Canadian Crossing

2022 Canada Day notebook

Today is the 155th anniversary of the establishment of the Dominion of Canada with Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. The Dominion of Canada would keep the Union Jack for almost 100 years after the creation of Canada. Older people remember when July 1 was called Dominion Day.

We focus in on a few stories of note in our Canada Day notebook. Celebrate safe, perhaps with a Caesar and a Nanaimo bar.

Canada to finally lift pre-arrival COVID-19 tests for air and land border crossings

CanadianCrossing.com border crossings coverage

American travelers to Canada still need to use the ArriveCan app. This is true for land border crossings, something of great concern for border town mayors on the Canadian side. Ugh.

We have noted the significant difference in naming Kraft Macaroni and Cheese (U.S.) versus KD or Kraft Dinner (Canada). The U.S. version will soon change to Kraft Mac and Cheese.

As far as we know, there is no inherent difference between the products, though the Canadian version is likely made with better made Canadian cheese.

There is a grand difference in Canadian accouterments with KD such as hot dogs and ketchup.

You can see the Canadian version (left) or the new U.S. version (below). Which looks better to eat?

Barenaked Ladies mentioned Kraft dinner in the song If I Had a Million Dollars from the Gordon album from 1992.

We wouldn't have to eat Kraft dinner / But we would eat Kraft dinner / Of course we would we'd just eat more / And buy really expensive ketchups with it / That's right all the fanciest Dijon ketchups mmm mmm

If I were eating Kraft Dinner in Canada, I might use Canadian-made French's ketchup.

Remember the whole French-Heinz ketchup battle? Funny part is that Kraft and Heinz are now corporately married

Feeling more nostalgic than hungry, here is the (temporarily) reunited Barenaked Ladies performing that song at the 2018 Junos after being inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

Canadian cities are legalizing alcohol in parks (Cross Country Checkup from CBC Radio One)

There are 2 primary images of public drinking. People leisurely drinking wine with a picnic in a park. People drinking out of bottles in paper bags. People want the former but not the latter.

The pandemic set limits on drinking because of the viability of crowded bars being open.

Your humble narrator has seen people in Amsterdam and Rome drinking outside and having that be not a big deal.

Being able to selective drink in public would bring Canada closer to its European cousins and away from the puritanical United States.

We are big fans of @brittlestar, and we are honoured that he sent us a video tribute as Canuckle wraps up! CHECK IT OUT ⬇️🇨🇦👍 #ThankYouEh pic.twitter.com/MNpgxAsPN0

— Canuckle (@CanuckleGame) June 27, 2022

We meant to write about Canuckle, the Canadian version of Wordle. Same concept: 5 letter word, 6 guesses. The Canuckle word would have some tie to Canada. Some days, the word was fun. Other days, words such as "brier" threw me off.

Turns out today is the last Canuckle, at least for now. As you may know from our Twitter feed, we love playing Canuckle. Have been glad to give it some love and hopefully encourage others to learn a bit about Canada through guessing the words. The correct letters showed up in red, which was also cool.

Today's game is Game 142 on Canada Day. You can play the previous games through its archives.

If we get news of a comeback, we would be thrilled to pass that information along to our readers.

Also fans of Brittlestar, if you aren't following him. Really good Canadian sensibility.

2022 CFL Week 4 preview

The CFL is playing on and around Canada Day for the first time since 2019. The BC Lions were in Ottawa, the nation's capital, last night. The Edmonton Elks are in Hamilton tonight to take on the Tiger-Cats. The league is even playing on the night of the U.S. holiday yet the game is not on U.S. TV. Tonight's game is on ESPN+. All the games are on TSN in Canada.

The Toronto Blue Jays are at home for Canada Day, unlike Victoria Day. The team plays Game 2 of a 5-game series against Tampa Bay. Today's game has a 3:07 pm EDT start. Rogers Sportsnet has the game in Canada. The MLB Network has this as the backup game in the United States, meaning Boston and Chicago. The U.S. channel has been reluctant to use the Rogers Sportsnet feed, opting to use YES (Yankees) and NESN (Red Sox), even in Toronto.

Former Toronto Raptors star guard Kyle Lowry will have a street named after him in Toronto. The street will be at Don Mills Crossing, a new development in the northeast section of Toronto. We just celebrated 3 years since the Raptors won the 2019 NBA title.

The Athletic reported earlier this week that Rogers Sportsnet is ending Hometown Hockey after 8 seasons. The pandemic didn't help the situation. The move to Monday night was a noble idea but that didn't help as well. If yyzsportsmedia.com is correct, this is the first of many Rogers Sportsnet changes to NHL coverage in October. 

