Characters
Celine Bonnier
Annie
Born in Ottawa in 1969 to a bartender mother and a travelling musician father, Annie was an only child who learned to fend for herself from a young age. Growing up without much in the way of parental guidance made her strong but affected her ability to truly connect with other people. Extroverted by nature, Annie has little trouble attracting friends and lovers, but can’t seem to fully commit.
Annie has two children, Sarah and Felix, with different fathers. Felix’s dad died a few years earlier from cancer. Around the same time, Sarah’s father Pascal moved to Tampa to find work – an arrangement he claimed would be temporary. Ever since, Annie’s been a single, overwhelmed mother barely keeping her head above water. Her whole life, Annie’s response to conflict is to run away.
Photo : Yan Turcotte
Zeneb Blanchet
Sarah
Brilliant and shy, Sarah is a mixed-race 15-year-old girl who finds solace in music or drawing. Her father’s departure and her mother’s impulsiveness have caused her a lot of pain, which she has trouble hiding. In addition, she is afflicted with certain food allergies, which considerably affects her quality of life as well as her self-esteem.
Much like her mother, Sarah has trouble maintaining relationships and tends to run when confronted with difficult situations. When she meets Paul’s daughter Hope, she confirms what she has long suspected: she’s attracted to girls.
Photo : Yan Turcotte
Rick Roberts
Paul
La première fois qu’on rencontre Paul, il est ce mécanicien un peu bourru qui n’a pas envie d’étirer sa journée pour accommoder Annie tombée en panne. Paul n’est pas complètement mécanicien. Son passé de journaliste lui manque. En effet ce prix Pulitzer a choisi de ré-orienter sa carrière après que son épouse Helen eut trouvé la mort lors d'une fusillade dans une école. Sa fille Hope n’a que 6 mois lorsqu’il décide de fuir la ville et de retourner dans son village natal pour reprendre le garage de son père.
Depuis la mort de sa femme, Paul s’est fermé comme une huître. Mais derrière ses airs de grincheux se cache un être attentionné et empathique. La relation entre Paul et sa fille est complexe mais malgré sa légendaire maladresse, ce dernier voudrait plus que tout se rapprocher de Hope.
Photo : Yan Turcotte
Eliott Plamondon
Felix
Felix lost his father way too soon, and though he’s been through so much, he’s remained a sociable, bright and resourceful kid. Exuberant and brave, he’s the grownup of the family – calling things as they are, and resolving conflicts between his mother and sister. Cheerful and curious by nature, almost nothing intimidates him, and his spontaneity has the capacity to warm the coldest hearts.
Photo : Yan Turcotte
Naomi Cormier
Hope
Paul’s daughter, Hope, has no memory of her mother, who was killed in a school shooting when Hope was less than a year old. Her great-aunt Emma is the mother figure in her life. As a teenager, Hope tries to control her worst impulses, though her intense curiosity leads her towards some poor decisions.
Intelligent, open, adventurous and a natural leader, Hope’s greatest wish is to break down the walls that separate her from her father, who’s never managed to fully recover from his grief. She feels that she is a painful reminder of everything that Paul has lost.
Photo : Yan Turcotte
Janet Land
Emma
Eccentric and adventurous, Emma has led a long and eventful life filled with generosity and compassion. Emma’s husband, Gerard, was a ship’s captain who was swept away during a storm. His remains were never recovered, and Emma likes to imagine that he’s out on a desert island somewhere, digging for buried treasure.
Emma and Gerard had only one child, a son named Richard, with whom she is still very close; she always longed to have more children. Her longing for a larger family keeps her inviting people into her home or under her care. It’s been 16 years since Paul and baby Hope arrived on her doorstep – and she helped them rebuild a life away from the big city.
Photo : Yan Turcotte
Richard
Sean Tucker
Emma’s only son Richard is a local handyman who’s known throughout town as a kind and generous jack-of-all-trades. In addition to helping Paul out at the garage, he delivers groceries for the local market, washes dishes at the motel bar, and takes care of Emma. Although he never received a formal education, he did inherit a certain sophistication from his mother.
Richard has an opinion on everything, but his somewhat victimized side sometimes makes him take questionable shortcuts on political matters. Despite everything, his integrity and his kindness make him a resolutely endearing being.
Photo : Yan Turcotte
