Grey Owl movie a popular hit in North Bay
By Abby Cote
Three months after it opened in theatres, Grey Owl had a one-night premier in North Bay. The North Bay Film Club showed the movie at The Capitol Centre on January 13th to a full house of 1000 plus patrons.
"We’ve never had a turn out like this. We usually have 200 people or so but tonight we were at capacity and even had to turn 55 people away at the door. Our ushers even gave up their seats," states Tom Hanrahan of the North Bay Film Club.
"We usually show foreign films not Hollywood movies but when the opportunity came to bring Grey Owl to North Bay for it’s only showing, we took it. However, being as it is in some ways a fraud of fraud I was not enthusiastic about showing it to out Native viewers but as it turns out the response has been overwhelming and just goes to show that of all places it should have played, North Bay should definitely have been top of the list," Hanrahan says.
After all, it was a reporter with North Bay’s newspaper The Nugget who first discovered the truth about Archie Belaney but The Nugget kept the story under wraps for three years and did not run it until the day after Belaney died. The story made headlines worldwide. Therefore, wouldn’t it have been appropriate to premier the movie in the city of North Bay? Instead however, the movie premiered in Canada’s biggest cities and made it to the theatres in Sudbury and Ottawa but not North Bay.
In fact, "North Bay" is said at least three times in the movie, with the first time being in the opening sequence. "Bear Island" is said at least twice and "Lake Temagami" is said once. Interestingly enough, "Ontario" is not tacked onto the end of any of these place names.
The film conveys Canada’a forefather of the conservation movement, Grey Owl (Achie Belaney) and his message of conservation although the protrait of Grey Owl painted by Richard Attenborough (the director) lacks depth with none of the complexities and addictions that made up the actual man being portrayed. The cinamatography is beautiful but on a whole the movie sticks to being a "Hollywood" style love story, there is no profanity and very limited nudity. (Women may be interested to know that Brosnan’s backside is in full view as he steps naked from the lake in one scene).
"I feel that Attenborough missed the mark in making this film. Belaney was a very complex man. It would have been interesting to have his transformation into the character of "Grey Owl" looked at more intensely and to have his family dynamics portrayed with more truth. From an acting point of view this movie lacked depth," stated Sandra Laronde, actor and writer originally from Temagami, from her office in Toronto.
The overall concensus from viewers at the show was that this movie was a success. Most felt that although they were not sure what they expected they got more than they hoped for.
"Like the chief toward the end of the film who touches Grey Owl’s face and laughs, seeing right through him, I don’t believe that it mattered who or what Grey Owl was, he had a dream and he lived it. Beyond that, his message about the animals got through to people, basically. And it’s even more true today, people who believe in Native ways, promote Native ways. Although a lot about the man was left out I did enjoy the movie," said John Sawyer, Nipissing First Nation.
"The best part I saw in the movie, the part that I enjoyed the most was the baby beavers that were rescued after their mother was killed," said DelLynn Legault, an elder from Nipissing who stated that it was the best film that she has ever seen at the Capitol Centre.
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