I'll Never Get to Heaven is a Canadian comedy-drama television film, directed by Stefan Scaini and released in 1993.Greg Kennedy, "Girls explore ageless issues; Heart-rending saga shares moral dilemmas of prissy, '60s Toronto". Edmonton Journal, January 30, 1993.
Set in Toronto in the 1960s, the film stars Amy Stewart as Margaret, a 13-year-old girl whose life changes radically when her father abandons the family. She and her mother Cassie (Wendy Crewson) move back in with Margaret's grandparents John (Sean McCann) and Trea (Patricia Gage), where Cassie begins a new romance with widowed photographer Eric (Victor Garber), while Margaret befriends Betty (Aidan Pendleton), a girl whose rebellious attitude toward the nuns at their Catholic school challenges Margaret's adherence to the strict religious values she was raised with.Bonnie Malleck, "Film tweaks Catholic school memories". Waterloo Region Record, January 30, 1993.
The cast also includes Susan Wright as Betty's eccentric aunt and caretaker Dora, as well as Samantha Follows, Marc Marut, Dylan Neal, Illya Woloshyn and Sheila Heti in supporting roles.
The film drew on aspects of the real-life childhood of screenwriter Kathleen M. Turner, but she stressed that it was not meant to be understood as autobiographical.Mike Boone, "Coming-of-age drama drawn from writer's life; CBC film is up against Super Bowl". Montreal Gazette, January 30, 1993.
It aired on January 31, 1993, on CBC Television.John Haslett Cuff, "Catholicism squeezed out of the tube: Pat and predictable and full of obvious caricatures, this CBC movie about repressive religion is pretty tame stuff". The Globe and Mail, January 30, 1993.
Awards Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Gemini Awards March 6, 1994 Best TV Movie Flora Macdonald Tony Atherton, "Geminis shine on local shows; The Tin Soldier earns three nominations". Ottawa Citizen, January 26, 1994. Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series Wendy Crewson Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Program or Series Susan Wright Best Writing in a Dramatic Mini-Series Kathleen M. Turner Best Production Design or Art Direction Perri Gorrara, Ane Christensen Christopher Harris, "CTV News takes three Geminis". The Globe and Mail, March 4, 1994. Best Costume Design Frances Dafoe
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