The Grand Seduction matches up well with Quebecois version

You might have seen The Grand Seduction (2013), the story of a small fishing village that has to draw in a doctor and convince that doctor to stay.

You might have seen La Grande Séduction | Seducing Dr. Lewis, the original Ken Scott film (2003) that is the same story though set in Quebec rather than Newfoundland. Scott co-wrote the English language version of the film.

If you are in Charlottetown this summer, you can catch the new musical Tell Tale Harbour, based on the Quebecois film La Grande Séduction.

Alan Doyle of the band Great Big Sea is in the production. You may remember his acting skills on display in Republic of Doyle (no relation). You can listen to Doyle with fellow Newfoundlander Tom Power recently on Q on CBC Radio One.

The films were pretty similar. Music from that part of the world is amazing. 2 musicals from Newfoundland: Tell Tale Harbour on top of Come From Away.

Thanks so much! What a time we’re having. https://t.co/38HBeuAJIo

— Alan Doyle (@alanthomasdoyle) June 24, 2022

Improving train travel options between the United States and Canada

2022 Canadian TV upfronts highlights

Season 2 of the Canadian TV show Departure involves a high-speed train from Toronto to Chicago. The concept of a high-speed ground option between those cities is pure fiction. Traveling from Toronto to Windsor would involve a infrequent train not much faster than a bus. Getting from Windsor to Detroit is complicated. Then there is the slow magic of Amtrak from Detroit to Chicago.

In the opening episode, the high-speed train flows smoothly out of Union Station in Toronto, flows through southern Ontario, and crosses some mythical structure over the Detroit River. The train stops to check passports, something that is often done in Canada before boarding a plane to the United States.

Traveling from Rome to Florence and back on high speed trains was an absolute joy. Getting from Brussels, Belgium to London, England in 121 minutes, like clockwork, was wonderful. That same joy should be found on trains from Toronto to Detroit and Chicago.

The Maple Leaf Train from Toronto-New York City, not nearly as fast, is back in business. The ViaRail service from Windsor to Toronto have recently returned to normal capacity, now 5 trains a day. Megabus is increasing U.S. bus service from Toronto as well as to other Canadian destinations such as Ottawa, Kingston, and Montréal. Megabus should look into a Windsor-London-Toronto route.

I discovered Cross Country Checkup many years ago on CBC Radio. This was in a time where I would be in Detroit, listening to CBC Radio One on AM 1550 (now on FM 97.5). Rex Murphy was the host back then.

The show had been in more capable hands with Duncan McCue and lately with Ian Hanomansing. Turns out Hanomansing is now the permanent host of Cross Country Checkup. He hosts the show from Vancouver where he anchors The National on Friday and Sunday.

The program airs Sundays live coast to coast to coast at 4 pm Eastern, 1 pm Pacific, and 5:30 pm Newfoundland time.

You can listen to the program on the CBC Listen app or download the podcast version.

CanadianCrossing.com Canadian TV coverage

CanadianCrossing.com television coverage

NBC is dragging out Transplant to the middle of summer. There is the end in sight. The season finale airs July 16 at 8 pm EDT. Hopefully, Season 3 is a smoother presentation.

Season 2 started 2 months after the CTV premiere in January. NBC gave the show a terrible timeslot and lifted the show for the May sweeps period.

The CW will run the final season of Coroner when the fall starts, but keep in mind that the CW starts fall when the weather is very warm.

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

Summarizing Kenneth Welsh's acting career would fall embarrassing short. Welsh, who passed away on May 5, had a storied career on both sides of the border. His portrayal of Windom Earle in the U.S. TV show Twin Peaks made a significant impact.

Welsh was enjoyable in recent Canadian films such as Wet Bum (2014) and And the Birds Rained Down | Il pleuvait des oiseaux (2019).

Welsh did 2 episodes of Twitch City and 3 episodes of Due South. He played himself in an episode of Slings & Arrows. Welsh even appears in the final episode of the new season of Kids in the Hall.

photo credits: CBC News; Kraft Heinz Canada; Kraft Heinz; CBC Radio
Twitter captures: @CanuckleGame; @alanthomasdoyle

A recap of CBC Saturday night Canadian films in late spring and early summer 2022

We finally have a Stanley Cup champion in the summer of 2022. Hint: this is the team that defeated the Edmonton Oilers.

Hockey Night in Canada returns to the CBC in October.

CBC will feature Canadian films on Saturday nights in lieu of hockey games.

There were some Saturday nights where CBC didn't air a hockey game so we will recap those films as well.

This summer, the CBC presentations are starting at 9 pm local time (9:30 pm in Newfoundland). The pattern appears to be 3 Canadian films so stay up late or activate the PVR.

