Some critic said once: "All of Hollywood production lately is comedy and action movies. The rest is the Oscar films; namely the drama ones.". Well, to great extent, this is true. Hence, any pure drama nowadays became scarce. And that's why I was initially tempted by this Canadian film. A temptation that's, in similar films, always threatened by some, not usually so good, artistic ideas!
I believe that the story is part of the film's writer / director (Dave Schultz)'s life. He had known, if not had been, that boy from the Northern town of Goose Lake, Saskatchewan, who hates school, loves rock n roll, and has one desire; which's leaving that Northern town to New York city.
Many common features can be noticed in the 3 main characters (Parry, Luke, and Debbie): they're teens, kind of lonely, suffering orphanhood, and searching for love. Their world is doomed by a nuclear war that may explode in any minute; so let's escape from fear, and immerse in rock n roll and love, where both aren't so easy to get.
The plot is all about getting out of that sad world; whether by winning a radio contest (Parry), or finding love (Luck). Actually, in regard of this, (Debbie) represented the opposite, since she already saw the world. And while (Luke) loves (Parry), and (Parry) loves (Debbie), we have the film's events; which led (Parry) to discover how he really loves (Luke), and feels the bond with her, as someone dreams his dream, and resembles his mother (who was raped like her). Therefore, he eventually chooses to get her, and hurl together to their promised land.
The film runs smoothly and tenderly; as if whispers everything. For instance, when (Luke) is jealous, she walks beside the sea where she and the coast are black. And when (Parry) discovers that he loves (Luke), he runs in a sunny field. I loved the character of (George Moses) played by (August Schellenberg). The scene in which he teaches (Parry) how to dine elegantly was the best scene. There were many interesting details; such as the roof couch, recording on a school tape, the top 30 rock songs, which all could be sincere memories from (Schultz)'s teen days that he used subtly. The casting and acting were utterly perfect. Imagine that even (Michael Madsen) delivered a fine performance!! However, (Justine Banszky) as (Luke) was the one who stole the show. She was excellent as that acute tomboy, yet isolated and desperately in love girl. But it's not wholly flawless!
The real problem with this film lies in its script. It wants to play the game of "delay the information", to tighten some thrill, which forces you to follow every scene and line with concentration. It's smart game, only if smartly played. Because exaggerating it just impairs the film; and that what - partly - happened here.
Look at these questions: Was (Luke) a girl or a boy? Who is (George Moses)? Where's (Parry)'s parents? What can be the ugly things that people say about his father? Surely, delaying answering them wasn't for the sake of your unity with the film, plus muddled you for a long time. In other - more thorough - films, like The Big Chill (1983), the answers were delayed till the film's middle, not the third act, so the matters were less muddling.
Sorrowfully it gets worse when other questions aren't answered at all! Review with me: Why (Parry) hates school? What's the top secret story behind the crashed military plane? Why (Peter) brought his gun after knowing that (Luke) was pregnant? What (Parry) said to (Debbie) before leaving the town and going with Luke to New York (was it "Hey, I don't love you, I love Luke"? Or "I love you and Luke?" or "I'll travel with Luke, then come back to you"???). And who was that forever abhorrent police officer; who awakes (Parry), takes him in his underwear to school, and hits him in the gut if does something wrong?!!!!
The matter of (Luke) being pregnant came too suddenly, without any previous preparation or at least passing hints, which made it difficult to believe. Originally she used to get out the house whenever her mom's boyfriend is in, and when the 3 meet together; there is a closed door between the mom and her boyfriend on one side, and (Luke) on the other. So we didn't see the boyfriend and (Luke) ever together, rather we didn't see the boyfriend (unless after the incident!). Another wonder comes from the fact that (Luke) was quite wordless about it, then poured her heart out to the first girl she spoke to! Add to that, a line that I didn't like; when (Parry) asks (Debbie): "What's it like Debbie? The world?", she answers: "The chicken's just as greasy Parry." which I deemed too philosophical for a character like (Debbie) to utter!
