Tiptoes (2003)
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The story
Carol, a talented painter and independent woman, falls in love with Steven, believing him to be the perfect man. However, when Carol discovers she is pregnant, Steven is forced to reveal a dark family secret: he is the only average-sized person in a family of dwarfs. This revelation causes significant tension as the couple must grapple with the possibility that their unborn child may also be born with dwarfism. As Carol decides to carry the pregnancy to term, the couple begins to grow apart, leading Carol to seek guidance from Steven's twin brother, Rolfe, to learn more about life as a dwarf.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Carol, a talented painter and independent woman, falls in love with Steven, believing him to be the perfect man. When Carol finds herself pregnant, Steven is forced to reveal his darkest secret: he is the only average-sized person in a family of dwarfs, including his twin brother Rolfe. The couple is forced to come to terms with the fact that their unborn child may be born a dwarf. This terrifies Steven, who does not want his child to suffer the same way Rolfe did. As Carol decides to carry the child to term, she and Steven grow further apart, and she begins to rely on Rolfe to teach her about life as a dwarf. The film explores the complexities of their relationship and the physical and emotional realities of dwarfism.
- First release year
- 2003
- Runtime (minutes)
- 90
- Production countries
- United States; France
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Matthew Bright
- Writers
- Matthew Bright · writer; Bill Weiner · alias
- Cast and characters
- Gary Oldman · Rolfe; Kate Beckinsale · Carol; Patricia Arquette; Matthew McConaughey · Steven; Peter Dinklage
- Genres
- comedy-drama
- Themes
- disability; family secrets; identity
- Tone and mood
- raucous; insensitive; peculiar
- Premise and plot tags
- comedy-drama; independent; disability
- Reception
- The film received largely negative reviews and was criticized for its insensitive casting of a non-dwarf actor as a dwarf, with some comparing it to blackface.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 22% · scale: 100% · review count: 9
- Production trivia
- Gary Oldman achieved his portrayal of a dwarf by walking on his knees and using prosthetics.; Kate Beckinsale agreed to star only if she could wear her "lucky hat" during filming.; Matthew Bright was fired during post-production and had his screenwriting credit removed.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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