5 Must Watch Canadian Films

With the Canada Day long weekend in full force, it’s officially time to catch up on a film which pays tribute to the True North. If you’re parked inside on the couch this weekend, try celebrating the patriotic spirit in the air with a proudly Canadian flick. From Goin’ Down the Road to Still Mine, here are five movies to help you celebrate the occasion from the comforts of your sofa.

Goin’ Down the Road (1970): Director Donald Shebib’s drama flick features Doug McGrath and Paul Bradley as Pete and Joey, two friends from Nova Scotia who move to Toronto in the pursuit of better jobs. While the duo land summer jobs and find love, they soon realize that financial difficulties are in store. When Joey’s girlfriend Betty (played by Jayne Eastwood) becomes pregnant, the two friends are in for a rude awakening as the cost of life in the big city truly hits them.

Dead Ringers (1988): Toronto filmmaker David Cronenberg’s drama thriller Dead Ringers introduces audiences to twin gynecologists Beverly and Elliot Mantle (both played by Jeremy Irons). The two Toronto-based doctors operate a fertility clinic, where confident Elliot seduces female patients and hands them off to Beverly after he loses interest. The brothers meet actress Claire Niveau (Geneviève Bujold), whom Beverly develops feelings for. However, Claire leaves town, which leaves the emotional Beverly feeling depressed and leads to a grisly end for the twins.

One Week (2008): Michael McGowan’s adventure drama film One Week shares the story of Ben Tyler, a terminally ill young Canadian man who has been diagnosed with cancer. To embrace the limited time he has left, Ben decides to embark on a motorcycle trip from Toronto to Tofino, British Columbia. Along the way, he takes time to think of his relationship with fiancée Samantha (Liane Balaban), his career choice and life in general.

Incendies (2010): This compelling mystery drama film by Quebecois director Denis Villeneuve stars Lubna Azabal as Nawal Marwan, a Middle Eastern woman who suffers a fatal stroke and leaves behind her two children. As per her dying wishes, her son Simon and daughter Jeanne must journey to her birthplace and locate their long-lost half-brother and father. What follows is an incredibly sad yet intriguing tale of discovering their family’s hidden history.

Still Mine (2012): Also directed by Michael McGowan, Still Mine shares the tale of Craig Morrison (James Cromwell), an elderly New Brunswick farmer who is caring for his ill wife Irene (Geneviève Bujold). Irene suffers from Alzheimer’s, and Craig finds himself fighting a local bureaucrat (James Potts) for the right to a new, custom designed house which is more suitable for his wife’s health needs.

Photo: Still Mine on IMDB 