Here are the last few Canadian films aired on CBC.

April 30: CBC Docs: POV Hockey Mom / Goon (2011) / Race (2016)

May 28: Bon Cop Bad Cop (2006)

June 25: Chaakapesh (2019). The film is a documentary following an orchestra and its conductor as they go on a tour in northern Quebec to visit Cree, Innu, and Inuit communities.

A recap of CBC Saturday night Canadian films in early fall 2021

A recap of CBC Saturday night Canadian films in summer 2021

A recap of CBC Saturday night Canadian films in fall and winter 2020-2021

A recap of CBC Saturday night Canadian films in spring and summer 2020

CBC has some really tremendous Canadian films coming up in the next 2 weeks. The day after Canada Day, the CBC schedule will have Falls Around Her (2018) at 9 pm; Closet Monster (2015) at 11 pm; and Mean Dreams (2016) at 1 am.

Tantoo Cardinal is wonderful as a world-famous Anishinaabe musician returns to the reserve in Falls Around Her. Stephen Dunn's debut featuring Connor Jessup as Oscar Madly, a creative and driven teenager, is highly memorable. Mean Dreams is a scary film on a different level with knockout acting across the board.

The July 9 lineup leans female with incredible titles. The evening starts out with The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open (2019) at 9 pm; Mouthpiece (2018) from Patricia Rozema at 11:30 pm; and Level 16 (2018) at 1:30 am.

The opening film from Kathleen Hepburn and Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers is almost in a single shot, a captivating tale of a woman helping a pregnant domestic abuse victim. Mouthpiece is a gorgeous film dealing with a writer struggling with the eulogy just after the sudden death of her mother. Level 16 is a psychological thriller that will be your relative new best horror film.

CanadianCrossing.com CBC coverage

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

Yes, we praise a lot of Canadian films. Watching films with commercials isn't fun. These are 6 intriguing Canadian films all within the last decade.

Saturday nights during the hockey season means the NHL on CBC. Otherwise, CBC has Canadian films in store.

Canadians can choose to watch these Canadian films on CBC Gem. For a monthly fee, you can watch them without commercials.

logo credit: CBC
photo credit: Mouthpiece film

Canadian film review: Les Oiseaux ivres | Drunken Birds

Willy (Mexican actor Jorge Antonio Guerrero) is in love with Marlena. They were secret lovers in Mexico, her husband being a powerful man. They escape separately. Willy, thinking Marlena is in Montréal, gets a job as a seasonal worker at the Bécotte Farm in Quebec.

Julie (Hélène Florent), matriarch of the farm, had an affair of some type with a seasonal worker the year before. She is learning Spanish. Daughter Léa (Marine Johnson) is angry over her mother's affair and tells Julie she is the one who told her father Richard (Claude Legault).

Julie is interested in Willy.

Les Oiseaux ivres | Drunken Birds takes on a slow pace once Willy arrives at the farm. Willy is chasing after Marlena in theory but seems a huge distance from Montréal. Léa finds getting to Montréal much easier where she is mixed up in prostitution and drugs. Later she is forced to pick out one of the seasonal workers to take the blame and picks the one person who helped her: Willy.

Ivan Grbovic directed the script he co-wrote with Sara Mishara. Les Oiseaux ivres | Drunken Birds is more about class and language barriers than any love story. The mother and daughter approach to love and attention is noteworthy.

The investment in characters is minimal so we don't have much invested in either the French speaking or Spanish speaking characters. Everyone feels a little lost, including the viewer.

2022 Oscars through the lens of Canada

Les Oiseaux Ivres misses the Oscars shortlist cut for Best International Feature Film

This film definitely isn't in the worst 2 of recent Canadian films to get the nod for Best International Feature Film. We preferred 14 Days, 12 Nights over Drunken Birds though the latter film felt a lot more Canadian.

Chien de Garde is the worst we've seen in this category. Hochelaga, Land of Souls was decent in the flashbacks but couldn't relate the stories to the modern era.

Your humble narrator has seen the last 19 Canadian entries and 21 of the last 22 films. Un crabe dans la tête from André Turpin is the lone exception in that stretch.

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

Les Oiseaux ivres | Drunken Birds is a very pretty film. Pretty to look at with beautiful cinematography. Even a day where the rain is pouring looks wonderful.

The key plot points feel inserted into the film without context. You are supposed to get the whole family dynamic out of a single argument between the mother and daughter. The dialogue is minimalist so you have to draw conclusions from quite a few scenes where the lighting is deliberately understated.

The best way to enjoy this film is to watch and not really think about what is happening.

