Movie-TV Credits
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(2002 independent film)
Bruce Greenwood plays a pivotal role in Atom Egoyan's most recent project, a film within a film that was released throughout North America at the end of 2002. A personal odyssey for Egoyan, the story follows the effects of making a movie about the 1915 Armenian holocaust in Turkey and takes place in both time frames with a number of intertwining narratives. Bruce plays both the actor -- Martin Harcourt -- and the real person he's portraying in the film -- Dr. Clarence Ussher, the American doctor who ran a mission in Turkey for 15 years. Although the principle storyline follows two dysfunctional Armenian families of the present, the film and its historical impact constitute the focal point, the event that brings all these disparate characters together. Greenwood's Dr. Ussher along with Elias Koteas' villainous Turk represent the only character links that function in both time frames.
An intensely intimate journey for the Armenian Egoyan, he wrote, directed and co-produced the film along with Robert Lantos' Serendipity Point Films and Alliance Altlantis. Other prominent roles are played by Christopher Plummer, Tony-winning performer Brent Carver ("Kiss of the Spider Woman"), French actor Charles Aznavour (of Armenian descent himself, who plays the director), Genie Award winner Marie-Josée Crose, Egoyan's Armenian-born wife Arsinée Khanjian and newcomer David Alpay, who plays the 18-yr-old driver from whose viewpoint the story unfolds.
The movie was originally slated to compete at The Cannes International Film Festival in May of 2002, but Egoyan opted to screen it out-of-competition because of the film's personal subject matter and the ensuing protests from the Turkish government. In September 2002, it was selected over stiff competition to open the Toronto Film Festival (which Greenwood attended) and went on to have special screenings world wide, including gala premiere presentations in Vancouver and Los Angeles.
More controversial and less universally accepted than Bruce Greenwood's previous Egoyan movies, the film still managed to dominate the 2003 Canadian Genies, nominated for 9 awards and winning 5, including Best Picture, Best Actress (Arsinée Khanjian), Best Supporting Actor (Elias Koteas), Best Original Score (Mychael Danna) and Best Costumes (Beth Pasternak). Egoyan was nominated for Best Original Screenplay but not for his directing duties, a small indication of the film's troublesome reception. In addition to the Canadian awards, The National Board of Review nominated the movie for "Special Recognition of Films that Reflect the Freedom of Expression."
Shot from May to June 2001 in Toronto and Alberta, Canada, the film was distributed by Alliance Atlantis with Miramax in charge of the U.S. box office and subsequent DVD distribution. A platform release in Los Angeles and New York was followed by wider releases in November, 2002. 
Bruce Greenwood as Dr. Clarence Ussher
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 Martin tells Rouben how he prepared for his role |
31 secs |
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Dr. Ussher asks his flock for help |
39 secs |
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Clarence Ussher confronts Jedvet Bey |
1 min 11 secs |
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Ani interrupts Ussher's scene |
57 secs |
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Movie Star Martin Harcourt is interviewed at the premiere |
12 secs |