Wow. I just stumbled on this on the CBC tonight and it was awesome. Acting was great (with only minor quibbles about the Scottish accents) and the story was riveting. Anyone who says Canada's history is boring hasn't seen this.
Congrats to all. Actors, director, producers...and the CBC! Kudos!
http://janeaustenfilmclub.blogspot.com
I dearly love a laugh.
I also thoroughly enjoyed this production. I have been anticipating it ever since I caught a glimpse several weeks back of an interview with Shawn Doyle on ET Canada. One thing I THINK I recall him saying.... and I hope that this is true.... is that this was to be the first in a series of FOUR films, chronicling the career of Sir John A. Macdonald. If so, then this is something I will very much look forward to, and if the films are released annually, the last one should be around just prior to the 200th anniversary of the birth of John A.: a day that all Canadians should be commemorating with great respect.
shareWell the movie is based on the biography by Richard J. Gwyn. It is published as two volumes, "John A. The Man Who Made Us" (part 1: 1861-1867) and "Nation Maker Sir John A. Macdonald: His Life, Our Times" (part 2: 1867-1891). This movie covers the time-span of the first part of the first book. Making 4 movies out of the books would be realistic.
If you read the press materials you find a little mention that making this was inspired by a viewing of the series on John Adams, one of the early presidents of the USA, and the thought that such should exist for prominent Canadians that we might be reminded of out nation's history instead of just the history from other lands.
“In 2008, I went to the CBC with a proposal for a series of four movies spanning the scope of Macdonald's personal and private lives, his audacity, his passion, his demons and his dreams. Perhaps understandably, the CBC is a little more cautious than I am. The broadcaster committed to the production of this first film JOHN A: The Birth of a Country and to the development of a detailed outline for the second in the series. I look forward to continuing the project to bring this great epic story to the screen.” - Bernard Zukerman in the press materials
It was quite good - really well done.
shareI really enjoyed it. The acting was wonderful and it wasn't boring. I feared it might be so I almost gave it a miss. I'm very glad I didn't.
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