With I'M GOING HOME, Portuguese director Manoel de Oliveira presents a tender film about the zest for life that gives the human spirit resilience in the face of hardship. Michel Piccoli stars as Gilbert Valence, an aging actor who is in the prime of his career, enjoying his pick of prominent roles in both theater and film. During a performance of Exit the King by Eugene Ionesco, with Valence's king weeping over his lost throne, three men arrive backstage to deliver some terrible news: Valence's wife and two children have been killed in a car accident. Saddened but undefeated, Valence continues with the simple daily activities that bring him joy. Each morning he watches his young grandson, Serge (Jean Koeltgen), running off to grade school. He sits in his favorite cafe at his favorite table at the same time each day and drinks coffee. He delights in looking at the monuments of Paris at Trocadero, Place de la Concorde, and the Eiffel Tower. He wanders the grand boulevards, stopping to buy himself a new pair of shoes. A role in The Tempest keeps Valence busy, and when he's at home he plays children's games with Serge. But then his luck turns. His Paris streets become shadowy and dangerous. His agent forces him into a last-minute casting of an English-language film of James Joyce's Ulysses, directed by John Crawford (John Malkovich). And as Valence begins to feel overwhelmed and unhappy, he quickly changes his situation. "I'm going home. I want to rest," he says, and does just that.

Theatrical Release Date: August 14th, 2002 (NY)

DVD Features:

Region 1
Keep Case
Full Frame - 1.33
Audio:
Dolby Digital Stereo - English
Additional Release Material:
Audio Commentary
Production Interview - 1. Manoel De Oliveira
Trailers - 1. Original Theatrical Trailer

Distributor Notes: Hailed by critics as one of the finest films of the decade, this funny, humane and heartbreaking statement is the masterpiece of internationally acclaimed director Manoel de Oliveira. Successful theater actor Gilbert Valence (Contempt's Michel Piccoli) learns his wife, daughter and son-in-law have been killed in a car accident. Over time, his life regains a semblance of normalcy as he takes care of his orphaned grandson, strolls the streets of Paris, frequents his favorite cafe and returns to the stage. But when an American film director (Dangerous Liaisons' John Malkovich) casts him against type in an English-language production of James Joyce's Ulysses, Valence struggles to master the dialogue and his own emotions. Irresistible in its poignancy and charm, this radiant wonder also stars the legendary Catherine Deneuve (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg) and features stunning footage of the City of Lights itself.

Source: Image Entertainment, Inc.

Michel Piccoli: French Actor
Catherine Deneuve: French actress
John Malkovich: American Actor/Producer
Antoine Chappey: French Actor, SELON MATTHIEU (2000)
Leonor Silveira: Actress
Jean Koeltgen: Actor, I'M GOING HOME (2002)

Manoel DeOliveira: Portuguese Director, Screenwriter, began in early '30s

Paulo Branco: Portuguese Producer

Manoel DeOliveira: Portuguese Director, Screenwriter, began in early '30s

"...I'M GOING HOME gives you the steady pulse of life in a beautiful city..."
"...[A] deeply felt story....With an emotional depth that's true to life and a streamlined narrative..."
"...De Oliveira, shooting in long, lingering takes, proves the most playful of sages....As original as it is unlikely: a study in grief that is flooded with happiness..."
"...This character study is full of wry, observational humour about ageing..."