Starbuck

I liked "Starbuck" very much. My main advice would be to watch it before the American version is out. It's not that I don't believe in Hollywood, but I don't. This movie is heartwarming, the characters are lovable and the story is fairly original. It has moments which will make you laugh, but its true strength is in those moments which will make you smile. The acting is good, the music is very suitable and the director has managed to produce a sotry which dodges clichés. "Starbuck"is a movie which would make you feel better if you are in a bad mood, and even if you are feeling good it would elevate your spirit even more. It is not a movie to change your view on life or something, but you'll have a real fun watching it and that's what going to the movies is all about.

Remember Vince Vaughns enjoyable comedy Delivery Man (2013)? Well this is where it all began, a French Canadian movie that got remade multiple times including the aforementioned title.

It tells the story of a lovable loser who donates heavily to the sperm bank. One day he discovers he has fathered over 500 children and that over 100 of them are fighting through legal means to have his identity revealed.

A powerful, moral, thought provoking tale I actually enjoyed the Vince Vaughn effort but certainly didn't expect the original to be this much better. I know generally US remakes are inferior but it was loyal to this, the original however is just a complete tour-de-force.

I was just talking recently about how many movies have made folks cry and that my number was just 4. Not too bad considering I've now seen over 8000 films! Starbuck almost made it a 5th, it crushed me and choked me up!

No Vaughn here, no Chris Pratt but it does have the same director as the Hollywood remake. No familiar faces helped the film no end as I saw characters instead of actors.

This is the best film I've seen in a longtime and heartily recommend it. Even if you don't like subtitles or sappy movies, but your bias aside and give Starbuck a chance. I'd be very surprised if you regret it.

Outstanding stuff.

The Good:

Great soundtrack

Heartfelt

Thought provoking

The Bad:

Nothing springs to mind

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Some people really do read the articles in porn magazines

Threat of drowning isn't taken into consideration on a bank loan application

I too cannot look at a child for more than 10 seconds without wanting to smack it

Sperm donation is prostitution

David Wozniack has quite the problem. As a man who doesn't have many responsibilities aside from driving his dad's delivery truck for the butcher shop, he's the father of 533 children. He's got commitment issues with his girlfriend, and gets ragged on for not being dependable enough. So how did this happen?

All the children were conceived thanks to his donations to the fertility clinic, registered under 'Starbuck' - and it's twenty years later - 142 of the kids want to know his identity. Class action lawsuit time!

I heard about this premise from a friend, and it sounded absolutely hilarious. What would anyone even do in this situation? It's absurd! I went in, expecting plenty of laughs, but walked out with a genuine love for this film. It's a wonderful surprise. What could have been a mere gimmick for comedy turned out to be a starting point for something much more. When we first see David, he isn't doing well. Nothing is expected of him, he seems to be a disappointment with everyone he knows, except for his best friend, and the news of this children can only be a headache. However, he decides to take a more active approach and gets to know his children, as scary as the idea seems. One step at a time, one child at a time. The result is an effective mix of silly and sweet, some great lines, and genuine emotion.

I don't think this film will get a wide a distribution as it deserves, which is a real shame. I suspect the fact that it being in French will deter some audience members from the film. Personally, I saw it with subs and it wasn't hard to follow. It's well worth the effort to do a bit of reading. Starbuck has piqued my interest to see more Canadian films in hopes of more gems like this one. All I can do is spread the word, and hopefully the word of mouth will help it along. This film is a crowd-pleaser and I was caught between laughing and crying during some parts, I can't praise it enough. Give it a chance if it happens to be playing your local theatre - it might just blow you away!

A very refreshing film. I honestly wouldn't mind seeing it again in theatres.

Starbuck (2011)

This might look like a bad movie—a silly idea and a goofy promo photo. And it's in French, so American audiences south of Canada are relatively small. But it's far more genuine than it portends. It's funny and warm. It's clever. It's improbable and impossible, sure, but that's part of the joyous fantasy of this weirdly feel-good film.

The premise starts pretty simply—an eager sperm donor (for money) finds out his sperm was used a lot. And with great success. Hundreds of babies were conceived. And now a group of over a hundred have banded together as a class- action group to demand his identity be released.

Because of the suit, he finds all this out and is shocked. Then, because the court has all the plaintiffs listed in detail, he is able to find the people, one by one. And so it goes. He meets. He does good deeds. He keeps his mouth shut. And in the process he begins to see the situation from the point of view of these 20 year old kids.

In this country you could picture Ben Stiller or similar comic actor taking the role. Here it is Patrick Huard, a Canadian French-speaking actor. And it turned into a hit (the most popular film in Quebec in 2011). Huard makes his character compelling, even as all these ridiculous things are happening around him. Watch it for his performance alone.

Or watch it for the warm and fuzzy aspects that are really a surprise given the comic plot. Fun and well done!

I saw this French Canadian film on a KLM flight. I have not heard of it, and the title was not catchy, however when I read in the information that there will be an American version to be done, I became curious so I went on to watch it. I did not regret it.

For a movie that began with the uncomfortable scene of a guy donating sperm in a sperm bank. From such an inauspicious beginning, what unfolds is actually a heartwarming story of David Wozniak (Patrick Huard), a middle-aged man whose life of non-commitment changes radically when he discovers that he had actually fathered more than 500 kids via his multiple sperm donations done when he was a young man. When 143 of these kids file a class suit against the anonymous donor "Starbuck," will David reveal his secret identity? If he does, how will he face all of these newly-arisen paternal responsibilities?

Of course, there are scenes which may look cheesy for some, but viewed with the proper attitude without cynicism, these scenes are actually quite nice and even touching. Since David's kids are all young adults already with individual personalities and problems, his approach to each one would have to be different based on the situation each kid is in. The public controversy and discussion that arose when the news of the "Starbuck" case hit the tabloids is also very thought-provoking.

This film was an unexpected delight. It was good to know afterward that this movie actually received multiple nominations and even won awards at the Genie and various film festivals. I am glad I caught it before the American version. It would be interesting to compare the treatment of the story.