It hasn't been too long since the release of this Canadian movie, written and directed by Michael McGowan and starring Joshua Jackson. Its wide theatrical release in Canada was apparently early last year, after film festival screenings in 2008, but I didn't see it on the big screen, nor did I even hear anything about it during its theatrical run, and I think it was just a few months ago when I started watching it on DVD. I watched the first 45 minutes or so and then stopped, not sure what I thought of it, but that didn't mean I was never going to watch the whole movie. Even though it took me a while to get around to doing so, I've finally watched it all. I was definitely not as impressed with "One Week" as many others have been, but I can't say I didn't like it at all.
Ben Tyler is a Toronto elementary school teacher who is diagnosed with a severe form of cancer. His doctor tells him that it is now in the fourth and final stage, and that he only has a ten percent chance of surviving. If none of the treatments work, Ben will only live a couple more years at maximum! After this diagnosis, he waits until after a big family gathering to tell his fiancée, Samantha Pierce, the bad news. She thinks he should immediately go into treatment, but knowing how slim his chances of survival already are, and how unpleasant the treatment will likely be, he wants to take a vacation first. He leaves Toronto, but it isn't long before he decides to make his way back for treatment. He changes his mind when he meets two Newfoundlanders who are on a bike ride across Canada. Instead of going back home, Ben decides to travel out west on his recently purchased motorcycle. On his trip, as he meets various people and sees various Canadian landmarks, he gradually learns life lessons.
When I first watched some of this film, I remember Campbell Scott's narration kind of put me off. When I watched the entire film months later, his narration wasn't as bad as I had remembered, but it's still deeply flawed, especially at times when he seems to think he's funny, such as the part where he talks about Samantha's hips, and the " all night long" segment. However, the narration isn't always bad, and is sometimes clever and deep. Some parts could have used some rethinking, such as Ben's marriage proposal to Samantha and a woman Ben meets in the prairies finding the man of her dreams after Ben meets her, but fortunately, there aren't too many other scenes like that. There are good dramatic moments and dialogue, the protagonist's experiences and the people he meets on his trip can be interesting, and there's some great scenery in the film from different parts of Canada, including western mountain scenery. To top it off, it's also a film that could make you think about life.
Back in the summer of 2000, I went on a road trip from my home in Southern Ontario to Vancouver Island. There's a lot in this film that reminded me of that trip and what I saw along the way, with the Terry Fox Monument, the Wawa goose sculpture, the prairie land, Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta, and finally the mountainous terrain of the west. There's certainly a lot of Canadian symbolism in this movie, not only with the landmarks and such, but also with a soundtrack featuring songs from various artists in the country. Also, Gordon Downie (lead vocalist of The Tragically Hip), Joel Plaskett, and Emm Gryner are all part of the Canadian music scene, and they have parts in this film. I'm sure many viewers in this country could appreciate "One Week", but that doesn't mean it's for Canadians only. For anyone who wants to see a fairly low-key, realistic, philosophical, and sometimes emotional drama with at least some mild humour, this COULD be a film you want to watch.
Ben Tyler is a Toronto elementary school teacher who is diagnosed with a severe form of cancer. His doctor tells him that it is now in the fourth and final stage, and that he only has a ten percent chance of surviving. If none of the treatments work, Ben will only live a couple more years at maximum! After this diagnosis, he waits until after a big family gathering to tell his fiancée, Samantha Pierce, the bad news. She thinks he should immediately go into treatment, but knowing how slim his chances of survival already are, and how unpleasant the treatment will likely be, he wants to take a vacation first. He leaves Toronto, but it isn't long before he decides to make his way back for treatment. He changes his mind when he meets two Newfoundlanders who are on a bike ride across Canada. Instead of going back home, Ben decides to travel out west on his recently purchased motorcycle. On his trip, as he meets various people and sees various Canadian landmarks, he gradually learns life lessons.
When I first watched some of this film, I remember Campbell Scott's narration kind of put me off. When I watched the entire film months later, his narration wasn't as bad as I had remembered, but it's still deeply flawed, especially at times when he seems to think he's funny, such as the part where he talks about Samantha's hips, and the " all night long" segment. However, the narration isn't always bad, and is sometimes clever and deep. Some parts could have used some rethinking, such as Ben's marriage proposal to Samantha and a woman Ben meets in the prairies finding the man of her dreams after Ben meets her, but fortunately, there aren't too many other scenes like that. There are good dramatic moments and dialogue, the protagonist's experiences and the people he meets on his trip can be interesting, and there's some great scenery in the film from different parts of Canada, including western mountain scenery. To top it off, it's also a film that could make you think about life.
Back in the summer of 2000, I went on a road trip from my home in Southern Ontario to Vancouver Island. There's a lot in this film that reminded me of that trip and what I saw along the way, with the Terry Fox Monument, the Wawa goose sculpture, the prairie land, Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta, and finally the mountainous terrain of the west. There's certainly a lot of Canadian symbolism in this movie, not only with the landmarks and such, but also with a soundtrack featuring songs from various artists in the country. Also, Gordon Downie (lead vocalist of The Tragically Hip), Joel Plaskett, and Emm Gryner are all part of the Canadian music scene, and they have parts in this film. I'm sure many viewers in this country could appreciate "One Week", but that doesn't mean it's for Canadians only. For anyone who wants to see a fairly low-key, realistic, philosophical, and sometimes emotional drama with at least some mild humour, this COULD be a film you want to watch.