Choice: The Henry Morgentaler Story

Maybe the years of pressure from the CRTC are paying off. Canada finally is telling its own stories and telling them well. There has been some exceptional stuff on CBC this season and now CTV has done this excellent docu-drama. It's a controversial subject and a controversial story about a controversial man, the kind of stuff that scares off sponsors. So kudos to CTV for tackling it! Individual views on abortion are beside the point. Morgantaler's saga was a significant piece of Canadian history and it is portrayed here without any "pro-life" or "pro-choice" bias. Nor does it make Morgantaler into some sort of crusader in a white hat. He is a difficult and sometimes unpleasant man and the movie shows him for what he is, the good and the bad. (He himself was quoted in the Toronto Star saying the film was accurate with the exception of a few minor details.) For once CTV has lived up to the C in its name.

Dr. Morgentaler is indeed a true Canadian hero. He saved the lives of countless women by campaigning tirelessly to make sure women didn't have to undergo unsafe and illegal abortions, but were granted the human right to make private, personal decisions about their health and lives.

It's very heartening to see that the CBC is featuring a true Canadian hero, a man whose legacy will live on for decades to come, championing important rights for women. Women are not going back to back-alley abortions, and I'm glad that in today's world, people trust women to make the best decisions for them, their lives, their family. Society is stronger because of this.

And, of course, there are some really cool Canadian actors here. Eisner & Smits are awesome together.

I'm proud of my country for producing this movie. I'm proud of Dr. Morgentaler for shaping my country.

I love how they're showing him as a real person & a revolutionist.

It's a cold night here in Toronto & a lot of this is set in Montreal in winter. It shows the sensuality of Montreal & briefly explores the Jewish diaspora via Mtl.

Best quote:

You're a prick, Henry. But Dr. Morgentaler is still my hero.