The Adventures of Sebastian Cole (1998)
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43% of critics liked it
(23 reviews) -
67% of users liked it
(2,483 ratings)
Tod Williams made his feature directorial debut with this teen comedy-drama set in 1983. High school senior and writer wannabe Sebastian Cole (Adrian Grenier) survives a car accident in a remote Southwestern area near the trailer home of a Spanish-speaking woman. As she dresses his wounds, Sebastian… More Tod Williams made his feature directorial debut with this teen comedy-drama set in 1983. High school senior and writer wannabe Sebastian Cole (Adrian Grenier) survives a car accident in a remote Southwestern area near the trailer home of a Spanish-speaking woman. As she dresses his wounds, Sebastian looks back over the past year and his dysfunctional family life. After a divorce, Sebastian's near-alcoholic mother Joan (Margaret Colin) remarried. His architect father Hartley (John Shea) was more devoted to career than family. His sister Jessica (Marni Lustig) is off to the West Coast with her dullard boyfriend. Sebastian's stepfather Hank (Clark Gregg) plans a sex change. Since being married to a woman doesn't appeal to Joan, she returns to her native England with Sebastian. Months later, Sebastian moves back to his upstate New York hometown, rejoining Hank. However, Hank is now Henrietta, wearing makeup and women's clothing and serving as both a mother and father figure for Sebastian. Shown at the 1998 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Directed By
- Tod Williams
- Written By
- Todd Williams
- Genres
- Drama, Art House & International, Comedy
R,
- On DVD
- Mar 21, 2000
Critic Reviews
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Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com
Given so many vapid young would-be stars foisted upon the public by the Hollywood machinery, it is a rare delight indeed to come across one with actual talent and potential.
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Jason Clark, Matinee Magazine
A ponderous, uneven portrait of disaffected youth.
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Steve Rhodes, Internet Reviews
The filmmaker shows no talent at storytelling, leaving the movie to live or die on the basis of the characters it creates. And none of them, save Hank/Henrietta, are compelling.
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David Noh, Film Journal International
Incorporates all the quirky, derivative elements of modern-day, oh-so-sensitive B-movies, with nary a breath of fresh air to justify its determined whimsy.
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Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
An affectionate coming-of-age tale.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
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Cast
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Adrian Grenier
as Sebastian
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Clark Gregg
as Hank/Henrietta
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Aleksa Palladino
as Mary
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Margaret Colin
as Joan
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John Shea
as Hartley
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Marni Lustig
as Jessica
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Joan Copeland
as Grandmother
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Tom Lacy
as Grandfather
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Gabriel Macht
as Troy
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Russel Harper
as Wayne
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Greg Haberny
as Jimmy
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Peter McRobbie
as Principal
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Rory Cochrane
as Chinatown
- Nicole Ari Parker
- Herbert Russell
