How do families manage to cope when one member suffers from mental illness? Canvas, a fact-based drama directed by Joseph Greco, takes a poignant look at the way one family deals with this situation. Starring Joe Pantoliano as John, a husband who gives unconditional love to his schizophrenic wife despite the bizarre behavior her illness evokes at the most unexpected times, this movie goes straight to the heart of the matter. Canvas also shows how John begins to bond with his 10-year-old son while both of them learn to live under the stigma of mental illness.         

“So many people are touched by mental illness and it goes undiagnosed,” Pantoliano  explained in a telephone interview. “People need to know about this. I can’t help wondering why erectile dysfunction gets so much attention, but not something like this. I want to make bi-polar a sexy disease!”

Pantoliano, a noted character actor who’s appeared in over one hundred films including The Matrix, Bound and Memento, may be best known for his Emmy-winning work in HBO’s The Sopranos. However, he believes his performance in Canvas to be his best one yet. He’s already won Best Actor at the Fort Lauderdale Film Festival and the Sedona Film Fest. “I got involved in Canvas and started understanding the important things it was saying,” he declared. “This film opened my eyes to a disease not talked about and not funded (for treatment).”

Did Pantoliano do anything special to prepare for this role? “I was going through a lot of emotional problems myself at the time and a friendship had just blown up, so I used all of this -- my confusion and sadness became a conduit for my performance. Also, my mom had an undiagnosed mental illness. She battled her demons, then died before her time at  age 65 because of it.”      

Obviously taking the film’s subject matter seriously, Pantoliano was excited about the reception Canvas received at a screening in Las Vegas for about 600 members of the National Alliance of Mental Health. “Our movie got a standing ovation,” he said. “But it’s important for people to know Canvas is not a downer. It’s an entertaining movie about hope and unconditional love. See this film with an audience, and you’ll hear the laughter and other positive reactions.”

Commenting on his co-stars, Pantoliano said he greatly enjoyed working with leading lady Marcia Gay Harden and with Devon Gearheart, who portrayed his son. “Devon just finished a movie with Naomi Watts. He’s on his way!” Pantoliano proudly exclaimed.   

To find out more about Canvas, go to the film’s website at www.canvasthefilm.com.

(Canvas is one of the many movies scheduled to screen at the 2007 Sonoma Valley Film Festival from April 11-15. For additional details about the Festival, click here.)