As noted, the film was selected as the Canadian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards. The film did not make the shortlist.

Les Oiseaux ivres | Drunken Birds has played in Canadian cinemas and is current available on demand in the United States.

Canadian film review: Sitting on the Edge of Marlene

Marlene (Suzanne Clément) and Samantha (Paloma Kwiatkowski) are mother-daughter con artists in Sitting on the Edge of Marlene. Sam (husband/father) is in jail after getting caught.

Marlene and Samantha team up with Freddy (Callum Keith Rennie), though Marlene says this is only temporary.

Marlene gets beat up in a con. She gets addicted to her "happy pills." She spirals as Samantha tries to pick up the pieces.

Samantha, looking for some stability, is drawn to Drew (Dakota Daulby), who spends time in a church inside a roller rink.

Marlene yearns for the return of her husband. There is uncertainty over whether Sam is out and where he is.

The question in films such as Sitting on the Edge of Marlene is whether the deterioration of a character is entertaining in itself. This didn't work for me in Hello, Destroyer. Clément gives a remarkable performance. Her physical presence is rather notable, various angles and positions. Brave on multiple levels. Kwiatkowski gives a solid amount of angst, wanting to get away yet feels committed to her mother.

Canadian film review: Hello, Destroyer

Though Marlene is the focal point, Samantha takes most of the screen time in the second half of the film.

Ana Valine, as writer and director, gives us characters where we care about them and how their lives might turn out. The lack of light tells a dark story about deterioration and despair. Valine also uses the Vancouver area well with plenty of cloudy skies in the 2014 film.

Valine also portrays scenarios that seem real but stem from the imagination of the primary characters.

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

Sitting on the Edge of Marlene starts out with some cool cons. More of those and less of the despair would have helped the film. That said, this film goes a good job of telling said deterioration. Suzanne Clément is worth the price of admission just for her performance.

Sitting on the Edge of Marlene is available in the United States on Amazon Prime Video.

video credit: YouTube/Movieclips Indie
photo credit: Sitting on the Edge of Marlene film

NFB Mediatheque may be a model of past and future Canadian film viewing

I was cutting down John Street years ago in downtown Toronto. I wasn't in a huge hurry but hadn't planned any side trips. I stumbled upon what turned out to be the NFB Mediatheque.

There were a number of monitors in the place. Not too much wandering around space. The setup was that people could watch National Film Board of Canada (NFB) films in a social setting alongside other people.

This was early on in my learning process (pronounced PRO-cess) about Canadian film. I didn't realize the significance of the NFB in the Canadian film landscape.

This probably seems more naive since these days Canadians can watch NFB films at nfb.ca. Some NFB films are available outside Canada but a lot of them are not.

The NFB Mediatheque was kind of a salon, an oasis to spend a bunch of time seeing the different Canadian film options. They were mostly short film options, which made sense in that type of environment.

The NFB Mediatheque in Toronto closed in 2012 due to cutbacks.

The Canadian film going experience is rarely in a significant sized group when Canadian film is involved. The pandemic only made that more obvious.

The advantage of a mediatheque is that someone can guide you on what films to consider. A personal touch instead of rolling through the Web site without assistance.

The idea about bringing back the mediatheque concept is to make watching a Canadian film more of a social activity you do with people.

Canadians watch American films in large groups. Why not watch Canadian film in a large group as well?

Bidding a sad adieu to First Weekend Club

Canada Screens was a pioneer in bringing Canadian film to Canadians

These groups helped bring Canadians to Canadian films. They are sadly gone. Their collective hearts were in the ideal place.

A gathering space could help their vision continue.

What we might find in a Canadian film museum

Canadian Museum of Human Rights needs a CEO who really understands human rights

This mediatheque could be part of a larger Canadian film museum we spoke of last fall. The museum could be educational with school field trips where children could learn about their country through film from their country.

The Canadian Museum of Human Rights is built on an educational model with interactivity.

A museum doesn't have to be stuffy. A museum should be fun, educational. Canadians should know that Canadian stories exist and are being told. You are never too old to learn about Canadian film.

This description of the mediatheque (presumably via the NFB but found on Yelp):

The NFB Mediatheque in Toronto is a public access point for groundbreaking NFB films and a centre for media literacy for children and adults alike. Located in the heart of Toronto's Entertainment District, the Mediatheque offers an entertaining program of award-winning NFB films, provocative discussions and master classes; hands-on animation workshops for families; Digital Viewing Stations giving instant access to more than 5,500 FREE films from the NFB collection; and a store with NFB films to buy or rent. Special programming includes annual March Break and summer animation camps, as well as workshops over the December holidays for families.

