Now cemented in Canadian film history director and writer of My American Cousin, Sandy Wilson, remembers the film as an extension of her home movies.
“To me, My American Cousin was just sort of a natural progression of grand home movies shot in the Okanagan. Like a giant selfie,” Wilson said.
The film was selected for Canada on Screen, part of Canada’s 150th anniversary, through a poll of industry professionals. The program is an unprecedented project to identify, restore and screen 150 essential films from Canada’s history.
Wilson said the news made her feel “completely euphoric.”
“It’s very nice to be remembered,” Wilson laughed.
Winner of six Genie Awards, My American Cousin is the story of Sandy Wilcox (Margaret Langrick) cousin and the unexpected arrival of her James Dean-esque cousin Butch Walker (John Wildman) from California. The two learn a lot from each other over the summer, in between Sandy’s friends swooning over Butch.
The film has recently been digitized and Wilson was in Hollywood watching the finished product when a young man behind the console said “I love the movie, but you gotta tell me, was the scenery real?”
“I thought that’s amazing. I’ve lived long enough for this 18-year-old kid from Los Angeles who has probably seen nothing but green screen movies to say that,” Wilson said. “He just didn’t believe it.”
Looking back on the film shot in Penticton has become easier for Wilson in the years since. In the few years after making it, not so much.
“It was so hard to make it. At first, I could barely watch it because I saw all the mistakes and everything, you know?” Wilson said. “It took a few years and now when I watch it I’m astonished it’s as fabulous as it is. I think, my God, did we really do all that? And yes we did. It’s pretty amazing.”
Originally from Naramata, her father used to shoot home movies, where her filmmaking career got its initial spark. At Simon Fraser University in 1968 is when film, among other things, peaked her interest.
“I heard there were some cute guys in a film class so I signed up and started making movies,” Wilson laughed.
Following her film education she completed a few documentaries in the Okanagan a film about her brother.
My American Cousin debuted in 1985 and it is completly beyond Wilson why the film became the success that it did.
“I’m not sure, but you know what people seem to remember it with affection. I can’t tell you how many times people have come up to me and sort of whispered or looked over their shoulder and said ‘I have a cousin just like that.’ So it seems to kind of hit a chord,” Wilson said.
There were only two real film crews in B.C. at the time, a stark contrast to the province’s film industry today, so the cast and crew were filled out with friends and neighbours. A small crew by today’s standards.
“I had never been on a feature film set and I wanted all my friends to be on the crew. So there were a lot of other people who had never been on a crew before either. So none of us really knew the rules,” Wilson said. “Once you get on location, you become like a circus family. It’s like we’re here to make a movie and the rules, we’ll consider them if we have to. That kind of attitude is no longer allowed really.”
Wilson is going to be at a screening of the film on Salt Spring Island, but will be trying to videoconference in to see what she assumes will be a lot of familiar faces at the screening in Penticton on April 19.
“Half of Penticton is in the movie,” Wilson laughed. “I’m assuming that a bunch of them are going to be showing up at the screening.”
The free screeings of My American Cousin takes place at Landmark Cinemas on April 19, with one at 4 p.m. and one at 7 pm. There is no cost to attend, but the event is still ticketed, with tickets available at the Penticton Art Gallery.