Over the long weekend, I watched two kickass movies: New Waterford Girl and Singles. In theory, they are both very different (first off, one is extremely Canadian) but they share one majorly mutual characteristic: a sense of pure awesomeness.
Let's start off with New Waterford Girl. I had seen parts of this quirky coming-of-age flick in the past, but nothing compares to seeing the whole thing in it's East Coast Canuck glory. The movie revolves around Moonie Pottie (played by One Week's Liane Balaban), a teenage girl who is the perfect smorgasbord of the rebellious yet introspective adolescent heroines I love and identify with. She's part Angela Chase, part Lindsay Weir and a whole lot Nomi Nickel. That is, if these girls moved to New Waterford, Nova Scotia.
Throughout the movie, Moonie attempts to make her way out of her super small town so she can see the world, most notably New York City, the home of an art high school she has been accepted to. The whole thing is very A Complicated Kindness. That is, if Nomi dropped the Mennonite thing and got a nice thick Cape Breton accent. Even the time period is the same (the 1970s). I'm sure this similarity made me love Moonie's story more, but even if it didn't have an eerie resemblance to my favourite Miriam Toews novel (if not my favourite book of all-time), I know I would love this loverly slice of Eastern Canadiana.
From the get-go The New Waterford Girl has this breezy - and almost folksy - feel that I crave in movies. It's the type of movie that makes you want to crawl under a plaid blanket, sip a cup of semi-warm tea and fall completely in love with it. I might even say that you would want some nice dark chocolate to along with it, but really, the movie already has the bittersweet thing covered. It's hopeful enough to give you that cinematic warmth in the pit of your stomach, but real enough to keep you grounded. Oh, and it features a smokin' cameo from none other than Andrew McCarthy, playing a semi-creepy yet kind of entirely endearing teacher (I'm not one for sideburns (see: my distaste for Kevin Jonas) but the man works em' so h-core here, I can't resist! Maybe that's just the thick East Coast air talking, but I seriously doubt it). In other words, it's strangely perfect.
While New Waterford Girl focuses on growing up on the East Coast, Singles looks at things from a West Coast perspective. I knew I was going to like this movie from the moment the it started. First off, it's a Cameron Crowe movie. Secondly, it's set in 90s Seattle. And finally, it features the strange hotness that is Matt Dillon. What I did not know was that I was going to fall in L-O-V-E with it.
The movie is all about a group of 20-somethings in an apartment complex trying to find love. It's pretty simple when it comes down to it, but there were just some moments, that really make it something else. Like when Matt's character talks about his band, Citizen Dick and their endearing song, "Touch Me, I'm Dick". Or when you realize that Eddie Vedder is part of his fictional band. Or when you look at Bridget Fonda's character and you realize how many people copy 90s grunge style to a flannel tee today. Or when you realize how flippin' amazing every single (he he..) song on the soundtrack is. Or when you find Campbell Scott's friend in the movie to be a 20-something coffee shop rat version of Matt Nathanson.
I could go on and on, but honestly, I don't want to. Just rent the movie and see it for yourself. If you're anything like me, you'll be floating on a 90s nostalgia high for days. Hence, why I'm wearing flannel in the midst of May. Actually, when I think about it, my sudden urge to plaid-it-out might also be because of Moonie's awesome red plaid jacket. Either way, I think it is obvious that both of these movies are most definetly worthy of a spot in your next long weekend movie marathon.
Mood Music: "You'll Accomp'ny Me" by Bob Seger
No comments:
Post a Comment