Seventeen years after its initial release in Quebec, the film C.R.A.Z.Y. by the late filmmaker Jean-Marc Vallée will be released in several cities in the United States, starting June 3.

Distributor Samuel Goldwyn Films will be responsible for marketing the popular Quebec film in the United States.

“The film will be presented in the circuit of repertoire halls in major American cities, said C.R.A.Z.Y. producer, Pierre Even, contacted Thursday by Le Journal. The sale was completed last year following the restoration [of the film] and the American distributor was waiting for the right moment to launch it. We are very happy that this is happening. »

Although the film had enjoyed a fine international career in the months following its release in Quebec, in May 2005, C.R.A.Z.Y. did not receive a theatrical release in the United States at the time. The feature film had nevertheless reached an audience of moviegoers thanks in particular to an agreement with the American specialty channel SundanceTV.

wave of love

Jean-Marc Vallée died suddenly of a heart attack on December 25 at the age of 58. According to Pierre Even, the director of Dallas Buyers Club and Big Little Lies was "very happy" to learn last year that the restored version of C.R.A.Z.Y. will finally be entitled to a release on the big screen with our neighbors to the south.

"But it is certain that with his departure, the conditions [of this exit] have changed, regrets Pierre Even. He was the standard bearer of the film in the United States. It is his name that sells the film there. And unfortunately, he is no longer there to defend it. »

Absent from online streaming platforms for several years due to the expiration of the musical rights to many of the film's songs, C.R.A.Z.Y. was relaunched in a restored version last fall. Since the death of Vallée, Pierre Even says he has felt a great wave of love from the public for the film starring Marc-André Grondin, Michel Côté and Danielle Proulx.

"It's amazing how many people have told me they've seen C.R.A.Z.Y. after the departure of Jean-Marc, confides Pierre Even. It remains, I think, his most significant film for the public in Quebec and Canada. We received many very moving testimonies. It's touching to see that. »