Good Riddance | Les Bons débarras showed up #3 on the 1984 TIFF all-time list of Canadian films. The film fell to #5 on the 1993 list and #7 on the 2004 list and didn't appear at all on the 2015 list. That puts a bit of pressure on a Canadian film.
Good Riddance takes us to a struggling family. Single mother Michelle (Marie Tifo) lives with her intellectually disabled brother Ti-Guy (Germain Houde) and her rebellious daughter Manon (Charlotte Laurier). Manon is struggling to get her mother's love. Her uncle steals their money, gets drunk a lot, and likes to fight when he's drunk. She also doesn't like Maurice (Roger Lebel), the cop who is dating her mother.
Manon smokes, drinks, and smokes marijuana. She likes hanging out with Gaetan (Gilbert Sicotte), Michelle's former boyfriend.
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Réjean Ducharme produces a sharp script as Manon and Michelle are trying to find love and security in their own ways. Their intimacy feels so real, you might wonder if you are watching a documentary in a good way. Cinematographer Michel Brault has influence on the tone and lighting, remnant of a dark, independent film. Francis Mankiewicz directs and builds on the intimacy of that script.
Laurier was 12-13 years old when this film was shot; she carries this film. She is the sun with the other actors; a careful balance between dominant without being obnoxious.
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As we noted with The Grey Fox Canadian film review, this film does pass the "does this Canadian film deserve to be on the list" test. Canada produces more of its share of quiet, intensive films. There is a lot going on even if that isn't obvious. This film will be hard to find but worth the search.
Good Riddance received 11 Genie Award nominations and won 8 trophies, including Best Motion Picture. The film was Canada's nominee to the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film, but didn't make the cut for the shortlist.
As for the TIFF all-time list of Canadian films. I've seen every film on the 2015 list and the 2004 list. The only film I have not seen from the 1993 list is The Adjuster (1991) from Atom Egoyan. The only film I haven't seem from the 1984 list is the The True Nature of Bernadette (1972).
photos credit: Good Riddance | Les Bons débarras film
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