"Daydream Nation" is a Canadian film that is part-horror film, but not really. Part coming of age but not so much. It's about love or sex or something.
Kat Dennings — before "2 Broke Girls" — is the protagonist, a teenage girl in a new town, a small town where she feels like a fish out of water. Dennings plays Caroline Wexler, much softer than Max on the U.S. TV show, and a bit awkward. Even though she is a fish out of water, she is somehow confident in her world, throwing out an Atom Egoyan reference that no one in her peer world will get.
No wonder that Caroline turns to Josh Lucas, who plays her teacher. He sees Caroline as a muse/sex interest that will help him finish his not-so-subtle fictional look at his life.
Caroline is pursued romantically by Reece Thompson, part-time drug dealer in her class.
Rachel Blanchard (secretly Canadian) plays another teacher. Andie MacDowell plays Thompson's mother with a Southern accent, even though the film is definitely set in Canada.
Michael Goldbach wrote and directed the film. Daydream Nation was shot in Vancouver and British Columbia.
Daydream Nation is smart, like Caroline Wexler, but doesn't always fit in. Goldbach has Daydream Nation serve a lot of different interests. Goldbach's writing and Dennings' narration take us down an unusual path. Despite the presence of prominent Americans, those elements make this truly a Canadian film.
If you like Kat Dennings, you'll like this film. If you want a smart film telling a mature story about teenagers, stream this film.
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This is part of a new series here at CanadianCrossing.com. We think Canadian film is a tremendous gateway for other cultures to learn more about Canada and Canadians.
We are spotlighting Canadian films that have a reasonable chance of being found in the States. If you have a film you would like to see us profile, even if you might not find it outside Canada, please let us know in the comments section.
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