NEW WATERFORD GIRL (1999) / *** 1/2
Directed by Allan Moyle. Screenplay by Tricia Fish. Starring Liane Balaban, Tara Spencer-Nairn, Mary Walsh. Running time: 95 minutes. Rated AA by the MFCB. Reviewed on July 12th, 2000.
By SHANNON PATRICK SULLIVAN
Confession time: though I live in Newfoundland, I don't watch many Canadian movies. This is not exactly by choice -- the simple fact of the matter is that Canadian films make up an exceedingly small fraction of those shown at local theatres. Indeed, the only Canadian picture which showed locally during the first half of 2000 was "Misery Harbour", a co-production with Swedish, Norwegian and Danish firms.
The reason for this, I guess, is that Canadian cinema has a reputation for being very "artsy" and inaccessible. In my admittedly limited experience, I haven't seen a lot to dissuade me from that opinion. Like it or not, audiences in general prefer more mainstream fare, and until Canadian filmmakers accept this, the situation isn't likely to change.
Fortunately, at least one Canadian movie this year does fit the "mainstream" bill -- and without sacrificing its artistic integrity. That movie is "New Waterford Girl", fresh from the 1999 Toronto Film Festival, set in the coal-mining town of New Waterford, on Cape Breton island in Nova Scotia. For the geographically-challenged amongst you, Cape Breton lies about 60 miles across the Cabot Strait from the south-west corner of Newfoundland, and its culture and atmosphere share a lot in common with this province. Consequently, I could easily relate to much of the material -- the accents and attitudes found in New Waterford are not dissimilar from many outport Newfoundland communities.
That said, "New Waterford Girl" is a movie for everyone, not just Atlantic Canadians. I do wonder, though, how many Mainlanders will recognise the pinpoint accuracy of the seemingly exaggerated portrayal of a rural Maritimes community. (If you don't know whether you're a Mainlander, trust me, you are one.)
New Waterford in the 1970s is an isolated, conservative town where Catholicism is still a vital part of everyday life. Fifteen year-old Mooney Pottie (Liane Balaban) is a talented artist, but has resigned herself to a life of limited possibilities. When her eccentric high school teacher (Andrew McCarthy) secures her a full scholarship to prestigious New York art school, Mooney is initially exuberant. But her family, including father Francis (Nicholas Campbell), mother Cookie (Mary Walsh) and four siblings, are horrified at the prospect of Mooney leaving New Waterford, convinced that no good will befall her.
Into this desperate milieu arrive Lou Benzoa (Tara Spencer-Nairn) and her mother Midge (Cathy Moriarty), the Potties' new next-door neighbours. They come from the Bronx, where Lou's ex-boxer father got into some sort of hot water with the law. Despite being treated with suspicion by the locals ("You're not Catholic?"), the free-spirited Lou falls in love with New Waterford and quickly befriends Mooney, reinvigorating her dreary life. With Lou's help, Mooney concocts a scandalous scheme to escape New Waterford by ruining her own virginal reputation and then claiming she's pregnant. This will ensure a trip to Antigonish (on the Nova Scotia mainland) to have the purported baby, from where she can travel to New York before anyone is the wiser.
Although the story of "New Waterford Girl" is fairly typical coming-of-age fare, rarely has this sort of tale been told with such delicious humor. The script, by Tricia Fish, is peppered with lovely moments. Witness the scene where Mooney feebly "tries out" for the national high jump team, for example, and patiently explains that her poor performance was because "these aren't my normal shoes". Delightfully inventive is a subplot in which Lou discovers that pugilism runs in her blood and becomes the enforcer for the lovelorn ladies of New Waterford. Only a climactic boxing match feels contrived.
There is also a certain authenticity to the proceedings: the teens of New Waterford get drunk and make out and argue with their families just like young people really do. There is little of the exaggerated behaviour that often characterises these sorts of movies; at times "New Waterford Girl" has an almost documentary feel.
The direction by Allan Moyle ("Pump Up The Volume") is very capable, abetted by Derek Rogers' cinematography. The stark, uncompromising beauty of the Cape Breton coastline is depicted superbly, without making the movie feel like a travelogue. The only tech problem is the sound, which sometimes results in indistinct dialogue.
But "New Waterford Girl"'s biggest asset is its cast, excellent almost without exception. Newcomer Liane Balaban is a real find, looking not unlike Natalie Portman and -- more importantly -- with acting skills to match. Her Mooney is a wonderful character, neither too cynical nor too pitiable, and with a palpable intelligence. Mooney's scheme to fake pregnancy could have come across as goofy, but the conviction Balaban brings to the role makes it work.
Spencer-Nairn's Lou provides a good contrast, vivacious and daring. Mooney can't wait to get out of Cape Breton; Lou enjoys New Waterford, a welcome change from timeworn plot of the big city kid who moves to a small town and loathes it. Spencer-Nairn has terrific chemistry with Balaban and a real presence onscreen. The only thing that mars her performance is that the film seems to conveniently forget its implication that the Benzoas are on the run. That Lou seems utterly dismissive of the fact struck me as hard to swallow.
Amongst the supporting players, veteran actors Campbell ("Da Vinci's Inquest") and Walsh ("CODCO", "This Hour Has 22 Minutes") are grand as Mooney's parents, evoking both desperation and honest caring when confronted with Mooney's situation. As for the two big-name Hollywood actors, Moriarty is rather underutilised, but McCarthy delivers a laudable low-key performance.
It's unfortunate that more people don't have the chance right now to see "New Waterford Girl" (it's making its way only slowly across Canada, and the producers have yet to secure a US distribution deal so it will probably be confined to festivals). It is a touching and funny movie, and marks the start of a very promising career for Balaban. As "New Waterford Girl" ably demonstrates, Canadian cinema is alive and well. I, for one, am eager to see more of it.
Copyright © 2000 Shannon Patrick Sullivan. Archived at The Popcorn Gallery, http://www.physics.mun.ca/~sps/movies/NewWaterfordGirl.html
_______________________________________________________________________ / Shannon Patrick Sullivan | "We are all in the gutter, but some of us \ | shannon@mun.ca | are looking at the stars." - Oscar Wilde | \___________________________|__________________________________________/ | Popcorn Gallery Movie Reviews www.physics.mun.ca/~sps/movies.html | | Doctor Who: A Brief History of Time (Travel) /drwho.html |
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