Sounds special. If business aren't moving back into downtown Toronto, a lot more space could open up for a Canadian film museum.

Buying a film versus renting a film in the digital landscape

We spoke about the need for independent theatres in this article. They are the ideal gathering for people to see Canadian films. A potential Canadian film museum would be a complementary option.

map credit: Google
photo credit: blog TO

Canadian film review: Red Snow

Home and where you belong are consistent themes of Red Snow, even as the film bounces around in establishing the significance of those themes.

Dylan Nadazeau (Asivak Koostachin) is a Canadian soldier fighting in Afghanistan. Nadazeau is also from the Gwich'in First Nations people.

The Taliban ends up capturing the soldiers, double crossed by their interpreter Aman (Shafin Karim). The interrogator is convinced Nadazeau is a spy because his notebook is in Athabaskan. The words are for his love for his girlfriend back home.

The Taliban interrogator explains the irony of a Canadian soldier fighting in someone else's home while Canada occupies the solider's homeland.

The movie shows off Dylan's life growing up with his grandmother (Tantoo Cardinal). Dylan bonds with his young cousin Asana (Miika Bryce Whiskeyjack).

Aman is caught in the need to protect his own family, which is why he turned on the Canadian soldiers. Aman is a teacher, which is of little value in the Taliban world.

Canadian film notebook: Making Canada look like Afghanistan

Combing through the TIFF Top 10 Canadian film lists of the 2010s

Marie Clements, as writer and director, filmed in Canada in the Northwest Territories and British Columbia, which is not apparent from seeing the film. Her portrayal of Dylan trapped in a thankless war in Afghanistan. His entry into the army is conflicted in that Canada, the country for which he is fighting, doesn't do well by Indigenous people back home.

The film shifts with Dylan and Aman's Pashtun family back on the same side and on the run. Dylan bonds with Aman's young boy, who reminds Dylan of Asana.

Getting through the first half of the film is difficult. The second half of the film is worth the rough patches of the first half.

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

An Indigenous story set in the Afghanistan war is an intriguing way to tell a story in Canada and also not Canada. The lessons learned are impactful yet the film is still entertaining.

Red Snow is available on Netflix.

video credit: YouTube/VIFF
photo credit: Red Snow

Maple Popcorn podcast offers insight into those who make Canadian film

We don't have a Canadian film podcast. Maybe someday. Telefilm Canada has a podcast devoted to Canadian film.

Maple Popcorn is a really great name for a podcast on Canadian film. The initial 6 episodes came out last summer (we discovered this a bit late).

Maple Popcorn is about the world of Canadian film as opposed to actual Canadian films.

In the Colm Feore episode, Feore mentions recent Canadian films in which he appeared such as Sugar Daddy, My Salinger Year, and Akilla's Escape.

Feore talked about taking on larger projects so he could afford to do smaller Canadian projects. He draws people to see a Canadian film who otherwise might pick something else. I recognised Kelly McCormack from Letterkenny; Colm Feore added to my intrigue. Feore did humbly point out winning a Canadian Screen Award for his performance in Sugar Daddy.

Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers had such beautiful words to say about Tracey Deer's early projects. Deer replied with how beautiful Tailfeathers' words were. The emotion from Deer was a magical podcast moment.

Katharine Isabelle talked about her experience on Ginger Snaps, our all-time Canadian horror film (which is saying a lot).

Canadian entertainment reporter Marriska Fernandes is the host. Fernandes is candid in her observations and resists the need to be a super fan.

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

Here are the 6 podcast episodes:

• The 6ix is calling: a conversation with Clement Virgo and Thyrone Tommy
• Some Chilling Matter: A Conversation with Adam MacDonald and Katharine Isabelle
• Canada’s Gentleman - A Conversation with Colm Feore
• Standing Tall and Proud: A Conversation with Filmmakers Tracey Deer and Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers
• You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet: The Women Changing Canadian Film
• Kim Coates: A Canadian Goon with a Whole Lotta Heart

"We are proud to partner with The Brand is Female’s Maple Popcorn podcast series, which further elevates our support of Canadian storytellers while providing a deeper connection for audiences to our incredible talent." — Christa Dickenson, Executive Director & CEO of Telefilm Canada, said in a press release.

Hoping to get more episodes in the future. You can find out more details about the podcast.

logo credit: Telefilm Canada

Canadian film review: All My Puny Sorrows

Some films set themselves up to be sad films with over-the-top grief. All My Puny Sorrows is a very sad film where the grief feels real.

