Prom Queen: The Marc Hall Story (2004) (TV)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

John L'Ecuyer

Writers:

Michael MacLennan (story)
Kent Staines (story)

Release Date:

1 June 2004 (Canada)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Will "Cinderfella" make it to the prom on time?

Plot:

In the fictional working-class town of Inniston, Marc Hall (Aarom Ashmore), sends ripples though Canada's...

Plot Keywords:

Gay Rights | Gay Interest | High School Dance | Attorney | Canadian

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Aaron Ashmore	...	Marc Hall
Marie Tifo	...	Emily Hall
Jean Pierre Bergeron	...	Audy Hall
Mac Fyfe	...	Jason
Tamara Hope	...	Carly
Trevor Blumas	...	Beau
Fiona Reid	...	Lucinda Pilcher
Scott Thompson	...	Lonnie Winn
Dave Foley	...	Principal Warrick
Victoria Adilman	...	Miss Lawrence
Nicholas Rose	...	Vinci
David Ferry	...	Mike Shields
Barbara Gordon	...	Connie Jukes
R.D. Reid	...	Vincent
John White	...	Otis

Also Known As:

Prom Queen (Canada: English title) (short title)

Runtime:

Brazil:88 min | Canada:92 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Certification:

Germany:12 | Australia:MA

Filming Locations:

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Prom Queen

Trivia:

The offices of Toronto-based Tapestry Pictures were trashed one week before the film's television premiere, and the producers fear the vandalism was linked to its coming, controversial film.

Quotes:

[Marc is on the stand in court]
Marc Hall: I've learned a lot this last little while.
[Marc looks pointedly at Winn]
Marc Hall: How people try and change you and make you into something that you're not. Re-create you in their own image to make them feel better about who they are.
[Marc looks at his parents]
Marc Hall: And I am just grateful for the people in my life who let me be who I am. Taught me to stand up for what is right and what is true.
[Marc tries to hold back tears as he looks at Jason]
Marc Hall: And I only regret that... that I hurt some of the people I love along the way. For that, I am sorry.
[...]

Movie Connections:

References Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Soundtrack:

Open Season

More than meets the eye

PROM QUEEN succeeds not only because it is a controversial subject based on a true incident, but because of the light touch director John L'Ecuyer adds to the dimension of storytelling. Writers Michael MacLennan and Kent Staines have pieced together the facts from a now famous 'hearing' in Quebec concerning one teenage boy's challenging the Catholic Church school policies about sexual preferences in preventing him from attending a high school Prom and have fleshed out the characters to make the story not only meaningfully important but also entertaining.

Marc Hall (Aaron Ashmore) is a fun-loving, blue-haired gay lad who has a partner Jason (Mac Fyfe) and is comfortable in a semi-closeted way, and who attends a Catholic high school in Quebec. He is fortunate to have a band of accepting and supporting friends like Beau (eye candy actor Trevor Blumas) and Carly (Tamara Hope) among others who encourage Marc to bring his boyfriend to the upcoming Prom. The school officials - principal and school board - are adamant that the Catholic Church regards sames sex relationships as sin and refuse to allow Marc to consider attending the Prom with Jason.

Marc decides to 'come out' to his parents Emily (Marie Tifo) and Audy (Jean Pierre Bergeron) and they warmly assure him they have known for years ("Your hair. It's blue. And you have a poster of Celine Dion on your wall. We know.") With the support of his friends and a gay lawyer Lonnie Winn (Scott Thompson), Marc agrees to challenge the school/church stance and in a touching courtroom drama Marc pleads his case. Though due to the familiarity of the case the audience knows from the beginning that Marc Hall won his right to attend the Prom with Jason, it is in the telling that the story takes flight.

Though 'made for TV' budgetary constraints and format are obvious, PROM QUEEN boasts some fine actors and manages to bring to the screen another important hallmark in the Human Rights field. While some may avoid this film for fear of its being a 'gay movie', rest assured that the content is handled in a touching and realistic way. Recommended for all audiences, especially the teens who need to see both sides of a bit of history. Grady Harp