This is now undoubtedly the oldest feature length Canadian film I've seen- Canadian film didn't really get rolling until the 1970s, with Going' Down the Road and Mon oncle Antoine, which is why this is the oldest non-documentary on the Top 10 Canadian Films of All Time when TIFF started the list in 1984. It dropped off the list quickly, with one critic saying it hasn't aged well. Indeed, it's gotten few votes on IMDb and fewer reviews, but it is available to see for free on the National Film Board's website.
At first I could see where the comment about it being aged comes into play; it starts out feeling like something more out of a '50s public service ad than the '60s, with the straight-laced square father and the not-really rebellious son, neither of whom act spectacularly well. His "rebellion" against materialism feels old, tired and disingenuous. Things start getting a little more interesting when the son is arrested, and more troubles with the law start. There's a nice, artistic little sequence where he and his girlfriend sing Show Me the Way to Go Home- over 10 years before the great scene in Jaws. What I particularly liked was the lead's argument with the French Canadian about individuality and identity- that feels significant and pretty Canadian. An interesting film, and a curiosity to the Canadian film buff.
At first I could see where the comment about it being aged comes into play; it starts out feeling like something more out of a '50s public service ad than the '60s, with the straight-laced square father and the not-really rebellious son, neither of whom act spectacularly well. His "rebellion" against materialism feels old, tired and disingenuous. Things start getting a little more interesting when the son is arrested, and more troubles with the law start. There's a nice, artistic little sequence where he and his girlfriend sing Show Me the Way to Go Home- over 10 years before the great scene in Jaws. What I particularly liked was the lead's argument with the French Canadian about individuality and identity- that feels significant and pretty Canadian. An interesting film, and a curiosity to the Canadian film buff.