Based from the Miriam Toews novel, Michael McGowan (writer/director) portrays sisters Elfrieda (Sarah Gadon) and Yolandi (Alison Pill). Their family dynamic involves suicide. Their father Jake (Donal Logue) committed suicide.

Their mother Lottie (American actor Mare Winningham) is stoic in the face of so much death. She comes from a family where the joke was they could field 2 baseball teams. They had to bury 14 brothers and sisters. Tina (Mimi Kuzyk) is her only living sibling.

They live in a conservative Mennonite village. We see hints along the way as to how that impacted their lives. The film is filled with flashbacks, including a scene where an elder (Rick Roberts) wants Elfrieda to not leave to learn about music. She later goes on to be a concert pianist.

The intellectualism of the family is a sharp contrast to the limited world of Mennonites not wanting young women "to get ideas."

Yolandi is a novelist. She looks at her sister and wonders why she would attempt to commit suicide when her life is so much worse.

The script is filled with small moments of humour, such as Yoli criticizing her sister in the hospital after finding out her sister only mentioned Yoli 2/3 the way down in the suicide note. There is also a funny moment when Yoli quotes from a Portuguese poet and Lottie assumes the person plays for the Toronto Blue Jays.

The exchange between the sisters reflects the reality of people who have know each other intimately yet parts of adulthood aren't as well know. There is a great number of literary references, which is almost how the sisters speak to each other when they struggle with their own words.

Nora (Amybeth McNulty), daughter of Yoli, plays out teenage angst on such matters as having to give her mom the message to sign the divorce papers and how that might play out in therapy. The shielding of offspring reminded me of the French-Canadian film Les êtres chers | Our Loved Ones from Anne Émond.

Canadian film review: Our Loved Ones

Elfrieda wants Yolandi to go to Switzerland with her where she can legally die. Yolandi doesn't want to do this, wanting her sister to stick around.

The Mennonite background, where both sisters escape, is prominent but we don't learn too many details. When Yoli runs into the mother of a childhood acquaintance (Elizabeth Saunders) who mentions London, Yoli assumes she means London, Ontario when the son actually was in London, England.

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

If suicide is a trigger, you may struggle deeply with the film. Otherwise, try and see this film. Hauntingly sad but the characters feel like actual people who can hide their suffering well when needed. The acting is superlative, especially Pill and Gadon. They have a comfort with each other. The story deliberately doesn't have them touch each other until a breakthrough moment. They are close but not always physically.

This may be one of those films that makes your humble narrator read the book from which the film is based.

TIFF selects Top 10 Canadian films of 2021

2021 TIFF wrapup

2021 TIFF preview

2021 TIFF Canadian film preview

All My Puny Sorrows made the TIFF Top 10 list of 2021 Canadian films. The film premiered at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival.

The film received 8 Canadian Screen Award nominations, winning for Best Editing and Best Original Score.

All My Puny Sorrows is available on demand in the United States.

video credit: YouTube/Mongrel Media
photo credit: All My Puny Sorrows

Canadian film review: Growing Op

A Canadian film about an awkward, home-schooled kid who goes to high school because he is interested in a girl. Sounds like Adventures in Public School though Growing Op is a very different film.

Quinn (Steven Yaffee) is the misfit in a marijuana-dominated family. His parents (American actors Wallace Langham and Rosanna Arquette) are serious marijuana growers. His sister Hope (Katie Boland) runs drug sales at the local high school, even though they are home schooled.

Quinn wonders about fitting into society. A new family moves in across the street. Enter their teenage daughter Crystal (Rachel Blanchard).

Quinn doesn't adapt to go school all that well. His interest in Crystal is at odds with Philip (Jon Cor) who is attractive, a bully, and somehow the potential valedictorian.

While Quinn's parents are laid-back and secretive, Crystal's parents are conservative and uptight (Alberta Watson and Daniel MacIvor).

The biggest difference is that Adventures in Public School is one of the best written films we've seen in years. Growing Op is a terribly written film.

The secondary characters at school are one-dimensional. This feels like notes from producer said to make it like a lame American film but this film falls short of even that goal.

Michael Melski wrote and directed the 2008 film. Melski has Crystal hounding Quinn for trust and intimacy issues in a way that feels false. Quinn understandably can't trust anyone but can't or won't fight back against Crystal.

The other family members could have been very boring characters. Melski gives us really interesting people in his life. Hope is the most interesting character in the entire film and she mostly pops in and out when the script needs some flavour. A film about Hope would have been way better with maybe Quinn as the B plot.

The film underuses Arquette as well as Canadian treasures Watson and MacIvor. This is a reminder of the terrible shame that Arquette and other actors were blacklisted due to rejecting sexual advances. Jon Cor has to be a good actor to read such terrible dialogue as Phillip. Yaffee does a decent job in the lead but his character is boring, even when he finally finds a way to fit in within the school.