So, accordingly, this is a nice warm drama, which says that love is strange, since you may find it in the last person around you. But the problem though is that the film itself tries so hard to be strange too. Not necessarily a good "artistic" idea!
I believe that the story is part of the film's writer / director (Dave Schultz)'s life. He had known, if not had been, that boy from the Northern town of Goose Lake, Saskatchewan, who hates school, loves rock n roll, and has one desire; which's leaving that Northern town to New York city.
Many common features can be noticed in the 3 main characters (Parry, Luke, and Debbie): they're teens, kind of lonely, suffering orphanhood, and searching for love. Their world is doomed by a nuclear war that may explode in any minute; so let's escape from fear, and immerse in rock n roll and love, where both aren't so easy to get.
The plot is all about getting out of that sad world; whether by winning a radio contest (Parry), or finding love (Luck). Actually, in regard of this, (Debbie) represented the opposite, since she already saw the world. And while (Luke) loves (Parry), and (Parry) loves (Debbie), we have the film's events; which led (Parry) to discover how he really loves (Luke), and feels the bond with her, as someone dreams his dream, and resembles his mother (who was raped like her). Therefore, he eventually chooses to get her, and hurl together to their promised land.
The film runs smoothly and tenderly; as if whispers everything. For instance, when (Luke) is jealous, she walks beside the sea where she and the coast are black. And when (Parry) discovers that he loves (Luke), he runs in a sunny field. I loved the character of (George Moses) played by (August Schellenberg). The scene in which he teaches (Parry) how to dine elegantly was the best scene. There were many interesting details; such as the roof couch, recording on a school tape, the top 30 rock songs, which all could be sincere memories from (Schultz)'s teen days that he used subtly. The casting and acting were utterly perfect. Imagine that even (Michael Madsen) delivered a fine performance!! However, (Justine Banszky) as (Luke) was the one who stole the show. She was excellent as that acute tomboy, yet isolated and desperately in love girl. But it's not wholly flawless!
The real problem with this film lies in its script. It wants to play the game of "delay the information", to tighten some thrill, which forces you to follow every scene and line with concentration. It's smart game, only if smartly played. Because exaggerating it just impairs the film; and that what - partly - happened here.
Look at these questions: Was (Luke) a girl or a boy? Who is (George Moses)? Where's (Parry)'s parents? What can be the ugly things that people say about his father? Surely, delaying answering them wasn't for the sake of your unity with the film, plus muddled you for a long time. In other - more thorough - films, like The Big Chill (1983), the answers were delayed till the film's middle, not the third act, so the matters were less muddling.
Sorrowfully it gets worse when other questions aren't answered at all! Review with me: Why (Parry) hates school? What's the top secret story behind the crashed military plane? Why (Peter) brought his gun after knowing that (Luke) was pregnant? What (Parry) said to (Debbie) before leaving the town and going with Luke to New York (was it "Hey, I don't love you, I love Luke"? Or "I love you and Luke?" or "I'll travel with Luke, then come back to you"???). And who was that forever abhorrent police officer; who awakes (Parry), takes him in his underwear to school, and hits him in the gut if does something wrong?!!!!
The matter of (Luke) being pregnant came too suddenly, without any previous preparation or at least passing hints, which made it difficult to believe. Originally she used to get out the house whenever her mom's boyfriend is in, and when the 3 meet together; there is a closed door between the mom and her boyfriend on one side, and (Luke) on the other. So we didn't see the boyfriend and (Luke) ever together, rather we didn't see the boyfriend (unless after the incident!). Another wonder comes from the fact that (Luke) was quite wordless about it, then poured her heart out to the first girl she spoke to! Add to that, a line that I didn't like; when (Parry) asks (Debbie): "What's it like Debbie? The world?", she answers: "The chicken's just as greasy Parry." which I deemed too philosophical for a character like (Debbie) to utter!
So, accordingly, this is a nice warm drama, which says that love is strange, since you may find it in the last person around you. But the problem though is that the film itself tries so hard to be strange too. Not necessarily a good "artistic" idea!