The Luck of Ginger Coffey

When this film first appeared in 1964 I was a child of 11, newly arrived in Montreal myself from the (then) small city of Edmonton Alberta. Montreal was the 'big cosmopolitan city' , where men were men, and women were goddesses. And so they were. Even I, a small gorfy kid, got my first wolf whistle on those very streets before I was 13.

I wanted to see this vision of that time, even if in black and white, because my Montreal included only b&w TV at that time, even though Montreal was a collage of colors, snow & more snow. And this film IS my Montreal, complete with bilingual signs, belching buses and the beginnings of the English/French conflict that would eventually send me fleeing to English Toronto.

Within my own family, there were Irish, English, Polish immigrants and more - my father was French Albertan, my mother Quebec English - truly Canadian, we epitomized the Silent Revolution. Clinging to my Irish/English background, I understood the prejudices immigrants knew.

Robert Shaw is brilliant as Ginger. He is the quintessential immigrant convinced that life in Canada will be the bright future he deserves. His wife, Vera (Mary Ure) is the terrified woman who has followed her husband's dream, but longs for home. His daughter Paulie is me - scared and defiant in a new world.

Ginger can't find a good job' he's hampered by the lack of a proper college degree since he ran away to War instead of finishing school. He also believes that his age and experience qualify him beyond a training position, as he feels he's quite capable of positions above his actual education and experience. He may be right, but his employers disagree. In the one instance where his natural instincts and intelligence unite to shove him above the average, he's too particular to even see that he's found his own niche.

The story of one man's struggle in the New World is not unique; Brian Moore's belief in the essential optimism of the Irish character lifts this small tragedy to a greater good. Despite the apparent spiral into despair and alcoholism, the ending suggests that there is hope, that Ginger and Vera will persevere, and that Ginger's inherent belief that "Life is in the Living" will pull all of them through this struggle to a future that may not be of their dreams, but will be sufficient to take them to a better world than they could have hoped for in Dublin.

Ginger Coffey's story is not a tragedy, it is a monument to the people who came to Canada and the US to raise the bar for those lucky enough to be born in these countries. It's a lesson for all of us who take our birthright for granted, who will never understand what it's like to be a "Stranger in a New Land".

If you are lucky enough to see this film, most likely on television, take a moment to remember the time, and the circumstances, before political correctness allowed every Canadian and American, born or newcomer, to a piece of the pie we call the North American Dream.

If I had not known the director's name, I could have thought it was a Tony Richardson, Lindsay Anderson or Karel Reisz, or even John Schlesinger's film, the lead film makers of the kitchen sink drama period of the UK film industry, typical of this period, kind of Ken Loach before ts time. But that takes place in Canada instead of Great Britain. Social and depressing dramas of course. And it's so interesting to watch Bob Shaw in one of his earliest performances. So delightful. A movie whoch the topic is so close to reality.

Based on the book by Brian Moore, The Luck Of Ginger Coffey, tells the story of a down on his luck Irish immigrant named James Francis "Ginger" Coffey, who has moved, with his family, to Montreal after he was let go from the army back home.

Ginger is a loveable, typically Canadian, anti-hero, who's always willing to help out someone who needs a hand, but is perpetually unemployed as a result of his lofty aspirations .

He tries to get a job in public relations or sales, but can't manage to convince anyone to hire him in those fields.

And anything less just won't do it for him.

The fact that he has little experience and no education doesn't help...so he effectively remains unemployed.

Because of this, his family faces financial difficulties, which really puts a strain on his marriage.

His wife, Veronica, wants to move back to Ireland, but Ginger gives the money he is supposed to use for the boat tickets to his daughter so she can spend a day skating with her friends.

His heart's in the right place, but his lofty ideals prevent him from having much success.

He'd be totally f***ed if it wasn't for a friend who's always willing to bail him out with loans, to keep the family afloat.

To his credit, he does make an effort to find employment, but is only able to secure jobs that he doesn't find fulfilling.

