The Lotus Eaters

"The Lotus Eaters" might be hard for you to find, but if you can, you should definitely see it. It looks at the changes that take place in a small town off the coast of British Columbia after a new teacher arrives in the mid '60s. The principal resists her progressive goals, but even he might be able to change.

The movie starts with a chat between the main family's daughter and her friend: her friend tells her that the Beatles will be coming. This immediately identified that it was going to be a good movie, and the movie gets better still as it progresses. I recommend it, and in the off chance that you can find a copy of it, you should definitely see it.

So yes, run away, Mortimer and Ogilvy.

This film is awful. Not offensive but extremely predictable. The movie follows the life of a small town family in the mid-60's. The father, the principal at the school, is going through a mid-life crisis. Enter a pretty teacher from the big city who starts challenging her students' minds with some thought-provoking stuff, like think for yourself. The principal doesn't agree with her teaching but she is pretty. You can connect the dots. His teenage daughter (Winona Ryder wannabe Tara Frederick) is fed up with the small town lifestyle and wants to live. She gets some bad advice, hangs out with some bad boys and apparently family planning wasn't being taught at her school. Shocking! Seeing that director Paul Shapiro has mainly worked in TV, this movie plays like a more adult version of an after-school special or a very special episode of one of the more mundane sitcoms.

So I had heard about this movie and had been wanting to see it for quite some time however being that I could never find it as a rental.. I never had the opportunity. I have lived on the west coast nearly all my life and I find this movie extremely accurate. Especially the cinematography and the school scenes. I think the only small inaccuracy may be the accepting nature of the locals to Wiccan culture, being that back then we were all quite ignorant to it. I do not want to spoil the film but I will say it is quite predictable. However it is not cliché'. This movie also does not smack of typical Canadian movie quality as I find that most Canadian movies do. And what I mean by that is that you should never be able to detect that the movie is Canadian made, because it is low quality and cheesy dialog. This movie somehow avoids that distinction. This movie is reminiscent of the movie "Juno" with a touch of the TV show "The Beachcombers" in it's simplicity and honest charm.

I happened to catch this flick on television a couple of years ago. My mother was away taking care of my dying aunt and my father was working double shifts at the hospital. I mention that because the setting was perfect to watch this particular movie. Its peaceful and while seemingly cliché the dialogue and action is pitch-perfect. Its the type of film you want to watch alone on a night when you're in no mood to tune into the news or the regular sit-coms and can't sleep. Its really a shame that it hasn't received wider distribution, especially in the US. I can probably count every good film that's come out of Canada on one hand, and this one goes on my thumb. I'm still looking for a copy.

A journey of discovery, this film follows the lives of one family living in a sleepy, island town in British Columbia. Languorous and dreamy, the inhabitants are satisfied to allow life to go on around them until a young, fresh-faced teacher, with new ideas arrives and brings with her life from the mainland. Slowly, their indolent state is awakened, the father (and principal of the local school) looks for excitement, the mother for stability, the oldest daughter for love, and the youngest for power. While not an incredible or ground-breaking piece of cinema, the movie is quietly enjoyable and good for a tired night when the wind is blowing. Unfortunately, I doubt anyone outside of Canada will find it easily accessible.