Canadian film review: Adventures in Public School

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

There is a twist. No spoilers but when struggling in watching a film, there is a sinking feeling with a twist that makes you feel like you wasted the previous hour. If you have to watch this film, try to bail before the twist.

Growing Op is a frustrating film. You have some decent characters and wonderful actors in a film that doesn't know what it wants to be. The ending is decent but these characters deserved better dialogue and a more interesting journey.

Growing Op is available in the United States on Tubi.

video credit: YouTube/OdCzapyZestaw
photo credit: Growing Op film

2022 Victoria Day notebook: Alberta in the spotlight

Welcome to Victoria Day 2022, the unofficial start of summer in Canada. We gathered a few recent items of note and reflect on where Canada is at the moment. You don't have to be at the cabin or cottage to enjoy this notebook. If you do need help to get started, Simu Liu has a few tips from the opening monologue from hosting the 2022 Junos.

Jason Kenney to step down as UCP leader and Alberta premier

Just before the hockey version of the Battle of Alberta, the United Conservative Party had their own battle within Alberta leadership. Jason Kenney did get a 51.4% approval mark from voting party members but a bare margin wasn't enough.

Brian Jean, Danielle Smith, and a few from Kenney's cabinet could be in line to be the new Alberta premier.

Canadian film review: C.R.A.Z.Y.

Celebrating National Canadian Film Day 2022

Telefilm Canada brings back more Canadian films for rent

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

"Hey, it's summer. We don't want to sit inside and watch your stupid Canadian films. Give us a break."

The 99¢ rental through the Apple TV app is still going. Maybe you need a break. Maybe you want to get away from your loved ones. Maybe you have no loved ones.

The current title for rent is Akilla's Escape, which we recently reviewed. We were pleasantly surprised about that film. Tomorrow's film for the week is C.R.A.Z.Y., which we reviewed last week, truly one of the best Canadian films you can see. Every Jean-Marc Vallée fan should see this film.

Toronto Blue Jays should get creative in broadcast booth with Buck Martinez's cancer diagnosis

We saw Joe Siddall fill in for Pat Tabler. Ben Wagner did a series where the Toronto Blue Jays did a TV/radio simulcast. Matt Devlin did a solid job filling in for Dan Shulman in the broadcast booth.

On the field, the Toronto Blue Jays have hit a few road bumps and injuries. The Blue Jays are normally at home on Victoria Day with an afternoon game. This year, the Blue Jays start a road trip tonight in St. Louis.

The Blue Jays are 22-19. The team just wrapped up a 4-2 homestand, losing the series finale to both Seattle and Cincinnati. Toronto hasn't swept a series in 2022.

“I watched Jays baseball every single day. It was part of my daily routine."

Joey Votto returns home to Toronto tonight to face the #BlueJays, the team who made him fall in love with baseball. From @GregorChisholm:https://t.co/FD5KpPeSWN

— Toronto Star Sports (@StarSports) May 20, 2022

Joey Votto, the best current Canadian MLB player, plays for the Reds and doesn't get back too often during the season. Votto is from Etobicoke, part of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Votto just came off the COVID-19 list in time for the games in Toronto.

Votto was the Cincinnati hero on Sunday with a solo home run to give the Reds a 3-2 win. That was Votto's first HR of the season.

In what might be Votto's last games on Canadian soil, Votto went 3-for-11 with 2 doubles and that home run. Votto has played 12 games in Toronto, going 11 for 44 plate appearances with 4 homers.

Speaking of Canadians and MLB, the Chicago Cubs just unveiled a statue to honour Fergie Jenkins. The Canadian hurler was a star for the Cubs among several teams. Jenkins was the first Canadian player to make the Hall of Fame.

2022 CFL preseason schedule

The 2022 CFL strike didn't last long and the Alberta teams didn't miss a day of practice. There was a lot of anxiety over how negotiations were handled: too much, too close to training camp.

The settlement was the third most important story in Alberta on Wednesday behind Jason Kenney and the wildest NHL Stanley Cup playoff game in recent memory.

There was supposed to be a CFL preseason game from Mosaic Stadium tonight but that game got moved back to next week. The preseason now starts on Friday. The regular season is scheduled to start on time on June 9.

2022 NHL Stanley Cup notebook: Battle of Alberta is back after 31 years

The only 2 Canadian teams left in the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs are from Alberta: Calgary Flames and the Edmonton Oilers. Evander Kane had a natural hat trick last night as the Oilers won 4-1 to take a 2-1 lead in the series.

