The new Mike Myers film "Love Guru" pays homage to India, Canada, and the United States. So how did Canada do?
Well, only in the movies can the Toronto Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup.
Myers (left in photo) is Canadian, as most of us know. He is the one who patterned "Stan Mikita's" in Wayne's World after the infamous Tim Hortons. So it's always fun when he sneaks in Canadian references.
The movie mentions that the last time the Leafs won the Cup was 1967, which is true. The NHL allowed Myers to use the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Los Angeles Kings, the uniforms and logos, and the home arenas (Staples Center in Los Angeles and Air Canada Centre in Toronto) were used.
SPOILERS PRETTY MUCH FROM HERE.
The owner in the movie (played by Jessica Alba, right in photo) is named Jane Bullard. She speaks of inheriting the team from her father. The longtime real owner of the team, Harold Ballard, has so similar a name that one has to think it's not a coincidence.
There is a running theme that if she shows her face to the fans that she will be booed and things thrown at her. When she finally appears late in the movie, she says that the fans should "kiss her Canadian ass."
Rob Blake, who is a real NHL player, plays himself in the movie. Blake was born in Simcoe, Ontario in Canada.
There are some "penalties" as it were on the movie. American comedians Jim Gaffigan and Stephen Colbert play the announcers, using the theme for Hockey Night in Canada and the official CBC HNIC logo. Yet they are stupid, don't try to sound Canadian, and don't add anything to the movie. And this is on top of Colbert's reference to the HNIC theme in his "Colbert Report" show on his June 10 episode.
Also, NHL referees can't call multiple game suspensions from the ice. The major Leafs hockey player gets a 2-game suspension from the referee on the ice. And he certainly didn't do enough to warrant anything other than a penalty within the game.
The movie also wraps up poorly, as if the game had to be decided in regulation. Hockey fans can tell you in the Stanley Cup playoffs, games go into overtime until somebody wins.
The references to Canada, like the movie, was mixed. It certainly didn't screw up any major Canadian references, but didn't really highlight them either. The movie had some good points, but needed help in several parts.
Photo from George Kraychyk / Paramount