The Celebration (
Festen) is a 1998 Danish movie directed by Thomas Vinterberg and was filmed according to the
minimalist Dogme95 guidelines.
Helge, a respected businessman, gathers his family and friends for his 60th birthday. Amongst the guests are his wife Elsa and his three children Christian, Helene and Michael. The family is still recovering following the suicide of Christian's twin sister Linda.
As guests arrive one-by-one, the action moves into the dining room where the celebration is about to begin. And then Christian stands up and prepares to make a speech. However, he gives his father a choice. Does he want a yellow speech or a green speech? After being coaxed by his guests, Helge settles on the green speech, which Christian has dubbed the "honest speech". The guests have no idea what kind of dark family secrets are going to see the light of day as Christian begins his speech...
The Film Contains Examples Of:
- Awful Truth
- Based on a Great Big Lie: Vinterberg stated that the story was inspired by story told by a caller to a phone-in show which subsequently turned out to be a hoaxer.
- Berserk Button: Helge... Christian... Michael... deeply suppressed rage runs deep in this family.
- Big Screwed-Up Family: It's like watching a a gigantic familial pile-up.
- Black Comedy: This is sometimes injected into conversations, often as a result of severe Mood Whiplash.
- Black Sheep: Subverted slightly by Helene.
- Calling the Old Man Out: The whole point of this movie.
- Driven to Suicide: Linda.
- Enforced Method Acting: Before the actual shooting, the cast lived in the villa for a week to become a psuedo-family, so their reaction to the revelation- which they weren't prepared for- would be more genuine.
- Jerk Ass: So many to choose from... but Michael remains undisputed king by the end of the movie.
- Minimalism: Well, it is a Dogme film.
- Mood Whiplash: You're laughing, you're cringing, you're creeped out, you're appalled, you're crying.. and hey, you're laughing again!
- Parental Incest
- Rape as Drama
- Retired Monster: Helge
- Sibling Rivalry: In spades.
- The Unfavorite: Michael, again.
- Villainous Breakdown: Helge after Linda's letter is read out.
- “Well Done Son” Guy: Michael takes this trope to disturbing levels.
- While Rome Burns: The film's all about denial, which is how a lot of the guests are still able to carry on partying despite the family's implosion.
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