After the Axe

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After the Axe
AfterTheAxe1981Poster.jpg
Film poster
Directed bySturla Gunnarsson
Written bySteve Lucas
Produced bySturla Gunnarsson
Arthur Hammond
Steve Lucas
Narrated by
Cinematography
Edited by
Production
company
Release date
  • 1982 (1982)
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

After the Axe is a 1982 Canadian drama film about executive firings directed by Sturla Gunnarsson. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.[1] The film explores the experiences of managers getting fired and the emergence of a new industry specialized in handling such terminations. Despite its Oscar nomination in the documentary category, After the Axe is closer to a docufiction film, made with the cooperation of members of the Canadian business community, which provided locations and helped script scenes during filming. The film's protagonist, D.R. "Biff" Wilson, is a composite character based on the filmmakers' conversations with fired executives, while the other Canadian executives play themselves.[2]

Premise[]

Wilson, a senior marketing executive, is laid off from a food company after fifteen years of good service. Losing his status and security, he is relegated to the role of dependent house husband, resented by his children and shunned by former colleagues.[3]

Cast[]

  • as Biff Wilson
  • as Wife
  • as Daughter
  • as Son
  • as Narrator (voice)
  • Eric Barton as Himself (relocation counsellor)
  • Jim Paupst as Himself
  • Stanley Warshaw as Himself (, N.Y.C.)

Reaction[]

Writing in Cinema Canada, Gary Lamphier stated that Gunnarsson and Lucas "establish Biff's decline and subsequent resurrection with economy and a sense of style."[4]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "NY Times: After the Axe". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Baseline & All Movie Guide. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012. Retrieved 16 November 2008.
  2. ^ "After the Axe". National Film Board of Canada website. Retrieved 17 September 2009.
  3. ^ "After the Axe". Canadian Film Encyclopedia. Toronto International Film Festival. Archived from the original on 7 January 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  4. ^ Lamphier, Gary (November 1981). "Short Film Reviews/Sturla Gunnarsson's "After the Axe"". Cinema Canada (79): 38. ISSN 1918-879X. Retrieved 18 April 2021.

External links[]

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