Lost and Delirious

Lost and Delirious is a 2001 Canadian drama film directed by Léa Pool and loosely based on the novel The Wives Of Bath by Susan Swan. Lost and Delirious is filmed from the perspective of Mary (Mischa Barton), who observes the changing homosexual relationship between her two teenage friends, Pauline (Piper Perabo) and Victoria (Jessica Paré).

Plot summary

Mary is a new student at the all girls' boarding school, and dorms with Paulie and Victoria. In an effort to get the shy Mary to break out of her shell, Paulie and Tori involve her in their activities, such as running in the mornings. When they hear that Mary's mother has died, Paulie nicknames her "Mary Brave."

Mary observes the intimacy between her two roommates. Peering out a window at night, she sees them kissing on a roof. Paulie and Tori's relationship is close and Paulie is full of life. At one point she turns a quiet afternoon on the campus into a music-blasting dance party and spikes the punch. In another moment, she defends Victoria from a frustrated math teacher who humiliates her when she does not understand basic math.

When the three are running one day, Paulie comes across a hurt falcon, which she befriends. After reading up on falcons, she trains the animal. While she is tending to the falcon, Mary and Tori meet some boys from the nearby boys school. One flirts with Tori, asking if she will be attending her brother's 18th birthday party and making it clear that he likes her. When Mary and Tori are alone, Tori expresses disgust at the boy's interest in her, saying, "He liked my tits." When Mary asks if she'll go to the party, Tori says, "And have all those gross guys groping me? I'd rather stay home."

Over time, Paulie and Tori become more comfortable showing affection in front of Mary. It progresses from a quick kiss on the lips in front of her to the two sharing a bed while Mary is sleeping.

One morning, Victoria's sister, Allison, and her friends rush into the room to wake up the older girls. Paulie is lying in Tori's bed, both clearly topless. Horrified silence falls over everyone.

Mary pushes Tori's sister out of the room and closes the door. Tori angrily tells Paulie to get out of her bed. Paulie tries to downplay the situation, and Tori tells her she doesn't understand, explaining that her sister will tell her parents about it. When confronted by Allison, Tori tries to extinguish her sister's suspicions by telling her Paulie has an unrequited crush on her and crawled into her bed. Her sister promises to "fix" the rumors about Tori and not tell their parents anything. As she walks away from this conversation, Victoria collapses into tears.

In the library, Victoria explains to Mary that her family, her parents and her sister, are strongly opposed to homosexuality, and she must stop the relationship to prevent their rejection. Mary sympathizes with both of her friends, as she too feels rejected by her father, who does not bother to show up to a father/daughter dance. Paulie degenerates into psychotic abusive behavior. She smashes a mirror and hurls a dish cart to the ground. A rejection letter from the agency that handled Paulie's adoption, which informs her that her birth mother denied a request from Paulie to get in touch, further sends her over the edge. Meanwhile, Victoria creates an image of heterosexuality to her friends and her sister, dating Jake Hollander (Luke Kirby) from a nearby all boys' school and avoiding Paulie.

In the forest at night, Tori and Jake have sex against a tree. Both Mary and Paulie accidentally witness this scene and run back to their room before Tori returns. Paulie declare a duel with Jake. Jake ends up on the ground, with Paulie brandishes a sword above him. She demands that he give up Tori. When he refuses, she stabs the sword into his leg. Mary rushes to stop her, and Paulie runs off. Mary runs to Victoria's soccer match, where the headmistress, math teacher, and fellow students are congregated. Upon reaching the group, Mary sees Paulie, sobbing from the top of a building. Whispering "I rush into the secret house," a reference to Shakespeare on suicide, Paulie jumps to her death.

Themes

Some of the themes explored are homophobia, gender issues and stereotypes, forbidden love, sexuality and gender identity.

This short section requires expansion.

Differences from the novel

This short section requires expansion.

• Tory and Paulie have a lesbian relationship; in the novel, Paulie posed as a boy.
• Mouse never pretends to be a boy.
• The theme of masculinity is underplayed in the film, where as, in the novel, Paulie wanting to be masculine and Mouse's need for a man's freedom are more prominent.

Cast

• Piper Perabo as Pauline "Paulie" Oster
• Jessica Paré as Victoria "Tori" Moller
• Mischa Barton as Mary "Mouse" Bedford
• Jackie Burroughs as Fay Vaughn
• Mimi Kuzyk as Eleanor Bannet
• Graham Greene as Joe Menzies
• Emily VanCamp as Allisson Moller
• Caroline Dhavernas as Kara
• Luke Kirby as Jake Hollander

Production details

The movie was filmed in Lennoxville, Quebec on the Bishop's University Campus and across the Massawippi River at Bishop's College School. Students attending summer classes there during filming were used as extras.

Soundtrack

• Original score by Yves Chamberland

• "Beautiful"

Written and Performed by Meshell Ndegeocello

Maverick Records

• "Add It Up"

Performed by Violent Femmes

Written by Gordon Gano

Beyond Music

• "You Had Time"

Written and Performed by Ani DiFranco

Righteous Babe Records

• "River Waltz"

Performed by Cowboy Junkies

Written by Michael Timmins

Cowboy Junkies Inc.

• "Sanctus" from Missa Luba

Performed by Muungano National Choir

Universal Music

Awards and honors

Genie Award

• Pierre Gill for Best Achievement in Cinematography

External links

• Lost and Delirious at the Internet Movie Database
• A tribute website
• Film Trailer
• Fan Site by Aureliade:Lost and Delirious

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