Fred Phipps
Some Canadian films try to mask their provenance. Green money instead of multicoloured bills. Cities that never experience the changing of the seasons. You know the drill.
Then there is Hockey Night, a 1984 television movie that's been afforded a 4K restoration. The first line of dialogue name-checks Peterborough. We're barely 10 minutes in before Oshawa, Toronto's Queen Street West and several other Southern Ontario spots are spoken of, repeatedly and with enthusiasm.
So it goes with director Paul Shapiro's ultra-Canadian production, which, of course, focuses on hockey – specifically one young girl's attempt to become a goalie for her local team. It's all fairly hokey and dated, but at least a young Megan Follows makes the most of her starring role. And it's always a nice surprise to see Rick Moranis back (in a way) on the big screen, even if it's in a simple tale of "Canadian guys skatin' and shootin'."
Barry Hertz