NO FAMILY COULD BE HAPPIER!
A gay couple (Gustaf Skarsgård, Torkel Petersson) tries to adjust to a suburban neighborhood; after being approved as adoptive parents, they accidentally end up with a juvenile delinquent (Tom Ljungman). Not many Swedish filmmakers are capable of delivering movies that are appealing, entertaining and rely on a tried formula but still provide some element of depth – Ella Lemhagen makes it look easy. The set-up is familiar, despite the attempt to portray a modern family, but predictability never gets the upper hand. Plenty of funny, sweet and earnest moments, attractively photographed, and featuring excellent performances by the three leads.
2008-Sweden-Finland. 102 min. Color. Widescreen. Produced by Tomas Michaelsson, Lars Blomgren. Written and directed by Ella Lemhagen. Play: Mikael Druker. Cinematography: Marek Septimus Wieser. Cast: Gustaf Skarsgård (Göran Skoogh), Torkel Petersson (Sven Skoogh), Tom Ljungman (Patrik), Amanda Davin, Annika Hallin, Jacob Ericksson… Anders Lönnbro.
Trivia: Original title: Patrik 1,5.
Last word: “The producer’s idea was to make it mainstream, and what I liked about that was not just telling a story about gay people for gay people, because that becomes a narrow audience. It was more telling a love story about a couple that wants to have a child and what happens when the wrong child appears. It’s important that it’s a gay couple, but I wanted to tell it so everyone can relate to the family issues. Their struggles aren’t specific to a gay couple, more of people you can relate to.” (Lemhagen, Seattle Gay News)
