Before I Change My Mind is a 2022 Canadian coming-of-agecomedy-drama film co-written and directed by Trevor Anderson in his feature directorial debut.[1] Set in 1987, the film stars Vaughan Murrae as Robin, a non-binary teenager who moves with their family to a small town in Alberta, where they navigate the challenges of fitting into a new environment by befriending Carter (Dominic Lippa), the school bully.[2] The film also stars Lacey Oake, Matthew Rankin, and Shannon Blanchet.
The film, Anderson's feature debut following a number of short films, was supported in advance of production by both the Inside Out Film and Video Festival's Financing Forum and GLAAD's 2020 list of LGBTQ-centred screenplays in development.[3] It was shot in and around Red Deer, Alberta, in 2021.[8]
Reception
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 100% based on 8 reviews, with an average rating of 7.2/10.[9]
IndieWire highlighted the film as one of ten must-see films at Locarno, writing that it was "convincingly draped in a soft and transportive '80s aesthetic" and that it "seems determined to confront the challenges and triumphs of self-becoming with the unwavering honesty of someone who remembers them both".[2]
For Screen Anarchy, Martin Kudlac wrote that the film effectively subverted and refreshed many of the tropes and clichés of the teen coming-of-age genre.[1]
Lacey Oake won the award for Best Performance in a Female Role at the 2022 Iris Prize.[13]
The film won three Rosie Awards at the 2022 Alberta Film and Television Awards, for Best Feature Film, Best Screenplay for a Feature Film (Anderson, Griwkowsky) and Best Cinematography in a Feature Film (Wes Miron).[14]