Game 1 was a classic even for the Battle of Alberta: the 9-6 Flames win was not a typical playoff hockey game. Game 4 will be tomorrow at 9:30 pm Eastern on CBC in Canada and ESPN in the United States.

Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig finally on their way home

China really wanted Canada to use Huawei for its 5G technology. Canada wouldn't commit either way long after its allies had decided against 5G. 

China kidnapped Canadian citizens Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, holding them in horrific conditions for 1,020 days. This was in retaliation for the detention of Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou at the request of the United States.

Odd that Canada would hold some leverage yet that didn't seem to matter to the fate of the 2 Canadians. 8 months after the release of the Canadians, the Trudeau Government finally decided to exclude Huawei from Canada's 5G technology.

Smart decision. The timing is bizarre. Why now?

Norm Macdonald was a truly funny comedian not just because he was Canadian

Norm Macdonald passed on last September. The comedic legend was 61 years old. Turns out Macdonald taped a comedy special before he died.

Netflix will release Norm Macdonald: Nothing Special on May 30. We presume that will also be Netflix in Canada.

As sad as his passing was, there was joy in seeing how much of an impact he made on comedians and those who love comedy.

Where to visit Canada in 2022

CanadianCrossing.com travel coverage

This is a different kind of Canadian travel story.

Pope Francis will be in Canada July 24-29 visiting Edmonton, Quebec City and Iqaluit. The latter is the capital of Nunavut, the eastern most territory in Canada, as we learned years ago from Samantha Bee.

The focus on the trip will be the Catholic Church's impact on residential schools and an expected apology from the pope.

We don't know what kind of public events the pope will have on Canadian soil if you want to follow him during his Canadian stops.

CanadianCrossing.com Prince Edward Island coverage

An American friend from the Detroit area asked me if I knew about this walking route in Prince Edward Island. This was news to me.

The route covers 435 miles (707 km) with lots of pleasant distractions. You don't have to walk the entire distance.

We know PEI gets the short end of the stick tourism wise in that part of Canada. Such a beautiful area and the food is really good.

CanadianCrossing.com television coverage

The U.S. game show channel Buzzr was running promos for a game show called Talk About. The footage looked a bit dated (turns out to be 1988-1990).

Talk About ran on CBC and was taped in Vancouver. There is plenty of information here about the show. Back then, CBC had more money and could produce more shows.

The episodes debut on Buzzr on May 30 at 8 pm Eastern.

CUSMA/USMCA punishes Canada for wanting to export baby formula

Would Americans get an abortion in Canada?

Simu Liu mentioned in the video from the Junos that women have the right to choose in Canada. This is true. Access is a different story. If you have been following what is happening in the United States, this can be a good time to read what access is like in Canada. Better but could also be even better.

Adding baby formula to the proverbial list of what you can get in Canada but having difficulty finding in the United States.

Canadian TV notebook: Shoresy and Kids in the Hall debut on May 13

We noted for our U.S. readers that NBC took Transplant off the schedule for the May sweeps. Episode 7 ran on April 24 on the U.S. network. Episode 8 will run Saturday, May 28 at 8 pm Eastern. The season finale is scheduled for June 19. NBC picked up Season 2 in March and gave it a poor timeslot Sundays at 10 pm Eastern.

Canadians can stream episodes through CTV.ca.

Shoresy has aired 4 episodes so far in Canada with the bulk of the show coming to Hulu in the United States on Friday. Your humble narrator has seen the first 2 episodes. Jared Keeso had a difficult challenge taking an unseen character and developing stories in an arc. If you really like the hockey mentality in Canada, Keeso hits this target spot on. The scenes where he refs high school hockey to supplement his income feel like he hid a tape recorder somewhere to get the proper feel.

Not sure I could stream all 6 episodes in a row. A slower pace might be smart.

As for Kids in the Hall, we abhor remakes in general. The tarte sketch in the opening episode is absolute KITH genius. The return of Kathie and Cathy was excellent. If you are a KITH fan, watch this. If you are too young, start out with the originals and then work your way here.

Our Doug Ford Ontario coverage since 2018

2022 Ontario election preview

2022 Canadian politics preview

Canadian politics coverage on CanadianCrossing.com

CanadianCrossing.com Ontario coverage

Our hope was to do Sunday notebooks on the Ontario election leading up to the June 2 election. That failed for a host of reasons and we feel bad we don't have more resources to do a lot more on this election.

Our current plan is to do a couple of weekday notebooks on the 2022 Ontario election. This promise we hope to keep.

video credit: YouTube/CBC Music
photo credit: C.R.A.Z.Y. film
Twitter capture: @StarSports