Eventually he gets a job as a proofreader at a local paper, after applying for an editorial position.

It's not what he had his sights set on, but he believes he can move up the chain to become a reporter.

But the pay is low, which only acts to further upset his wife, who is already angry at him for squandering the boat ticket money.

Thus, one day, upon returning from work, he finds that both she and their daughter have moved out.

This causes him to lose his apartment, forcing him to move into the YMCA.

And to make matters worse, he discovers that his wife and daughter have moved in with his best friend, Joe.

He tries to woo her back, but to no avail.

She is still too upset with him, but he does manage to convince his daughter to move back in with him...and takes a second job with a diaper delivery service, to cover the cost.

His hard work starts to pay off when one of his ideas get's him a bonus at the diaper company, and he's been promised a reporter position at the paper.

But, because he's always working, he's starting to lose control of his daughter.

If it's not one thing, it's another.

The problem is that he becomes blinded by his little victories.

As he squanders a promising advancement at the diaper company, out of the hope of being promoted to reporter.

But this never comes to fruition, and he's left without any job at all.

Having also lost and his wife and daughter.

To dull the pain, he goes drinking...and this ends up landing him in jail for public urination.

When it rains, it pours.

Having hit rock bottom, it's only fair that a little luck comes his way.

The judge overseeing his case let's him off because the corrupt police department tried charging him with a more serious crime than he was guilty of.

Worried about him, his wife also comes to see that he's ok.

In the end, he manages to make amends with the woman he loves so dearly, and show that he truly does love her.

Which, despite being a tearjerking moment, is actually quite a happy note.

The redemption of the anti-hero.

This film offers us a glimpse, not only into Montreal of the 1960's, but also into what it was like for an Irish immigrant trying to make it a new country like Canada...particularly in a place like Montreal, where the Scots and Francophones hold most of the positions of power and prestige.

Since the days of Redpath and the building of the Lachine Canal, the Irish were always considered second class citizens.

This is expertly portrayed in the court scene, where he becomes the laughing stock of, even the other criminals.

The film's conclusion (which remains true to Moore's portrayal of Coffey in the book) is particularly moving, as it remains sort of ambiguous, as to whether it's happy or sad.

In reality, it's a little bit of both...reflecting how life's little lessons are not always black and white...rather tending towards gray.

A wonderful story with an immigrant protagonist who's about as Canadian as they come.

8.5 out 10.

Ginger Coffey (Robert Shaw) moves with his wife, Vera (Mary Ure, Shaw's real-life wife) from Dublin to Montreal, to make a new life for them and their daughter, Paulie (Libby McClintock). This film chronicles their struggle to gain acceptance, in a New World which doesn't immediately recognise Ginger's potential and leaves him to work at menial jobs to support his family.

Mary Ure made very few films during her short life, mainly working in the theatre, but here she is excellent as the worried wife who wants only the best for her family. As Ginger, Robert Shaw is excellent and fairly restrained when you compare this film with his later work which became something of self-parody. Montreal is also represented in an honest way within this film - it is a New World which has hope and opportunity, even as its immigrant population face their own problems and overcome them.

Little-seen these days, this black and white sixties gem is underrated and deserves wider exposure.

Robert Shaw is an Irish immigrant to Canada who's at a low point. Wife Mary Ure (his wife in real life) has had enough. He blarneys his way into an ill-paying job as a proof reader on a newspaper, and blarneys his wife into staying a little longer. But eventually she gives up and leaves. He holds onto his daughter, and gets a job as a delivery man for a diaper service, but his grandiose self-worth keeps getting in his own way.

It's a kitchen-sink drama with fine performances by the leads, and a first opportunity as a leading man for Shaw. He makes the most of it, and director Irvin Kershner gets some fine compositions out of the snowy Quebec location shooting. The story is a constant barrage of low-key misery that it soon becomes wearisome. With Liam Redmond, Tom Haarvey, and Leslie Yeo.