We loved that The Filmmakers focused on female directors in Season 2. We have catalogued issues with recognition for female actors, writers, and directors.
Given the focus on legendary filmmakers in Season 1, we were a bit surprised that 4 first-time female directors would be featured in Season 2, where 3 of them had identifiable films that were not visibly Canadian. We have dealt with Ava in a previous story. Now we want to focus on the final 2 films in that series: Paper Year and Jean of the Joneses.
Paper Year feels like a personal story from Rebecca Addelman, a Canadian writer of mostly TV and sitcoms (New Girl). Franny wants to be a TV writer. Franny and Dan, a struggling actor, get married. They are very beautiful. They end up in a beautiful house thanks to a dog-sitting engagement. The movie celebrates Los Angeles and Hollywood.
Franny gets a little obsessed with her boss on a TV game show. Dan gets a little obsessed with the secret diary of the actress who owns the house.
They struggle with the first year of marriage, wondering if the marriage can survive the pitfalls of their young love.
The lack of Canadian content feels consistent from a project of a Canadian who has gained acceptance in Hollywood. Eve Hewson (Irish, daughter of Bono) and Avan Jogia (Canadian) have more beauty than charisma as the young married couple. The lack of chemistry could show how far apart the characters are to each other. Hamish Linklater (American) plays Franny's immediate boss and Grace Glowicki (Canadian) shines as Franny's best friend. Andie MacDowell (American) is the most famous cast member but she spends very little time on screen.
They did cast Nicole Stamp (Canadian), actress and game show host, as a game show host but you only hear her voice.
The film does much better at telling the story of what a young woman goes through early in a Hollywood career. Franny tries to figure out whether sleeping with her boss is good or bad for her, her marriage, and her career. Dan has his struggles but we mostly see his reaction in video games and masturbation. That result gives the audience a twist on traditional male-driven cinema.
There are other Canadian actors in minor roles, such as Brooks Gray, who plays Gavin, Franny's ultimate game show boss. The credits have plenty of Canadian content, such as noticing that CBC produced the film (a CBC original film) and that Sally Catto, CBC general manager of programming, was listed as an executive producer.
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Jean of the Joneses feels like a different kind of personal story from Stella Meghie. Taylour Paige (American) is Jean, a young writer struggling to come up with a follow-up to her initial success. Her family is full of secrets that are about to get released after her estranged grandfather shows up at their doorstep and drops dead. Jean uses the experience to figure out where she is going personally, professionally, and in her relationships.
The majority of screen time goes to Americans such as Paige, Erica Ash, Sherri Shepherd, and Michelle Hurst. There are Canadians in the cast featuring Gloria Reuben as well as smaller roles for François Arnaud, Demore Barnes, Cara Ricketts, and Shailyn Pierre-Dixon.
Like Paper Year, Jean of the Joneses has a female-dominated storyline where the women speak their mind and the men aren't around.
Unlike Paper Year, Jean of the Joneses contains a couple of tiny Canadian references. A line of dialogue early in the film refers to a comparison between Canadian health care vs. Obamacare. Much later in the film, a car drives past a Canadian speed limit sign. This film was shot in Toronto and New York City.
The screenplay (and Taylour Paige) are the highlights of the film. Meghie won Best Original Screenplay at the 2017 Canadian Screen Awards and got a nomination for Best First Screenplay at the Independent Spirit Awards.
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Meghie has made a few films since then, each one blending more into the American film landscape. Addelman hasn't made another film, continuing her TV sitcom writing success.
These are above-average films and decent directorial debuts. They are fine films written and directed by women. They are performers who are not likely to view Canada except in the rear-view mirror.
Alethea Arnaquq-Baril made a powerful documentary Angry Inuk about Canadians in Canada. Angry Inuk is the most memorable of the 4 first-time films featured in Season 2 of The Filmmakers.
Paper Year is currently on Netflix. The airing of Jean of the Joneses was on TV One in the United States. Hopefully, there will be a Season 3 of The Filmmakers.
photos credit: the individual films via The Filmmakers/CBC Arts
videos credit: The Filmmakers/CBC Arts
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