Is Anybody There
7 /10 1 Votes7
Country United Kingdom | 6.8/10 Duration | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Release date 7 September 2008 (2008-09-07) (TIFF)1 May 2009 (2009-05-01) (UK) |
Is Anybody There? is a 2008 British drama film starring Michael Caine and directed by John Crowley. It was written by Peter Harness and produced by David Heyman, Marc Turtletaub and Peter Saraf. The film garnered a nomination from the London Film Critics Circle for Bill Milner as the Young British Performer of the Year.
Contents
A young boy who lives in an old folks' home strikes up a friendship with a retired magician.
Premise

In 1987 Edward (Bill Milner) is a ten-year-old boy who lives at an old peoples home run by his parents (David Morrissey and Anne-Marie Duff). Surrounded by death and dying, he becomes obsessed with finding evidence for the afterlife, often using a tape recorder to capture his "encounters". He is helped in his search by Clarence (Michael Caine), an elderly ex-magician in the early stages of dementia who has recently entered the home. The film follows their quest and their friendship, which ultimately allows both Edward and Clarence to come to terms with their respective situations.
Cast
Production

Shot on location in Hastings and Chalfont St Giles. Folkestone Central Train Station doubled as a Yorkshire station as Clarence and Edward take a trip on the train for a day out. The sea-shelter on Princes Parade in Hythe was used as a bus shelter in Hull. St Peters Church of England Primary school in Folkestone was used as Edwards school in the film.
The ethereal music throughout the film was performed by David Coulter on a musical saw.
Release
The film premiered at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival under the title Is There Anybody There? It was released in the United States on 17 April 2009 and in the United Kingdom on 1 May 2009.
References
Is Anybody There? WikipediaIs Anybody There? IMDb Is Anybody There? themoviedb.org