What: Weirdos
Where: SilverCity
When: Friday, 9 p.m.; Sun., 1 p.m.
Rating: three and a half stars
What’s not to love about Canuck hipster Bruce McDonald’s return to a genre he’s a master of — the indie road movie with a distinctly Canadian flavour and endearingly peculiar characters. Reuniting with screenwriter Daniel MacIvor, with whom he collaborated on VFF’s 2010 hit Trigger, McDonald has crafted a slight but quirky and ironic comedy-drama. Shot in gorgeous black-and-white by Becky Parsons, it chronicles the journey of Kit and Alice, two Novia Scotia teenagers who hitchhike from Antigonish to Sydney during the summer of 1976 while the American Bicentennial is being celebrated stateside. Although this is a modest achievement, boomers in particular should get a real kick out of its authentic period costumes, furnishings, pop-culture references (look for the Mother, Juggs and Speed movie marquee) and flashbacks, including a score rife with nostalgia-inducing rock gems. The film’s Maritime beauty is offset by period hits from musicians such as Edward Bear, the Stampeders and Murray McLauchlan, whose Down by the Henry Moore is a song you won’t be able to get out of your head after the closing credits roll. There’s even some Harry Nilsson thrown in to conjure up a Midnight Cowboy vibe. What stands out most, however, are the naturalistic performances, particularly from Julia Sarah Stone, a fresh and compelling new talent with retro flair, and Molly Parker, who infuses her over-the-top portrayal of Kit’s dysfunctional mother with poignancy. Pity McDonald didn’t ditch a gimmick that might have sounded good on paper but misfires on screen — a recurring spirit guide in the form of Andy Warhol.
Times Colonist movie writer Michael D. Reid is covering the Victoria Film Festival, which continues until Feb. 12. Ratings are out of five stars.
