Goin' Down the Road

I stumbled upon this low budget Canadian movie while flipping channels, and although somewhat slow in areas, its grittiness and realism gripped my attention from beginning to end. At first it appeared to be a Canadian version of "Midnight Cowboy" which was released a year earlier, however as the movie progressed it became obvious that the story being told was different.

The heros, Pete and Joey, are high school dropouts from the economically depressed east coast (Nova Scotia), who like so many others travel to the big city (Toronto), in search of a better life. Their enthusiasm is quickly dashed, and they settle into a series of minimum wage jobs, ranging from factory work to washing cars. As the underdogs I couldn't help routing for them, in particular Pete has aspirations for better jobs and dating classier women. However Joey's interest in Toronto's nightlife, working class women and constant beer drinking holds his friend back. Even an interviewer's candid comment "You need to get more education or go back home" does not provide the wake up call Pete needs. In the end Pete and Joey can't seem to help themselves.

Although the main characters appeared to be in their 40's (both are heavy smokers), a decade or two too old for their roles, the acting, dialog, camera work, sound track and interactions with other bit characters worked very well together to distract the viewer from this fact. In particular the scenes of our heros hard at menial work and at play were extremely well done.

All in all, a realistic drama and time capsule to the working class of Toronto in 1970, particularly interesting to Canadians, and lover's of dramas and foreign films.

A gritty and realistic portrayal of the Toronto in 1970, and the tale of two young men with "not a pot to p*** in", who come west from Nova Scotia in search of a better life, but who both end up just trying to survive.

Easily one of the top 10 movies within the past 20 years that I have had the pleasure of viewing.

Not only is this a great Canadian movie and a touchstone of '70s culture (stubby beer bottles!), it's one of the best movies made anywhere about the working poor. The low production values and laidback acting work to good effect. It spawned plenty of awful imitations, but few were as rawly heartfelt and honest. Essential viewing for Canadians

Any Canadian who has left his or her home to move to Toronto can identify with this movie. Doug McGrath and Paul Bradley star as Peter and Joey, who leave their home on Cape Breton for prosperity in Hogtown. After searching for "doctorin' and lawyerin'" jobs, they eventually settle for factory work. The movie chronicles the quest of these small town boys trying to take on the big city. Also starring are Jayne Eastwood as Betty, Nicole Morin as the unforgettable daughter of the boss, and Stompin' Tom Connors as himself. Peter and Joey would serve as the models for countless characters in Canadian culture, including Bob and Doug Mackenzie, Wayne and Garth, and "Dumb and Dumber." The movie also acts as an apt reminder of how much the city of Toronto has changed in the past thirty years. It's worth watching if you can find it.

A great story of two simple-minded hosers from Cape Breton who move to Toronto to try and make a better life for themselves.

They get into amusing situations while trying to make it in the big city, but the real strength of this film is the acting and directing. It is difficult to tell if it's a film or a documentary - the actors and director Don Shebib do such a great job.

I watched the film a few times before it grew on me. After purchasing the VHS, I've now watched it many times, finding something new with each viewing.

Torontonians will marvel at how busy the nightlife was on the Yonge Street strip between Dundas and Gerrard back in '69. Now, of course, it is all but forgotten by nocturnal revellers.