If our protagonist had her way, most of New Waterford Girl would take place in New York City, not Nova Scotia. Fortunately, we get to stay a bit longer in the Maritimes.
Liane Balaban made her screen debut in this coming-of-age 1999 film about a young woman who wants to escape her life in New Waterford, near Sydney in Cape Breton. Moonie, as she is known, is one of 5 children in a loud, chaotic Catholic family in a Catholic town. She doesn't even have her own room, just a cut away section in the hall for her bed.
Moonie gets a friend with the new neighbours from New York City, the place where Moonie wants to go. They have a daughter around Moonie's age named Lou. Tara Spencer-Nairn is a Canadian actress, known mostly for being a police officer on Corner Gas, who is playing an American in Lou.
In many years, Lou is the New Waterford Girl because she likes being there, even though the town doesn't accept her because she wasn't born there.
Moonie follows along with a growing pattern in her community as a means to escape but puts her own twist on the story.
The supporting cast is highlighted by Canadian actors Nicholas Campbell and Mary Walsh as Moonie's parents. Walsh is associated with this part of Canada. She was doing This Hour Has 22 Minutes in Halifax when this film was made. Campbell usually plays ne'er-do-wells: think Gray's father in The Border.
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Mark McKinney has a small role as a doctor. The townies casting feels like they recruited from that part of Nova Scotia.
The cast is boosted by a pair of American actors. Cathy Moriarty plays Lou's very New York mother. Andrew McCarthy, complete with intense sideburns, plays Moonie's teacher who is trying to get her that scholarship to get out of Nova Scotia.
Balaban carries the film with plenty of angst. The story of her placement in the film is rather remarkable: she had done plays in high school but wasn't really an actress before this film. You might have seen Balaban in One Week or The Grand Seduction.
Moonie and Lou are very different but both young women live their lives as outsiders, side by side. Spencer-Nairn and Balaban have really nice chemistry.
The film shows off the cool and weird parts about living in a remote part of Canada. And for all those who were excited about Cape Breton from the 2016 tourism campaign, this film shows the real Cape Breton area.
New Waterford Girl serves as a well-drawn, well-written story that doesn't always do what it wants in the spirit of the protagonist.
video credit: YouTube/Reel Canada
photos credit: New Waterford Girl
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