Whole new thing

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Aaron Webber makes an outstanding feature-film debut in WHOLE NEW THING as 13-year-old Emerson a precocious homeschooled boy who spends most of his time when not alone in his room with his very liberal parents and his parents` friends. He takes naked saunas and smokes dope with his mother Kaya (Rebecca Jenkins) and father Rog (Robert Joy) and gives erotic back rubs to their female friends. But Kaya who needs a change in her life believes it must start with Emerson going to the local public school and meeting some kids his own age. It also involves her getting involved with Denny (Callum Keith Rennie) because of Rog`s growing bitterness about his failing career. Despite his protestations Emerson goes off to school and after his initial displeasure with the whole new experience thinking he is above it all he soon develops a crush on his teacher Don Grant (cowriter Daniel MacIvor). Don meanwhile likes to spend his free time having anonymous sex with strange men in public rest-stop bathrooms.Beautifully shot on location in Nova Scotia by Christopher Ball and expertly directed and cowritten by Amnon Buchbinder WHOLE NEW THING a film-festival favorite shot in a mere 15 days is a touching coming-of-age story with fascinating unique characters strong acting and plenty of unexpected twists and turns.