Foster (film)


Foster is a 2011 British comedy-drama film written and directed by Jonathan Newman, based on his 2005 short film. Part of it was shot at Legoland Windsor in April 2010. The film stars Golden Globe winner Toni Collette, Ioan Gruffudd, Richard E. Grant, BAFTA Award winner Hayley Mills and Maurice Cole.

Plot

Some years after their son is killed in an accident, a married couple decide to adopt a child. One day a 7-year-old boy, Eli, unexpectedly arrives on their doorstep claiming to be from the adoption agency. Eli wears a suit every day and is very well-spoken for a child. He helps the adults to process their loss, which had stifled both their marriage and their toy business, and lets them embrace life again.

Cast

Foster, the short film, premiered on HBO and BBC in 2007. It won Best Film, Best Actor, Special Jury Prize and Best Screenplay at the Braga International Film Festival in Portugal. The film garnered Newman a nomination for BBC Three's New Filmmaker Award. It was also nominated for Best Film at the Rhode Island Film Festival in 2006.
After the success of the short, Peter Farrelly of the Farrelly brothers became interested in the development of a feature-length film though the film was ultimately produced by Bend it Like Beckham producer Deepak Nayar. Shooting subsequently began in the spring of 2010 for six weeks on location in London.

Release

The film premiered on 18 October 2011 at the Rome Film Festival and was released in 2012.

Critical reception

Rhode Island Film Festival, 2013

Foster won Best Feature Film at the

Rome film festival

The film was met with positive reviews, with Italian film review site Persinsala calling it a "sweet and very moving comedy with a happy ending" and praising Cole's performance, "caught in the shoes of a child – incredibly mature for his age".