on Robocop, F/X: The Series, State of Grace, NYPD Blue, Boston Legal as well as roles films such as Half Baked , The Day After Tomorrow and Hidden 3D .-External links:...
), a local businessman of uncertain motives who may or may not be what he seems.
Award nominations
The film received eight Genie Award nominations at the 14th Genie Awards14th Genie Awards
-Best Motion Picture:*Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould, Niv Fichman, producer*La Florida, Pierre Sarrazin and Claude Bonin, producers*Harmony Cats, Richard Davis and Alan Morinis, producers*The Lotus Eaters, Sharon McGowan, producer...
, including Best Motion Picture
Genie Award for Best Motion Picture
The Genie Award for Best Motion Picture is awarded by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to the best Canadian motion picture.-1st Genie Awards:*The Changeling *Cordélia...
, Best Director
Genie Award for Best Achievement in Direction
The Genie Award for Best Achievement in Direction is awarded by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to the best Canadian film director.-1st Genie Awards:*Bob Clark, Murder by Decree*Peter Carter, Klondike Fever...
, Best Actor
Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
The Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is awarded by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to the best Canadian actor.-1st Genie Awards:* Christopher Plummer, Murder by Decree...
(Girard), Best Actress
Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
The Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is awarded by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to the best Canadian actress.-1st Genie Awards:* Kate Lynch, Meatballs* Louise Portal, Cordélia...
(Lapointe), Best Supporting Actor
Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
The Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role is awarded by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to the best supporting Canadian actor.-1st Genie Awards:* Gordon Pinsent, Jack London's Klondike Fever...
(Yvan Canuel), Best Screenplay, Best Achievement in Overall Sound and Best Sound Editing.
The film did not win any of the awards. It was, however, given the Golden Reel Award
Golden Reel Award (Canada)
The Golden Reel Award is a Canadian film award, presented to the Canadian film with the biggest box office gross of the year. The Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association introduced this award in 1976 as part of the Canadian Film Awards until 1979...
as the top-grossing Canadian film of the year.