If there’s one overused word used in all sauces, it’s the word “benevolence.”
But one series managed to reconcile me with this word and returned him his letters of nobility. It’s About Antoine, this series full of tenderness broadcast on Club illico.
Without ever falling into Marshmallow and Gnangnan, this series (under the guise of fiction) tells the true story of a family like no other that surrounds a child like no other… with benevolence…
ABOUT CATHLEEN
I know Sylvain Parent-Bédard, founder of ComediHa!, well. In the world of entertainment and humor, he is valued and respected. But I didn’t know his son Antoine, 15, autistic level 3, mentally handicapped, multiply handicapped and severely epileptic.
Sylvain’s friend, actress and humorist Cathleen Rouleau wrote the series About Antoine to tell the everyday life of a girl who falls in love with a man whose child is severely disabled.
I was expecting laughter, because when a comedian shares the day-to-day life of a comedy festival organizer, there’s always bound to be some funny situations.
- Listen to the interview with Cathleen Rouleau on The Sophie Durocher Show, broadcast live daily at 3:15 p.m QUB radio :
On the other hand, what I hadn’t prepared for was to be so touched and especially to have a real crush on Antoine, who plays his own role on the show.
Antoine is not verbal, but he communicates like no other, with his sweet smile, his piercing gaze, his screams of joy. But above all, Antoine communicates with his tenderness, his hugs, his kisses.
I was totally freaked out watching the behind-the-scenes documentary, Antoine, the Marvelous, after two episodes of the series.
Cathleen Rouleau does a good job of explaining what it means to be the mother-in-law of a child with multiple disabilities: “It’s not easy…but it’s still beautiful. »
That’s what the series gives us to see: beauty, humanity at its best, and yes, a good dose of benevolence.
In “real life”, Antoine is surrounded by his father (and his father’s girlfriend), his mother (and his mother’s spouse and his two daughters) and his brother. All these people have created a restored family full of tenderness, united around a common goal: to take care of Antoine, to offer him comfort and happiness.
It’s a great human achievement, a great story that completely blew me away.
This human connection (they travel together, celebrate together) warmed my heart in this individualistic and crazy time.
But beware: neither the documentary nor the series are miserable.
- Listen to the Durocher-Dutrizac meeting with Sophie Durocher on the microphone by Benoit Dutrizac QUB radio :
ANOTHER’S SKIN
We’ve often heard lobbyists claim that only people with disabilities play disabled characters on screen. I’ve always defended the idea that, on the contrary, actors should be able to play any role, slip into any role.
But in the case of Antoine, I am convinced that he was the only one able to play his own role.
In fact, I’m convinced I would never have had such a crush on an actor trying to imitate Antoine’s sweet smile.
You can “pretend” to be disabled. But you can’t pretend you’re wonderful.
