The Accident

(Note: The other review [titled "Trash"] is about an entirely different movie!)

During the disaster flick era (late '70s/early '80s) movies like "The Towering Inferno" and "Earthquake" had huge ensemble casts with sub-plots running through each grouping of characters. "The Accident" does that on a much smaller, made-for-TV scale.

When the roof of a hockey arena caves in during a game, it's interesting to note the speed at which the rescuers arrive and the weird calm and quiet atmosphere that surrounds the event. I suppose that when you're going to have to fit into a TV time slot, you have to leave out some of the minor details.

The characters all experience some trauma or another, whether it's from the loss of a loved one or witnessing the disaster. Everything is tied up pretty quickly though, with the help of trite dialogue and predictable solutions.

Hockey isn't the focus of many movies, and unfortunately it's not focused on too much here either. The movie doesn't show us how the players who were there have dealt with the trauma when they have to go back onto the ice. The roof collapses shortly after the movie begins, and the next time hockey is really a part of the movie is at the end when a TV reporter does a "where are they now?" segment a year later.

If you have nothing else to watch on a Sunday afternoon during the hockey off-season, then go ahead and watch this 20-year-old movie. You can listen for the outdated phrases ("you're a turkey"). Or, point out to your kids that life sure is different now (when a telegram is sent to someone outside the country instead of just picking up the phone). Or, for fans of Canadian TV/movies, see how many actors you recognize and try to figure out what else you've seen them in (at least 2 guys were in the series "North of 60").