With two seasoned veterans on the bill, Gena Rowlands and James Caan, (and an up and coming actor like Kevin Zegers) one would expect a certain quality of acting in this movie... and it does not disappoint. The simple yet beautiful story was handcrafted by Paul Johansson (who was also the films director) and it seems that he took as careful care in the casting as he did in his writing. Each character struck me as unique and genuine and all of the actors served the story rather fittingly. Leslie Hope deserves special notice for her portrayal of Charlie's mother; she is near psychotic most of the times and yet Hope manages to keep things from going over the top. One of the highlights of the film for me was observing the relationship between Mrs. Ritchie's handicapped sons, played by Jeremy Raymond and John Speer. Jeremy Raymond, who I've discovered is actually not handicapped at all, was a delight to watch whenever he was on the screen and a few of the scenes between him and Speers were quite touching in their honesty. This is a wonderful movie that is constructed with great care and it is a fine example of what Canadian film is about.
