Starbuck

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.

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.

When deciding to give this movie a go, I was skeptical since I've been pretty disappointed with most films coming out of Canada, however, after watching Starbuck, it renewed my faith in Canadian Cinema. The movie is about a middle-aged man who hasn't had much luck in his life. In his 20's, he lived above a sperm clinic and was a frequent donor which comes back to haunt him 20 years later. The story revolves around the children fathered by the anonymous donor named "Starbuck" and their wish to find who the anonymous donor is. Starbuck is my favourite comedy of the year and probably one of my favourite films. The premise of the movie is very unique and heart warming and the actors are wonderfully casted. Starbuck hasn't received much press, however, word is going around and a remake is being rumored. Watch it now before someone else ruins it.

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

A really good central performance by the lead actor. The story itself, well it does contain a lot of clichés and stuff you'll be expecting when watching a movie like this. Plot holes can be found as easy as holes in swiss cheese. But maybe we started off the wrong foot here. Be aware, that the only really "adult" scene (if you want to call it that), is right at the beginning. Let's call that scene, the "shot that made everything happen" (it's more than one shot of course).

There was actually a man in the news last year, who did father quite a lot of children. This news came out in America in 2012 and was received like a big shock. Of course the man who did donate his sperm, is not entirely to blame here. Pretty sure he needed the money, and if he could get it, by doing nothing that he wouldn't do anyways ...

So here we have a case of a comedy, that has a lot of heart (and meat, but not story wise), but lacks a bit on the big drama. And some other minor failings. Overall a more than decent effort, that probably will be remade in America sometime soon