‘One Week’, a movie written and directed by Michael McGowan (Saint Ralph) and starring Joshua Jackson, has been out on video since June 16th, 2009. So you might think it a strange choice for our maiden voyage on Small Town movie reviews.
Well then, you’d be wrong, wouldn’t you?
‘One Week’ tells the story of Ben Tyler (Jackson, who is looking wonderfully scruffy and unkempt almost a decade after his ‘Dawson Creek’ years), a young man confronted with his mortality. When Ben is given a bleak diagnosis by his doctor he flees the constraints of his life – an impending marriage, disappointing job and his loving but suffocating family – for one week. To drive across Canada, from Toronto to Tofino, British Columbia on his motorcycle.
Now, I’m going to admit something to you. Normally, I’m not a major fan of Canadian movies. Sometimes...well, sometimes they try just a touch too hard for me. Too earnest, too full of their own self-importance, I don’t know. Or maybe I’m just a sucker for Hollywood’s slick style.
But this movie was different. First of all – awesome soundtrack. Sam Roberts. Melissa McClelland and even a cool version of ‘O Canada’ by Hugh Oliver. The writing – and I’m a real hard-ass about screenplay writing, though I couldn’t do it myself, of course – was exceptional. Poignant. Funny. Beautiful. Honest. The entire movie is beautifully narrated by Canadian movie royalty Campbell Scott (son of the estimable Colleen Dewhurst and terrifying George C. Scott). Ben’s journey is quiet, full of self-discovery and little pockets of memories reminding him who he was possibly supposed to be before life got away from him. Jackson is full of bruised self-deprecation, my favourite sort of deprecation. Liane Balaban (New Waterford Girl) as Ben’s understanding fiancée is heartbreakingly confused.
The real star of this film, though, is Canada. The scenery....there are no words. Mountains and lakes and rivers and prairies. Rain and snow and ocean. There’s a sort of quiet that settles over your shoulders as you take in your own country in all it’s glory. My sons and I watched this together – keeping in mind that they are 13 and 15, it’s not technically a ‘kid’ movie – and we all felt the same aching pride in our homeland. Watching Ben ‘Roll Up The Rim To Win’ at Tim Hortons was worth the price of the rental alone. Seeing a Tim Hortons cup in a movie was oddly gratifying. There’s even a cameo by one of our greatest national treasures, Gord Downie. It’s quite honestly a love story to Canada.
A phenomenal movie. Another reason why we are all so proud to be Canadian.
Well then, you’d be wrong, wouldn’t you?
‘One Week’ tells the story of Ben Tyler (Jackson, who is looking wonderfully scruffy and unkempt almost a decade after his ‘Dawson Creek’ years), a young man confronted with his mortality. When Ben is given a bleak diagnosis by his doctor he flees the constraints of his life – an impending marriage, disappointing job and his loving but suffocating family – for one week. To drive across Canada, from Toronto to Tofino, British Columbia on his motorcycle.
Now, I’m going to admit something to you. Normally, I’m not a major fan of Canadian movies. Sometimes...well, sometimes they try just a touch too hard for me. Too earnest, too full of their own self-importance, I don’t know. Or maybe I’m just a sucker for Hollywood’s slick style.
But this movie was different. First of all – awesome soundtrack. Sam Roberts. Melissa McClelland and even a cool version of ‘O Canada’ by Hugh Oliver. The writing – and I’m a real hard-ass about screenplay writing, though I couldn’t do it myself, of course – was exceptional. Poignant. Funny. Beautiful. Honest. The entire movie is beautifully narrated by Canadian movie royalty Campbell Scott (son of the estimable Colleen Dewhurst and terrifying George C. Scott). Ben’s journey is quiet, full of self-discovery and little pockets of memories reminding him who he was possibly supposed to be before life got away from him. Jackson is full of bruised self-deprecation, my favourite sort of deprecation. Liane Balaban (New Waterford Girl) as Ben’s understanding fiancée is heartbreakingly confused.
The real star of this film, though, is Canada. The scenery....there are no words. Mountains and lakes and rivers and prairies. Rain and snow and ocean. There’s a sort of quiet that settles over your shoulders as you take in your own country in all it’s glory. My sons and I watched this together – keeping in mind that they are 13 and 15, it’s not technically a ‘kid’ movie – and we all felt the same aching pride in our homeland. Watching Ben ‘Roll Up The Rim To Win’ at Tim Hortons was worth the price of the rental alone. Seeing a Tim Hortons cup in a movie was oddly gratifying. There’s even a cameo by one of our greatest national treasures, Gord Downie. It’s quite honestly a love story to Canada.
A phenomenal movie. Another reason why we are all so proud to be Canadian.
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