| Louis 19, King of the Airwaves | |
|---|---|
| French | Louis 19, le roi des ondes | 
| Directed by | Michel Poulette | 
| Written by | 
  | 
| Produced by | 
  | 
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Daniel Jobin | 
| Edited by | Denis Papillon | 
| Music by | Jean-Marie Benoît | 
| Distributed by | Malofilm | 
Release date  | 
  | 
Running time  | 95 minutes | 
| Country | Canada | 
| Language | French | 
| Box office | C$1.8 million (Canada)[1] | 
Louis 19, King of the Airwaves (French: Louis 19, le roi des ondes) is a Canadian comedy film, released in April 1994.[2]
The film stars Martin Drainville as Louis Jobin, a television fanatic who wins a contest to be on television. Unbeknownst to him, however, his prize is to become a reality show: he is followed around by a cameraman 24 hours a day for three months, and when his life doesn't make for compelling viewing, the show's producers decide to manipulate his life to make the show more exciting.[3]
The film was directed by Michel Poulette, and written by Poulette, Sylvie Bouchard, Michel Michaud and Émile Gaudreault. It won the Golden Reel Award as the year's top-grossing film in Canada.
Cast
- Martin Drainville : Louis Jobin
 - Zenhu Han : Sam Ying
 - Chantal Fontaine : la reporter
 - Gilbert Lachance : Remi
 - Jean L'Italien : Roger
 - Dominique Michel : Aline Jobin
 - Alexandra Boulianne : une chanteuse de la chorale
 - Mireille Thibault : une chanteuse de la chorale
 - Sylvie Bouchard : une chanteuse de la chorale
 - Yves Jacques : Michel Gobeil
 - Carol Jones : une gardienne de sécurité
 - Patricia Tulasne : Charlotte Dubreuil
 - Marcela Seguel : Marie-Laurence Despins
 - Stephanie Laplante : scripte télé
 - Pierre Paquin : réalisateur télé
 - Guillaume Lemay-Thivierge : le technicien de la régie
 - Agathe de La Fontaine : Julie Leduc
 - Marie-Claude Robitaille: Guylaine
 - Sonia Laplante: Josée
 - Benoît Brière: Caméraman
 
Release
The film opened on 34 screens in Quebec on April 1, 1994.[4]
Reception
The film grossed $194,732 in its opening weekend[4] It went on to win the Golden Reel Award for the year's top-grossing film in Canada,[5] even though it was only released in Quebec, with a gross of C$1.8 million.[1]
Awards
The film won the Claude Jutra Award for the best feature film by a first-time Canadian film director.[6] It was also a nominee for Best Motion Picture,[7] but lost to Exotica.
Remake
The 1999 American film EDtv was an adaptation of Louis 19.[8]
References
- 1 2 Kelly, Brendan (November 2, 1994). "'Louis 19' takes Canada's B.O. crown". Daily Variety . p. 14.
 - ↑ "In new Quebec comedy, the joke's on paying public". Montreal Gazette, April 2, 1994.
 - ↑ "Film Review: Louis 19". The Globe and Mail, April 22, 1994.
 - 1 2 Klady, Leonard (April 11, 1994). "'Major' minor; 'Spirits' down; 'Jimmy' dead". Variety. p. 12.
 - ↑ "Quebec comedy wins box office prize". Toronto Star. November 2, 1994.
 - ↑ "Quebec director wins Jutra award". The Globe and Mail, November 4, 1994.
 - ↑ "Exotica snaps up 13 Genie nominations". Hamilton Spectator, October 20, 1994.
 - ↑ "EDtv a fun, fluffy Truman Show". Montreal Gazette, March 26, 1999.